Why Discogs is No Longer Working for Me

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/ @michael45rpm
Discogs (short for discographies) is a website and crowdsourced database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the largest online database of electronic music,[2] the site now includes releases in all genres on all formats. After the database was opened to contributions from the public, rock music began to become the most prevalent genre listed.[3]
As of 2 May 2022, Discogs contains over 15.1 million releases, by over 8 million artists, across over 1.8 million labels, contributed from over 628,000 contributor user accounts-with these figures constantly growing as users continually add previously unlisted releases to the site over time.[4][5] The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc. and located in Portland, Oregon, United States.[6]
The discogs.com domain name was registered in August 2000,[7] and Discogs itself was launched in November 2000 by programmer, DJ, and music fan Kevin Lewandowski originally intended to be a large database of electronic music.[8]
Lewandowski's original goal was to build the most comprehensive database of electronic music, organized around the artists, labels, and releases available in electronic genres. In 2003, the Discogs system was completely rewritten,[9] and in January 2004 it began to support other genres, starting with hip hop. Since then, it has expanded to include rock and jazz in January 2005 and funk/soul, Latin and reggae in October of the same year. In January 2006, blues and non-music (e.g. comedy records, field recordings, interviews) were added. Classical music started being supported in June 2007, and in September 2007[10] the "final genres were turned on" - adding support for the Stage & Screen, Brass & Military, Children's, and Folk, World, & Country music genres, allowing capture of virtually every single type of audio recording that has ever been released.
In June 2004, Discogs released a report claiming that it had 15,788 contributors and 260,789 releases.[11]
In late 2005, the Discogs marketplace was launched.[12]
In July 2007, a new system for sellers was introduced on the site called Market Price History. It made information available to users who paid for a subscription - though 60 days of information was free - access to the past price items were sold for up to 12 months ago by previous sellers who had sold exactly the same release. At the same time, the US$12 per year charge for advanced subscriptions was abolished, as it was felt that the extra features should be made available to all subscribers now that a different revenue stream had been found from sellers and purchasers. Later that year, all paid access features were discarded and full use of the site became free of charge, allowing all users to view the full 12-month Market Price History of each item.[2]
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[@Michael45RPM]

as really a lot of you asked for it: We will give you Stuntrocks Confusions Text in our Lifestream on Wednesday, Stunti agrees to give it to you!!!

[@teddyrasputin3850]

I was wondering what those magic words were. Thanks!

[@ConcertBuddie]

Give him our thanks, and a clean shirt!

[@itayashkenazy2895]

@@lokitio Any examples for Michael afforementioned "dificult" attitude?

[@teddyrasputin3850]

@@lokitio I'll wait to see the wording to voice an option on that. But if you thought this entire video was an example of being difficult you just might be excessively polite, and I'm Canadian.

[@krupboom]

@@lokitio Where is the wording? Has it been written down somewhere or is it in the Stunty/45 livestream video?

[@fvalle14]

4 years ago I decided to only buy used records on discogs from japanese sellers. After that, I never had any problems anymore. Not the best option for buying UK originals, but japanese collectors always took good care of their records so, for me it works fine

[@drumvc8060]

That sounds like good logic, I may have to try the same myself.

[@alanrogs3990]

They also tend to overrate the wear on the records. Very nice!

[@josepfernandezmarsal6279]

Agreed. Those japanese originals are incredible. Super silent.

[@fvalle14]

@@alanrogs3990 That's true, a japanese VG+ is better than most european or US records described as NM

[@mercuryscat2703]

Yes I’d go with that ! Most U.K. sellers seem to over grade and over charge. It’s infuriating as I’d be happy to pay a little more for a truly mint- album.

[@oldvideos6330]

I will tell you this, GRADING has become a real problem with sellers on discogs in the past few years. I've sold 485 records on discogs since 2018, with 100% feedback. I am not sure if it's sellers really not knowing HOW to grade properly, if they are maybe BLIND, or just trying to RIP people off. Regardless, as a buyer and seller for 25 years, just FYI, there is a BIG difference between NM and VG+, and there are many people in the twilight zone that grade USED (OPENED) records as "MINT". Newsflash people, "MINT" doesnt really exist, even sealed records are never really mint. When I have compained about records not properly graded after purchasing them, I've actually had sellers say to me "well, it's 'mint FOR IT'S AGE'!!"

[@robertkok5263]

However old titles in near mint condition don't grow on trees, so please take this in mind. I would be in favour of Discogs using a category for sellers that grade conservatively and do this consistently. After years visiting shops and fairs I think I know something about condition. First of all sellers should communicate to you when asking for information. If you are selling your father's collection maybe first ask someone how to grade properly? A mint record has no hairlines nor any spindle marks. It does not matter whether the record was pressed in 1962 or in 1987. The criteria are exactly the same. Near mint is the highest grade possible unless sealed. Even a sealed record is open to fraud though as records in Europe for instance back then were not sealed by the companies.They could however be sealed by shops, department stores etcetera. I have read and heard about resealed records but I have personally never seen one.

[@oldvideos6330]

@@robertkok5263 well said friend, bravo 🍺🍺🍺

[@Faxie83]

Yeah, I'm bothered by the grading too. For me, M is simply sealed, but NM should be basically mint, though played a few times. I get a lot of records that are graded NM, but when I remove them from the sleeve, they are covered in fingerprints, hairlines and dust. For that reason alone, I don't even bother getting VG+ records anymore unless the description is clear about why they are graded that way.

[@headlessheroes551]

I agree with your usage on Mint for only perfect sealed, and NM should be opened and essentially flawless. My huge issue with Discogs is the gap between NM and VG+ is too wide, a subjective grading abyss. I dont understand why Discogs doesn't include an EX grading. This is a crucial grade, having only VG+ to cover such a wide range of potential conditions, leads more people to list records as NM that actually aren't, and for very clean records to get lumped in with copies of considerably lower condition as VG+. I just dont see the downside in adding an Excellent grade, which is already widely used in many grading scales. I suggest an EX petition!

[@oldvideos6330]

@@headlessheroes551 well said my friend, agree. Keep on spreading the word, cheers

[@gavinoneill3044]

Discogs should track how many returns sellers have. A lot of sellers with 99% positive feedback probably have hundreds of returns for mislisting and overgrading records.

[@gregoryirwin263]

You are spot on its getting really ridiculous the biggest problem I have continually had on discogs is extreme over grading of condition on original pressings and also first generation repress I've come to realize that discogs has been overtaken by flippers not collectors and vinyl listeners People really need to play test and not just visually grade

[@YuengsNwings]

I agree with this completely. I won't buy a record for more than $40 unless it's from someone's personal collection, or if the seller has hundreds+ of ratings indicating that they know how to grade records. When someone grades a record as EX or VG++, or assigns a VG+ with writing on the label, then they don't understand how to grade records and I am accepting all the risk in the transaction. I have actually had a lot of good fortune with VG records that were advertised as "conservatively graded" which tends to mean YMMV depending on your playback chain, and the seller understands the Goldmine rating system well enough to not give a VG+ rating based on the strict guidelines.

