[jsaliga]

I always find it interesting in how people assign value to music. But it also has a financial cost since we have to give up a portion of our discretionary income to pursue our passion for music. To what lengths will you go to pursue that passion. What is the most you ever paid for a recording and what was it?

Similarly, most of us always have our eyes peeled for a deal. There is that rare or OOP recording that you always wanted but the price was just out of reach. What is the least you ever paid for a recording that you really valued or that was hard to find. Perhaps an unexpected deal feel into you lap that you're particularly proud of.

--Jerome

 

[jsaliga]

Most spent: $260 for a 1/4" 4-track Stereo Tape copy of Kind of Blue

Least Spent: I was at a local music store earlier this year and found a still sealed Mobile Fidelity Gold CD of Queen - A Night at the Opera for $24.99. I snapped it up in a hurry.

--Jerome

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsaliga /img/forum/go_quote.gif I always find it interesting in how people assign value to music. But it also has a financial cost since we have to give up a portion of our discretionary income to pursue our passion for music. To what lengths will you go to pursue that passion. What is the most you ever paid for a recording and what was it? Similarly, most of us always have our eyes peeled for a deal. There is that rare or OOP recording that you always wanted but the price was just out of reach. What is the least you ever paid for a recording that you really valued or that was hard to find. Perhaps an unexpected deal feel into you lap that you're particularly proud of. --Jerome

The least I ever paid for a recording I craved was a serendipitous find in a used CD shop where it cost me about $2.00. The case was cracked, the graphics weren't in great shape, but the disc was pristeen.

I can't remember the most expensive cd I ever bought, but I've got a strict limit now for a single. It cannot be more than around $20 - 25.00 (including shipping). If something is rare and too expensive, I can live without it.

 

[jsaliga]

I'm with you on the very expensive stuff. I mostly limit myself to admiring it from afar. I usually regain control of my wits long before getting to the point of actually buying.

I think my high limit is probably about $100, but itsn't like I'm looking to spend it on a particular recording. Even that Freddie King CD was a tough decision, and I haven't spent anything close to that on a single recording in the three years since I bought it.

--Jerome

 

[soundboy]

As a CD collector, my response will be tilted towards the ridiculous side of the equation.

In terms of dollar amount spend of a collectible CD, the below "red face" CD from The Church only cost me $3.95 at a book sale....but I think it may be worth a lot more.

Same with this rare Japan CD pressing of Tommy Shaw's (of Styx fame) "Girls With Guns"....cost me less than $10.00

On the other extreme, some of my early Hong Kong pop CDs have cost me a fortune. The below Japan CD pressing of Sam Hui's 1985 album cost me well over $200.00....and I have 4 other versions of this album

 

[jsaliga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif On the other extreme, some of my early Hong Kong pop CDs have cost me a fortune. The below Japan CD pressing of Sam Hui's 1985 album cost me well over $200.00....and