[@gregoryirwin263]

@@YuengsNwings it seems like especially in the last year the flipping has gotten out of control I use to have really good experiences with discogs but since this year started its been really disappointing Oddly enough when I purchase from overseas through discogs the grading has been right on the money but for some reason american sellers even with high seller ratings have been a mixed bag at best

[@Daijyobanai]

Flipping is destroying hi-fi prices too, especially in the retro / vintage market. Anything with a silver facia is now $$$$$$. I keep telling people: broken shit is still broken, even though they don't make it any more.

[@pez7031]

Michael- I really enjoy your channel…AND I’m a CD enthusiast at heart (to the tune of over 9,000 now at age 52). Just wanted to comment that this situation with Discogs isn’t limited to vinyl. I’ve purchased on the site since 2006 and the disinterest in CDs/dumping of mass collections has flippers scouring thrift stores, racing home to research the highest value on Discogs, and recklessly tagging their item as that particular release…don’t even get me started on condition as I believe these new sellers quite literally grade in the dark. They aren’t impaired visually because they would have felt the scratches to the touch before listing items Mint or NM. My experience with lost packages only ever occurs on Discogs from Sellers who list on multiple platforms, have already sold the item, or realize the value has increased/no longer want to sell the item, etc. and then claim it’s lost in the post so they don’t get dinged with bad feedback on the site- a waste of time for buyers. The hurt is all around and I feel your pain. Congrats on your new resource for original pressings!

[@apollomemories7399]

Never does a flipper selling me scratched up crap get to keep my money. I always get full refund so they lose on item cost and post.

[@spinalcrackerbox]

Always ask for a photo when ordering from discogs. Many records are listed under the wrong pressing category because the discogs database was never intended for records that exist in 100+ different variations and the listers lose patience or simply get lost. The 2nd reason is - as is well known - that seller & buyer might disagree on the grading. Having photos might avoid at least some of these issues. Regarding lost packages, I bought & sold via discogs & eBay and the number of packages that simply disappear was way higher than I anticipated. I eventually stopped, it's just too much hassle.

[@marksironi3324]

There are a few problems: 1. Since the data is crowdsourced and grows organically, you have the problem where the listings change over time and the listing is no longer accurate relative to when the seller added the item to their collection. I have this problem a lot for things I entered 10+ years ago, back then there was little to no pressing information on discogs at all, just label variations. So you'd add say a UK plum Led Zeppelin I to your collection and there was just a single listing. Come back a few years later and there are now 10+ listings for that record and the original listing got re-used for one of them (that re-used bit is the problem). So even users (like me) who tried to be accurate have had the rug pulled out from under them. Add on top of that sellers who are not motivated and just don't care. 2. The process of finding your pressing variation can kindly be described as "unpleasant". If someone is selling hundreds of records this is a hug incentive to either just not care or to do it incorrectly. And if they are selling hundreds/thousands of records how can the possibly do all this work at that scale, it's just not realistic. Discogs can also be a cesspool of awful sellers, as you are discovering. Honestly the sellers cancelling your orders are probably doing you a favor. I'm not sure what Discogs can do about it, they could aggressively de-list sellers with negative feedback but then trolls would just de-list every seller. The feedback mechanism isn't a great solution either because if you leave negative feedback then the seller just does the same to you, which provides an incentive to not leave feedback. And I haven't even touched on grading, another huge problem not unique to discogs. If I were buying a $100+ collectable record I'd be conducting an interview with the seller before making the purchase. This is why I laugh whenever someone says "don't buy a reissue, that OG is easily available for $10". Not unless you have a stack of them sitting at a local record shop.

[@Michael45RPM]

spot on!!!!

[@alanrogs3990]

If I am unsure I will ask the seller about confirming it is the pressing I want. I have never had an issue. I have only bought around 50 titles on my new ID. I bought probably another 50 before I got banned on my old ID for making a statement the owners didn't like under a certain artist.

[@seansrecords]

i think people would be better going to shops, even if they are far away... save your money and visit every few months and come home with a stack of records... better yet if you have a local shop - get to know them , and let them know what you like, they will tell you when stuff comes in you want. Online is a nightmare - and also, takes most of the fun out of the hobby for me. Theres nothing better than going digging and coming home with stuff you wanted for ages I understand for this channel you want stuff to do videos... but for most of us , we can wait until we come across what we want

[@rastheike4329]

Hello Mark..., absolutely brilliant comment from you.👌 ❤️Heike

[@TheHammerofDissidence]

I've only been burned once on discogs when a shipper sent a record with the bare vinyl OUTSIDE of the sleeve, just rubbing against the mailer. Came completely scuffed. It was a very rare album and I was pretty upset but I did get a refund. He had great reviews and everything, was very apologetic, but I'm baffled as to how that happened. On the flip side, I also had a fellow from Germany hold a record for me for several months because of Covid complications. He remembered me, kept his word, and reached out, shipped the record quickly and it arrived in great condition. He had no reviews either, just a caring vinyl collector.

[@admiralhipowa7158]

I feel your pain my friend, I’m in the U.K. Their is a dealer I’ve known since 1985 who still has a shop packed with vinyl, the owners name is Steve & his shop is called X-Records, it’s in a small town Bolton, Lancashire. I am sure he can help you & he’s been doing mail order for years, he had a warehouse full of vinyl but I’m not sure if he still has it.

[@continentalgin]

Discogs can be frustrating. My main problem is inaccurate grading. I order Near Mint on almost everything, so I am expecting beautiful vinyl. So many sellers rate vinyl and jacket at the NM level, but I am getting VG+ a lot. Everyone should have high standards for grading NM and not be too greedy for money. The only other complaint I've had is records arriving that have not been cleaned before shipping. Sellers, please have the courtesy to clean the records before shipping. Only one time in years, did a shipment go missing and I didn't blame the seller. because there was a tracking number. The shipping service lost the package. I still do quite a bit of Discogs business, because I look for the pre-digital music.

[@alanrogs3990]

If it is a $10 record VG+ is okay if they said NM but if I pay $$$ then it is an issue.

[@continentalgin]

@@alanrogs3990 Right, that's the problem. They don't sell NM for $10. If I pay a high price for NM, I expect NM.

[@scratchedvinyl8462]

It sounds like you have been through the mill with Discogs, Michael! I agree there is plenty of scope for improvement, and perhaps we will see some of this in future. However, I have to say that I have had generally good experiences and will continue to use it. But I really, really do my research on the sellers before making a purchase and, over time, I find that I tend to buy from the same sellers over and over again. They tend to have the records I want and I know that they are truthful about vinyl grading, good with dispatching, etc, etc. The only exception was just a couple of months ago when I loosened my usual adherence to my seller research and paid the price. It was a seller I was unfamiliar with and I believe (after some reflection) he was simply advertising records he didn't really have to sell. It took 6 weeks to get a refund because -- I believe -- he was trying to source them for sale on demand.

[@nuxboxen]

Wow, this video was so interesting! Your delivery of the numbers had me lol. It is no laughing matter that things are this way, quite sad. Glad to hear you have found a good source of OG records. Thanks again Michael

[@plasticsoundwavecult]

Seems like finding these original pressings come with a whole new learning curve for you. The more you do it, you’ll learn who are the better sellers. That just comes with the experience of doing something new. If I’m gonna be honest, I do like getting nerdy and finding the exact pressing that I have if any record. The best is having something not in the database and creating a new entry. Unfortunately, that is not the case with many sellers. Asking the right questions helps, and that can save you some time and trouble.

[@whittierlibrarybookstore3708]

Plastic; For clarity he stated he has purchased over 800 records through Discogs in the past. Also when you run a business I shouldn't have to go through a "experience" process to ensure I will receive what I was listed.

[@plasticsoundwavecult]

@@whittierlibrarybookstore3708 ;so there is no learning curve when starting a business? When things are new or different there are going to be new things to learn. And for clarity, I get that he has bought a lot of records on Discogs. However when he bought one type of record (ie: new or special pressings) he seemed to have a good experience, because it was easy to ID the pressing. However, Michael’s experience was diminished when he started looking for different kinds of records such as original pressings or specific older pressings. Because there are so many variants in these cases it takes more work to find that particular pressing. In the end it will be your knowledge and gumption that gets the right record. I think that Michael wants a better rating system for sellers. The system they use now leaves things wide open on the quality of service you’ll receive. It would be helpful to get better data on a seller’s satisfaction rate. But that’s not happening soon. There for; as you or I make our way through different sellers, we will have good sellers and rotten ones. Clearly some of the sellers don’t know their records from their ass. You probably know more about a record being purchased than the seller in some cases. Personally, I buy and have a successful purchase, I will buy from them again. If they get anything wrong, I don’t buy again. That’s how you learn who is a trusted seller and who isn’t. I agree that in the interest of running a thriving business it’s important to be accurate on your sale of goods. But as a buyer you won’t know who’s better until you get in there and actually buy and experience the highs and the lows. Making mistakes is still a big way that we learn, as long as they aren’t repeated. You should buy on your knowledge and experience, not the seller’s.

[@whittierlibrarybookstore3708]

@@plasticsoundwavecult Yes, at the end of the day we are all looking for a better buying experience on Discogs. I replied to Michael directly with some Discogs suggestions.

[@apollomemories7399]

@@plasticsoundwavecult You keep talking about "learning". What's to learn? I know what I want to buy and the original pressing has been detailed on Discogs own archive and a seller has marked his item for sale as per that same original listing. Yet, so many sellers fail at that first hurdle. It's also a very long shot to suggest that just because a seller was able to supply exactly what was required in the first order that they can do that repeatedly with subsequent orders. I've never got past two orders with any seller, despite 400+ orders. Of course, I have returned to a "trusted seller" and perused their stocklisting, however, invariably they don't have what I'm looking for. I think it was absolutely established from the start that 45 RPM Audiophile know what he was looking for. But if the seller is a rip-off merchant or simply clueless, it really doesn't matter how much knowledge any buyer has as he will be dealing with the impossible. I have lost count on the number of times I have received a "Oh sorry about that, it must have slipped through our quality control net. Will you accept a £2 refund?" These shady sellers treat you like you had just sailed up the river in a banana boat.

[@plasticsoundwavecult]

@@apollomemories7399 I pretty much agree with your comment. There are plenty of shady sellers. Plenty of sellers that get it wrong. It seems to me that it was only when Michael started looking for Original Pressings that he started experiencing difficulties. Which I believe is not something he normally does. He’s usually looking for audiophile pressings. I’m willing to bet that we are talking about two different crowds of sellers. If you’re selling an audiophile pressing to a buyer, you probably know your clientele’s expectations. But to be on the level, I’m speculating, since I don’t specifically buy audiophile pressings. I’m assuming that someone dealing in a higher end product will have a store and experience with audiophiles. The used market seems a bit less tame. You could be buying from someone I mentioned above, or some weirdo (like the guy that delays shipping because he’s worried Michael’s trying to flip the record). I can only speak on what I heard in the video, so I don’t want to speak for Michael. But it seems as if he has taken a new tact on his purchasing of the records when it comes Original pressings after getting some tips from Stunty at StuntRockConfusion. I believe that started the ball rolling on getting the pressing that he wanted narrowed down to a single seller. So if that’s correct, Michael gained new knowledge to hopefully make his experience better. If there was only a word for that. 😜

[@Stetho96]

I like Discogs because it allows me to find what I want when I want without hoping and praying I can find it digging in a record store. Also it makes it easy for me to find the pressing I want. When looking at records at a shop it’s a major chore to try and identify the pressing while your there. It is the most expensive way to do it but ultimately I like it. I have bought many records from Discogs and have only ever had 1 poor experience and even that ended up ok in the end.

[@Souldisco]

I do have /had the same problems. It is not the platform in most cases, it is the seller or the bad postage system in certain countries. You were spot on. On Friday i was having a user request session with discogs. They are really trying to improve the platform.

[@VideoArchiveGuy]

The biggest issue is vinyl is almost always graded visually. After my third "NM" album that was unplayable upon receipt, I vowed to never use Discogs for vinyl again. They are wonderful for used CDs, though.

[@travisw6378]

Nice video, I am a longtime Discogs seller and was a buyer at a record store for 10 years so lots of experience grading records. My feedback on Discogs is excellent, and I will say as a US seller I basically had to stop shipping to Germany and England and many other European countries due to buyers in these places being completely ridiculous. So the problem is they always complain about their countries import fees, and try to get a lower price, or to get me to undervalue the item, which is illegal. I’ve also had 3 buyers that did not pick up their item due to higher than expected import fees and deny this was the reason, and then the item got sent back to me, which is really frustrating! So part of the reason you are having issues may be due to the fact that other professional sellers like me have gotten burned out with selling to buyers in your country. I know basically only ship international to China and Japan and a few other countries.

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

Bless your heart, Michael, how incredibly frustrating. We started buying and using Discogs in 2016. We’ve started seeing a trend whereas the seller doesn’t ship immediately or at all. Why we don’t know. We appreciate your videos and have learned a lot. Thank you for your invaluable input.-Chris & Beth🎧

[@donsounds]

Great video Michael! I have been selling and buying on Discogs since 2005 (Donsounds). I know it can be frustrating for both buyers and sellers. Especially at the quantity you probably order. I will not go into every issue I have gone through both as a buyer and as a seller but I can suggest one very important point: Always ask the seller to confirm the copy He is selling corresponds in all Details to the release page under which he advertises the record, including matrix numbers. Also ask for pictures and always a tracking number for shipping.

[@christopherbarker181]

I’ve had far more problems with eBay than I ever had with Discogs; that’s why I choose to sell on Discogs. I have never sold overseas because of the potential issues. One bad buying experience I did have on Discogs they had my back and resolved the issue Immediately. I can totally understand the problems with the original pressings; they scare me too and I basically deal with reissues. Michael, I love your channel and look forward to every new video!

[@collectrify]

Leverage your base of almost 28k subscribers. Make a list of all the original pressings you would like to get, and share it. Keep it updated with status (still looking, acquisition pending, OG successfully acquired). I'm in USA (San Francisco) and between record swaps, flea markets, buys from shops, I go through hundreds of vintage rock records each month. I'm sure there are a lot of collectors like me with access to US pressings who'd be willing to help out.

[@Michael45RPM]

wow that may be a great thing thx collctrify

[@rastheike4329]

Hello collectrify, a great push.👌 Michael can certainly use any support. ❤️Heike

[@JimMorrisonslizard]

You can always send the Discogs seller a question in advance. Combined with their feedback rating, that should help. I’ve been buying for years and had one mistake.

[@DorianPaige00]

They'll raise the price on you ....seeing you're interested!

[@johnnyocvinylrecords1079]

Ebay is a great way to buy as up to 12 photos are possible in the listing and the seller is really held accountable at a serious level. Using the vinylhub map on Discogs and finding the record shops is my favourite way to find original lps. Did exactly that today in Brussels and found a great lenticular 3d cover of the stranglers raven... right next to the mannequin pis. UK 1st press but 2nd variant. €50. Great shop and service!

[@cbond1c113]

Right, I buy 97% of the time from eBay, and always exclusively from listings with actual photos taken by the Seller. Also, if I email a Seller about details and they don't respond, it's a sure indication to me that they don't deserve my business. I actually had a Seller send me insulting messages when I asked about a product (Seller: thepastisnt), and he has a 100% rating? BEWARE!

[@AI_Surfer]

I'm really sorry to hear about all your troubles with Discogs. I personally don't buy anything used from Discogs for many of the reasons you're experiencing right now. These days, if I'm going to buy used vinyl, I try Ebay first. At least there I can see pictures of the actual LP I am considering buying. I guess I've also been very lucky with Ebay, in that in most cases the album and vinyl are in the condition listed, and in some cases, even better condition than described in the listing. I hope things improve for you Michael, and I hope you don't get discouraged with buying the originals. Great video Michael.

[@ChrisDons_TheLounge]

I’ve been entering all of my albums into discogs A-Z over the past 2 months. I’ve been doing alittle bit at a time and I’m currently at M’s. Before Discogs, I entered each album into a note section of my Cell Phone to keep track of everything. I’ve been doing this forever until I decided to use Discogs to track collection. I’ve discovered that it’s not easy to identify some albums as the ID markings are very difficult to read sometimes. Im sure this is a problem for everyone. I could see how some of these sellers are getting it wrong. BUT I think Sellers should take the time and get it right especially when dealing with High Priced Original Pressings. Not knowing or getting it wrong isn’t a good excuse when money is involved.

[@alastairmckain4623]

Michael no one can argue with your own personal experiences with Discogs. And I appreciate your frustration I noticed comments were people are referencing EBay & although I use eBay (mostly with success from a select group of sellers) the main issue I find is grading of vinyl . Huge disparity between grading and reality. I even enquired from seller to ask condition only to be told “I’m selling so much vinyl I don’t have time to cheque???”

[@asiandetective4998]

I buy only on EBay as sellers cannot risk a negative rating so if it is not exactly as stated, version or condition they will refund your money. It doesn’t happen often but when it does I give them to young collectors who aren’t as fussy as me as you never have to send them back.

[@xentakis]

Though in my experience it’s harder to find eBay sellers who give matrix or other specific pressing info. I can sometimes figure out specifics from the label and cover photos, but otherwise Discogs is often the only practical option.

[@asiandetective4998]

@@xentakis It depends on what you collect, if it is mainstream rock, yes it is difficult as there was so many versions. But I find with jazz or blues the label and sleeve can give you most of the information you need. A RVG stamp or scribe and an ‘ear’ will always be shown!

[@leonhardtart7163]

@@xentakis yes, indeed.

[@xentakis]

@@asiandetective4998 Yes that is true. It is easier with jazz and blues.

[@stonemonkey1]

As a U.K. Discogs seller Brexit was the killer for me, I have nearly 400 orders completed , 100% good feedback, but I stopped selling to EU as so many records were getting held up in customs. Sometimes for 5-6 weeks, not good for me as the records are usually quite expensive 1st pressings, It has a big impact on my sales, I’m not a dealer, I’m just a collector selling off a lot of my collection, it’s not difficult to properly grade a record and identify the version and release, Stampers and labels, cross check with the photos on the Discogs release page, I think a lot of people get lazy with cheaper records, why would anyone care if it’s a 1st 2nd 3rd of 4th pressing of Breakfast in America? They all look the same and cost about the same, but they do, it matters a lot, mastering will be different in most cases, quality of the pressing, it does matter and it’s not difficult. I have buyers that come to the U.K. on holiday from Europe and I ship to the hotel they are staying, I just ask them to write that in PayPal notes and also Discogs notes, and I ship to them next day delivery. Sad to hear you are having these problems.

[@edospiritcrusher]

I stopped buying from the UK not only because of custom fees, but mainly because Discogs started charging VAT on used records, which is simply illegal, at least where I live. In case I bought new records, I would be forced to pay both UK VAT (as every seller normally lists his items with prices including VAT) and Italian VAT (which is a staggering 22%).

[@iam065]

That really is frustrating, I'm sorry. Happy to see you were finally able to get an OG copy of Blondie! It looks great. Excited for your stream with Stunty! :-)

[@sararibeiro4034]

It really is a very annoying situation with Discogs, I didn't know this kind of thing could happen. I hope that with this new contact, things will improve and you will continue to offer us this type of content. All the best.

[@JBLClassic]

Most of my experience on Discogs has been ok. There is one segment I found very tricky, is anything from 90's to 2000's. These are ones that can easily be sold as OG, but will be sent as a more current pressing. You have to be VERY careful with those. I.E. Beastie Boys, Pavement etc. I just had a situation where I bought a 7" I discovered from Stunty, paid, and the guy has been sitting on it for a month because it's in "Payment Pending." The $ left my account the second I paid. I have 100% feedback and have been buying records on Discogs for a long time. He still hasn't sent it. 😡. I'd cancel it, but it's the only one I could find for sale, period.

[@roses044]

You should definitely have an expeditor in the UK and US to simplify logistics considering your activity level. Discogs could even consider offering this service as a value add to its users. Love Discogs for the database and cataloging, but agree on the shortcomings. First of all they should allow pictures of what you’re selling with a few standard angles. Clearly capture run outs/dead wax, groove surface, labels, jacket faces, inner sleeves, and corners. Maybe even 15 second audio clips for serious sellers that can capture digitally, just to character groove wear, distortion and surface noise. Grading is always going to be subjective, but there are ways to improve the experience for serious sellers and buyers that haven’t even been touched.

[@monty65556]

I hear you Michael! Beyond the over grading my main problem with sellers on Discogs is their shipping costs! I sell occasionally on Discogs and I know how sellers avoid fees. They underprice the item - which is how Discogs charges their fee of 8% and up the item's shipping cost. Ebay conversely has raised their %'s and also takes from the shipping fee. I just sold the Clash's Super Black Market Clash 3-10" special version a couple weeks ago it cost me $20 CAD, with tracking, to ship to the US, a lot of sellers would have charged $40 US or more to send this. The shipping fees people charge are outrageous!!

[@davidbagnall335]

Great Video ! The problem in the UK is that The Beatles Records are in "played many time condition with writing on the label and sleeve" and sellers still want you to buy them because they sound good ! I have bought second hand original records and discovered pen writing "owners name" months after purchase..these things happen ! Discogs and EBay only for the brave ! Great Video !

[@around-about-recordsllc4243]

It is hard, VERY VERY HARD, to try and keep buyers happy all the time. And as a Discogs seller and buyer, I usually hold all other sellers below my own standards, which in itself is frustrating.. And as a frequent buyer I get it, it’s also super frustrating to drop $$$ on a NM record, and you get some G+ish piece of crap, and then you have to go through the hassle of the return and sometimes you have to fight with the seller even when they have solid feedback.. Then there is Goldmine, many brick & mortar grade a Discogs VG as VG+. And Discogs G+ as VG. And newer buyers think a Goldmine “Good” is actually a good record. So as a seller, you can imagine how difficult it is to develop consistent and accurate grading standards above Goldmine that keep over 99% of your customers happy. And yes, mistakes do happen, we are only human. Now considering there are millions of records with millions of variants, and you stock several thousand albums, and ship several thousand each year, to be able to list each record under the proper release, grade it to try and ensure 100% of people are happy, write custom, thorough, accurate, and consistent grading comments on each record listing, take the time and effort to develop grading and inventory management programs and standards, design and build custom ultrasonic cleaners that work at scale to help ensure every single non-sealed record is cleaned almost up to par with a Degritter, and anything else that is novel that I can't think of off the top of my head, all of this is done to try and deliver the best possible product to my customers and to build the type of store I would want to shop at. And with overhead exceeding 40%, not including the cost of the record and labor, and any excess revenue or profit going to expand the business, and the 1,000's of non-paid hours poured in to growing the business, and when you've been confirmed as having the best sellers ethos and customer service on the entire platform, it can be super frustrating as a seller when you get unfounded attitude or feedback when you do more to provide one of the best, most accurate and honest, and customer service oriented stores on Discogs, more so than most, if not any other seller on Discogs. Fortunately the Discogs community is filled with passionate lovers of music, and most are down to earth great people! And while traveling around the World over the years, and visiting every single record store I can, the one common denominator I found that any successful record stores has is that the individuals who operate and run them do so for their passion and love of music, and not for money. No one gets rich running a record store. So that’s been my guiding character when building Around-About-Records, and I’ve found success with it and met many cool people and made many great friends along the way. Unfortunately, it has turned into more of a non-paid job than a passion project recently. And as a full time grad student, a full time network engineer, and a disabled veteran with a family, I've really wanted to walk away from it. But with so much time, money, energy, passion, and effort poured into it, it's really not possible to quit at this point. So I'm winding down my inventory and looking for the next chapter of AAR. So if you've read this far, or have been a patron of mine, thank you so very much! The point of all this is to provide a sellers perspective and to say that in my experience, Discogs is still by far the best platform to buy your favorite records online. While I'll be the first to admit there is room for improvement, I've spoken with the staff at Discogs and efforts are well under way to help alleviate many of the common concerns from buyers and sellers. And please keep in mind the staff at Discogs is just like the rest of us, passionate lovers of music and down to earth great people who want to provide the best possible experience for us all.

[@GP52408]

That's frustrating! I completely sympathize. I think one of the big problems with Discogs is that you can't see the actual record. One has to trust that the seller has accurately identified the record and clearly many of them don't. Also, it makes me nervous that Discogs doesn't mediate so we're at the mercy of the seller.

[@fts81]

Your parallel lines looks like the one I got this weekend and showed on Rachel’s. Congrats, looks great

[@snapcracklenpop821]

Sorry to hear about your problems with sellers on Discogs. I’ve never had many issues myself, but then I don’t buy so much on the platform. And my record purchasing over to Denmark from the UK finished after Brexit, as have the same problems with customs regardless of price. Thankfully, I have a couple of trusted record pimps here in Copenhagen that keep me supplied.

[@VinyleActu]

Hi, just discovered your channel, I really like listening to you talking us through your buying experiences, I relate a lot. I've been chatting a bit with record sellers in France (not record store owners, but people who sell on fairs on a regular basis). What they say, is that 1/they do not find second hand records anymore and 2/the prices of new records have exploded. As a consequence, their prices have gone up as well (which I can understand), but worse, they now sell lots of bootlegs. I have almost bought a Black Sabbath record a few weeks ago, it was like 24€ and seemed like a NM original (standard euro pressing), which was kind of cheap but not unbelievable either. I only noticed it was a boot when i checked the record : no matrix number. What is really sad, is that 10 years ago, Boots where easily noticeable but at least, they were really cheap, like 15€. I have stopped buying on Discogs as well, I only buy second hand records in record shops and on record fairs : which means I do not buy always things which I've been looking for, but that's OK, there is so much great music out there. Gruesse !

[@Michael45RPM]

Welcome to the Channel Actu

[@latheofheaven]

Wow, what a bad time you have had Michael, I'm very sorry to hear that. I haven't bought NEARLY as many as you have from discogs (maybe 100-150 or so) But, I always, ALWAYS ALWAYS write the sellers first and ask them if they would kindly confirm the vinyl condition and the matrix runout in the deadwax. In the handful of cases where they had not listed it properly, they let me know and re-listed it properly. But, I suppose if you do so many you are bound to have a LOT more negative results.

[@zacksjazz9172]

You're ordering a crazy amount on DISCOGS! If you want to be careful I suggest you do one of three things: 1. Ask the seller for pictures of the Lp by email since discogs doesn't allow you to attached pictures. 2. Find a seller you can TRUST and stick with this SELLER. 3. Look for records in a traditional record store discogs has a very handy map that pinpoints exactly where all the record stores are in your area. One last thing that I should mention is seller rating. Personally, never order from a seller that has under a 99.8% seller rating and you also need to look at the number of buyers that have rated a seller. I hope my advice helps you, I consider myself a very experience discogs buyer. I order almost monthly from the sit multiple packages from all over the world and for the most part my experiences have been good *And by the way the MAIL ESPECIALLY INTERNATIONAL mail has been HELL since COVID and prices have gone way up for shipping. Good Luck!

[@christopherpfiffner724]

Traditional record stores can be some of the worst sellers for used vinyl. They simply don’t have the time to properly inspect every record. Always read the reviews for nuance. A couple of negative reviews for mis-graded records out of hundreds OK, but comments like “seller does not return messages” or “bad packaging” or “wildly overgraded” means that seller should be avoided, even with a 99.8% rating.

[@zacksjazz9172]

@@christopherpfiffner724 I always leave a little wiggle room for seller grades. I have a book of discog seller that are good and grace well and even under grade. Personally I love record stores there is noting like flipping through a box of records and finding a hidden gem.

[@tdtm82]

I did notice a few things. When a re-issue is out yet there's only one on Discogs the sellers won't add a new entry. This takes too much time and effort. They'll add the vinyl-for-sale under the original pressing. Then if it gets added they won't change it. I have some originals and a lot of re-issues but I really like re-issues for the re-mastering and extra information in the notes from certain reputable labels. It also keeps me into a lot of new music. I can't really say how accurate my collection value on Discogs is though. That's just a crazy difference.

[@Naniamania3]

So sorry to hear about your poor experiences. I’ve been selling on a Discogs for 5 years and am as passionate about pleasing customers as you are about collecting. Discogs is supposed to be a vinyl community where everyone’s satisfaction is top priority. I can say that the staff at Discogs are incredibly responsive when buyers or sellers are dealing with less than reputable buyers and sellers. Hoping your experiences improve.

[@AudioGuyBrian]

What a mess. Glad you moved to another solution. I have been pretty lucky with Discogs myself, but I only buy from USA sellers and I am in the USA. So far everything has been as advertised. Only one glitch I had was it was listed as sealed in original wrapper and Mint/Mint however the wrapper was cut and the record was surely played at least once because I saw dried droplets from some cleaning solution on it and there was a crease on one corner of the cover which would make it VG and not Mint. Other than that, smooth sailing here.

[@davidstanton1261]

Danke again Micheal 45 for another enlightening and exciting real talk session about Records! As I said: now that big money is involved in records the Hanky Panky begins. Peace and Love Micheal✌ P.S. can't wait for the magic words!

[@rizer5795]

Thank you for being so candid, great video as usual. I feel your pain with import handling fees, you are lucky at €6 a pop, in Malta its €13.99. If I order something from say Amazon USA they don't charge it but its the same courier, there is no handling fee included in the pre-calc of shipping Amazon do, go figure that! Keep up the great content!

[@johnnyz.fradley2306]

The Wilco guy transaction could be a Monty Python skit.

[@garrettc8490]

Mike, I hear your pain. I purchase a great deal of music from Discogs (primarily cd's) and I find grading is a serious problem. For the most part seller's are responsive, but some dealers just don't care and have zero quality control.

[@jtsrecordroom3963]

Michael.. hello! I haven't commented with you for a long time, and glad I watched this video ! I have had several bad experiences with Discogs sellers.. overgrading jacket covers. and the vinyl. I just do not buy..rarely anymore from Discogs ! Agreed.. fantastic. database, and useful tool for comparative pricing.. thanks for this video Michael.. and I do like your channel ! Hope things get straightened out for you.. Regards. JT

[@thomasbrice8884]

I've had great experiences through Discogs having been buying off them for over 12 years without issues however have not been into the Original pressing game for the risk involved in validity of quality and receiving in fact an original. Would love to do comparisons on original Jazz pressings eg Mono Blue Train against the new Tone Poet Mono release coming up

[@3leggedgenes]

I get it, and definitely not arguing your points. I actually just had another one this week that showed up as a repress. Thankfully the seller just refunded, didn't even want it back and in that scenario I'll usually counter to pay something fair, but not when they send it then try to hold me hostage to buy something I did not order. I put a lot of stock into seller ratings; believe them and go back to the negatives if there aren't any recently left. As other have mentioned, there are a lot more less experienced buyers lately so it's worth digging in. Also, if you figure the time it would take to track down the records you were able to order and showed up correctly in a local brick-and-mortar, if you'd even find some of them at all, vs the returns and the hassle, you're almost certainly still ahead, not to mention that you get to comparison shop sometimes for the best price. All that said, it's certainly still frustrating.

[@johnwoods7891]

I only order from 5 star ratings with 250+ reviews.. I also ask sellers to verify runouts, especially for older pressings.. that definitely limits your options and cost more, but haven’t had any issues with several hundred purchases

[@christopherpfiffner724]

Sometimes 5K plus reviews is not so great either, if sellers work in bulk, they don’t pay close attention to every record. Bad reviews can get lost in the shuffle.

[@zestyut1344]

You would think that would work, but there have been loads of times, that 5 star sellers hugely over grade records. I think people don’t want to spoil their high ratings and don’t complain.

[@johnblaney8625]

Hi Michael, I worked in a UK record shop in the 1980s and early '90s. Almost all UK Warner Bros and associated labels releases were manufactured in Germany. Perhaps this is why you got so many Germany pressings? Regarding lost items, the postal system certainly got very bad for a time, but it seems to have got slightly better. From what I've heard, it is also taking a lot longer for items to get to Europe from the UK. This is probably because of Brexit and delays at the ports. I hope it gets better for you soon.

[@sweetserviettes]

I can see how discogs wouldn't scale well for your purposes, because you have to be prepared to return a high percentage of records even if you're careful checking ratings, etc. To commiserate, here's one of my worst experiences. Ordered a first pressing from a pretty new seller and included a polite note asking them to reach out before shipping if there's any doubt about the pressing/condition. They ship the record, and of course it's a bootleg (a color-variant in fact, very obviously not the original). I generally don't bother with negative feedback (which is part of the problem, I know), but after the seller got the record back they again relisted it incorrectly, so I left the negative to warn others and immediately got one back in retaliation.

[@josiahmitchell4055]

I have been a discogs seller since just over a year ago and I make sure to care for each record and customer. Replying within the first hour of purchase and same day ship always. I have no idea why people decide to sell and just refuse to be decent human beings...

[@Leo_prado]

Before you purchase a vintage record on Discogs, you can send a question to the seller. Ask him to verify the matrix number on the LP itself. Ask him to verify this is indeed a UK pressing. After verifying this, purchase the item. Good luck!

[@68wrko]

That Kraftwork album is killer....I have the original too... I wish I still had the original Computer World LP my fraternity room mate would play all the time, back in 1981. It was so ahead of it's time, and I was studying EE and Cobol / Fortran computer language, so it all tied in together.....

[@michaeldeleersnyder519]

Discogs can be difficult indeed. I always try to combine more records from one seller to reduce the total price including shipping. Start a wantlist. Then you automatically see if a seller has some items from this list. Also best to contact the seller beforehand if you want to be sure it's the correct pressing and if the grading is somewhat reliable. Customs are also a bitch, here in Belgium it's even more expensive... Normally I try to avoid buying outside of Europe but that makes it not easy to find decent UK originals or US audiophile releases.

[@ognet]

Hi Michael, welcome to the real world of collecting records. I’ve experienced everything that you spoke about but only in much smaller amounts. Discogs needs to find a method by which we can buy from multiple sellers and only pay one carriage fee. Over here in the UK since Brexit all orders attract 20% VAT and that’s a big uplift but other than the shipping fee customs are happy so a £20.00 record becomes £24.00 + shipping are those charges can vary wildly. Good luck with your new route in the UK.

[@terrywho22]

Your experience echoes my experience to a T. Very glad you posted this.

[@nickkalister6291]

only issues I've had on discogs were with CDs- there was a specific german CD of Phaedra that I wanted to get- ordered it twice off of discogs, both times it was actually a different CD. decided to just be happy with the shm-sacd I already had.

[@myles7522]

I’m new to the Discogs part and on my first purchase it went wrong…..so never again…I’ll stick to local record shops and record fairs…

[@1999zrx1100]

I understand your frustration, your taxes and import duties are crazy for sure. Here in Canada I’ve only been hit a couple times with such additional costs. In the last 2 years I’ve bought a little over a 100 jazz albums primarily from the U.S.A. As long as it’s marked used records and they use their Government run postal service USPS, it’s worked out fine. If seller uses Puralator or FedEx etc. that’s when I get hit a surprise of $20-30. The bulk of my collection is filled in so now I just pick up the latest releases from Blue Note even if I already have a copy. Every release is a joy to own. 😎

[@aaronbatista4756]

Michael, sometimes the engineers making the original pressing were just “cranking out product”. They had no idea they had a hit on their hands. Sometimes, years later, an engineer who really loved the music, and/or had better equipment available to him, was able to say, “I can improve the sound”. They didn’t call that a remaster (because it wasn’t) and they didn’t call it a “later pressing” (because everybody just understood you’d press more to meet the demand.) And yet, they can sound better than the originals. For these later pressings, the tapes were still fresh, the cutting gear had the benefit of improved technology, and the engineers knew what they were working with. This isn’t true for ALL later pressings - for some, it’s the opposite - they used a dub tape or cheap vinyl. Provenance is never disclosed, and not just mofi. But in my experience, UK original pressings are not guaranteed to sound the best. Later pressings very often outperform the original pressings, in terms of listening value if not collecting value. General principles like “Japanese is better than UK, which is better than German” or “near mint records sound better than very good plus records” just can’t provide a universal guide to buying and enjoying. Other factors matter more. The only way to find great-sounding records is to play lots of copies back-to-back. Thee’s no shortcut to a direct listening comparison, without regard for what’s in the matrix.

[@ConcertBuddie]

I’m sorry to hear your Discogs challenges of late. I’m afraid the rush of new consumers to vinyl in the past 3-5 years have created a mass of people on Discogs without the fundamental understanding of grading, matrix #s, etc. For the fees Discogs charges, it is time they explore incorporating third party authentication (think StockX and their business model) as a way to make buyers able to buy with confidence just as much as sellers learning (the hard way, in some cases) how to properly grade/evaluate/ship the records they are selling. Even if they need to raise seller fees by 2-3%, it would save such heartburn for all, especially on things like bootlegs. Just my thoughts. Salut!

[@davidstanton1261]

Yes, I've noticed a huge up swing in sales on "The Cog" and "hot"girls with profiles and No records, etc. I have had a wonderful time on The Cog for the last ten years but now that big money is involved (even in art and music) the Hanky Panky has begun

[@DorianPaige00]

How would the third party authentication work with Discogs?

[@christopherwillis964]

Yes- brilliant idea!

[@ConcertBuddie]

@@DorianPaige00 either they start a subsidiary or LLC company and own that piece as a different division of Discogs or look to partner with some sort of existing company that does similar work. I’m not directly aware of any of the latter, but think partnering with a giant chain of stores (ex Amoeba) would be a way to quickly scale & develop such an operation; you’d already have subject matter experts with grading/evaluating experience ready from (essentially) Day One.

[@davestevenson2181]

I recently bought 4 albums (7 discs including Hendrix UHQR) direct from Acoustic Sounds for a total of US$271. Shipping to UK was US$61 and I have also been hit with 'UK taxes' equivalent to US$81. I could live with the shipping costs but the 'UK taxes' on top are a killer.

[@brandnewstart]

You can avoid some of the costs when buying from AS by setting up an online billing account with FedEx. That would save you being charged their “Disbursement Fee”.

[@DorianPaige00]

@@rabarebra not a democratic society but a socialist one!

[@DrOz-007]

Import taxes have always been applied from the States. Is this your first order ever?

[@davestevenson2181]

@@brandnewstart Thanks, that's good to know.

[@davestevenson2181]

@@DrOz-007 I did one in 2020 (Jethro Tull UHQR plus a couple of others) and seemingly it was my lucky day as I wasn't charged

[@TheJoelSwaney]

I'm really surprised by your experience on Discogs. Yes, I have experienced a few mis-grades, but not pressings from different countries like you had. Those sellers should have negative feedback so others would avoid or ask questions. I buy much more on Discogs than eBay but I do ask questions on both.

[@Kajz01]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I never buy outside of the EU since the customs handling fee here in Denmark is 160 danish kroner (more than 21€).

[@DjFritzen]

Totally agree with your experiences with Discogs, more specific, sellers on Discogs. I stopped ordering on Discogs mainly because of the high shipping costs, fees and duties. In the past I placed over 200 orders. Orders having 1 to 20 records each, depending on what the seller had to offer. Till this day I am still checking my records if they are according to the Discogs entry and still encountering wrong entries. Regarding to this UK seller you were talking about, can you share with us who this is ?

[@gotham61]

The sellers get lazy when there are too many versions with tiny variations listed. Check the seller's rating and feedback before buying.

[@ricobonifacio1095]

I sadly decided to not buy outside of my country (U.S.) While there are a lot of good sellers, the sellers you describe is enough to make me not buy outside if country. I have yet to have a problem doing it this way. Granted, I don't buy originals though. It may be different if I did. Good video and I'm sorry you have to go through that stuff.

[@spindoctorandhisvinylmayhem]

It’s so hard to trust people now a days. I have been so scared to try discogs, heard so many horror stories. I do of course use it to catalog my own collection but I would much rather see a record in person before buying if possible.

[@ergloo6660]

As I've said before you have to do your home work re the matrix and the sleeve. You have to watch out for "Frankenstein" copies eg, UK 1st press "wish you were here" in an Italian 1st press sleeve? I live in the UK and only buy from UK sellers, any problems and I just turn up.

[@whittierlibrarybookstore3708]

I also have a love hate relationship with Discogs. Your story confirms that Discogs doesn't care about the Buyer experience. There is no simple way to reach them if you have a concern or a suggestion for improvement. At least eBay will hound a seller that does not ship on time. If you have a complaint as a buyer, within hours you will get a refund without having to send an item back to the seller. (yes the buyer is expected to return the item) This process even though draconian, works at protecting buyers and forcing bad sellers to go to Discogs :)

[@mikecoffee100]

Good to keep us updated on things like this Thank You

[@papabear1417]

Wow!!!!. Wrong description, lack of knowledge on behalf of the seller or downright lying. I admire your persistence and empathise with your frustration.

[@drewdayss]

Luckily, I haven't had any issues here in the US. I try to stick with US based sellers just in case there is an issue with the record. It's a risky endeavor for audiophiles and collectors who know exactly what they're looking for.

[@FxMora02]

Lately I experience the same problems and frustrations with some sellers. It’s also good lately I see a logo marking actual record stores. But get your refund and give the seller the feedback they deserve.

[@Roamany-Jones]

As a collector of Original UK Classical Music pressings I contribute a lot of time & effort having to correct mislabelled records on discogs as many entries on discogs are reissues and not OP’s. It has taken me many, many years to build an accurate database of originals. You need to study the Labelography before you can even hope to tackle the matrix codes and everything else. Discogs is an invaluable source of information which is what it was designed for, but I would never use it to buy Original Pressings as sellers are not collectors in the true sense of the word. I have found that after 45 years of collecting, a low stamper 1st Edition Label (1/1 ED1) in as near mint condition you can get is the ultimate in sound quality for that record, however finding one is another story, hence the price of them. Good luck Michael and welcome to the Mikrokosmos. 😉😁👍

[@mikewest1542]

Ive only bought on discogs a few times , but I was pleasantly surprised, mind you this was years ago !

[@jonathanlake6053]

I have had over graded vinyl,some have had visible pressing faults too,other sellers respond with the reply that the item is no longer for sale after placing an order.

[@fidelios_frequency]

Sorry to hear about your mishaps with Discogs. I’ve also had my fair share of problems with listings I’ve had to return because inaccurate. With regards to your comparison to originals for Blondie Parallel Lines I think it would be best to compare to a US pressing since it was recorded and mastered in the US by the US label. The masters that get sent to label affiliates in other territories sometimes are copies and the metal work may not be the same.

[@danpetitpas]

KZbinr Parlogram Auctions on his channel compares how different pressings of the same Beatles record sound different from different countries because they were mastered differently. I know the US used recycled vinyl and thinner disks, especially in the '70s, but you're going to get the sound the producers intended from the original mastering in the US on US-pressed albums.

[@fidelios_frequency]

@@danpetitpas not sure I understand what you’re trying to say. What Capitol did to Beatles releases is totally different from what we are talking about here. The point I was trying to make is that if Michael thinks that UK copies of Blondie records are a reliable source comparison of originals, that may not be entirely accurate. Blondie recorded and mastered all their records in the US.

[@rockness8784]

@45RPM mike, I'm a long time discogs user and contributor (since 2010) and I almost always used it for original. Until 2/3 years ago it was still possible to find nice original copies of records that at least here in Italy were very rare if not unobtainable. Then everything changed, for the worst, prices sky rocking increased and most originals are now unfindable. I know that because I frequently monitor prices for the records in my collection and the vast majority are now incresed 3/4/500% of the price I payed them when back. So IMO problem is that there are no longer enough copies for sale if none. Same thing for ebay, until before covid I used to do some bidding on large WEEKLY batch (1000) of jazz and fuck originals from US. And I bought so many great records for peanuts..now, no more. It's something from the past...in fact nowadays I almost only buy audiophile reissues since original are so scarce and rare...and it's a pity..not only online but also brick and mortar, here in Turin we have some very very nice old record shops (something like 10!) that I used to visit every Saturday but now it's only a waste of time. Nothing interesting. Yes it's sad

[@danpetitpas]

Comic book prices have gone sky-high too over COVID. The owner of Mile High Comics think it's people in hi-tech who have lots of money and time on their hands coming in and buying all the key comics, driving the prices up. It may be true in other collector fields.

[@owenjbrady]

lately I've had alot of hit and miss situations with discogs usually it's the seller saying it's a better grade then it is and then in complete denial about it and yes packages with tracking numbers that aren't real or items that just don't show up, I really dig into there feedback section before I order now.

[@christophecornet2170]

I've got a copy of U2's Achtung Baby and i have the same problem. No writings in the deadwax. I assume it's a bootleg but the quality of the cover art and the insert is really on point so i didn't figure it all at first.

[@1999zrx1100]

Why in the world would someone think no writing in the dead wax is a first pressing. Price?

[@jeraldquist8579]

I have only looked for one original pressing and that was the UK Deep Purple Machine Head. It arrived as advertised. Thanks!

[@mladendumancic9520]

I would give you one advice regarding discogs.. If you are into 1st press... Always ask for photos.. Lots of sellers claim to have 1st press but have later pressings. Is it on purpose or from luck of knowledge.. I would say on purpose... I have many situations when I bought record and after few days I get info records is sold already in the past....

[@garyvarner4686]

i believe i actually have that exact same man-machine bootleg. found it in a shop here in the US. those records are clearly barred from sale on discogs. i have an original US press too but like you i'd love to have and compare to the german original.

[@R_G_S]

I buy hundred’s of records per year on Discogs and the biggest problem for me is the inaccurate grading of records, receiving wrong pressings happens a few times but when talking with the seller a solution are always on the table…

[@mistery-ed7900]

That British seller deserves ZERO stars. Awful!

[@thordeluxe2060]

I understand the dilemma. I only order from sellers with a 100% positive feedback stat and if possible over 1000. Never a real problem. But I agree, sometimes the grading sucks big time.

[@robgrano6814]

Yes, and if the seller has slightly lower than 100% positive, say 99.9 or 99.8, I always look at the feedback to see why. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the quality of the records, but might be a slow shipping issue or something like that. Before I started buying records online four or five years ago, I was a long-time buyer and seller of books. I learned that it really pays to do due diligence when buying online.

[@vinyl_marmalade]

I know these problems and am also amazed at how presumptuous and cheeky some of the sellers react. Yet its not my fault and I want to get what I pay for! It is sometimes really unbelievable what you encounter. Especially nowadays with these shipping and customs costs it is also just totally annoying, especially as many do not want to have the item back for these reasons ...

[@theblurredcrusade.2557]

Ah man I feel you pain 😪 I've been collecting records since 1969 and I stopped buying originals about 30 years ago because you can't play them because obviously they're going to deteriorate every single time you play them, so they just become ornaments, it's only a process to keep them mint and wait until you can sell them on, and not that you'd really want to because you love them 🤗 Then with Discogs it's the inflated price and other risks involved, luckily I live in London so there's many many records shops I can visit, and a plethora of Charity Shops where I cycle around London and have the pleasure of finding those records like we used to do in the old days of being a kid in a sweet shop where one day you find exactly what you're looking for and it's also the thrill of the chase 😁💞😘 And it's a similar process with Graphic Novels where you buy the original but you buy it twice, one that you use, and one that you put to one side and treasure forever 🤗💞🤗

[@chesterpielock8824]

Hey I 've been buying and selling on eBay for 23 years now,listening and collecting music for 58 years.When I began on ebay I rarely had an issue buying or selling.I admit I made 2 mistakes,that's it in 23 years. Now that "vinyl" has had a resurgence in the last 7 or so years,more bums have become sellers without having one iota of experience with records or music.What would you expect when making more than a couple of bucks is the priority from poseurs? Recently I've had issues ,about 1/3 to 1/2 of my orders,both on eBay and Discogs and have had to go to eBay customer service in India!

[@evanshear5378]

What stories. You're a fabulous story teller. I've never ordered from Discogs. Don't plan on it now. 🙂

[@bluntlaser]

I bought an OG Die Mensch Machine a while back and I too thought there was no matrix in the dead wax but for some reason its very close to the label and quite hard to spot! So relief on that one. In fact I just had to double check! There is definitely a listing on Discogs for an unofficial version with no matrix so I'm guessing thats the one you have. Hope it gets sorted anyway! Very annoying!!

[@ericberger6966]

The problem are the sellers. One told me about conditions, that he only check visually, for a rating of VG+. To many are using the revival and interest in vinyl to make fast money and Discogs is only the popular, biggest plattform.

[@marcusen_bender]

Thak you for sharing your experience Michael. I have to say the best original pressings records I bought at Discogs were from Japanese sellers. Agharta and Dark Magus of Miles Davis are some of them. Both expensive records but Immaculate gatefolds and vinyls. Excellent packaging. That experiences shared on this video seems a joke. Regards.

[@LagunaRider1961]

I’ve learned my lesson with Discogs. First of all there are no pictures of the actual records that are being sold. I’ve been burned quite a few times on pressings and condition by trusting the seller. I started requesting detailed pictures of both sides of the records and asking very specific questions. This has saved me quite a few times since the pictures did not match the sellers description. Also it takes most of the sellers days if not weeks to respond with the pictures. I’m pretty much done with Discogs now, I buy either from private sellers I know very well or eBay sellers that I have dealt with.

[@iam065]

That was my issue. I bought an album thinking it was the Original based off of the photos. It wasn't... I spent almost 20 bucks for it. Funny though, I found it the next day for a dollar at an antique mall. 🙃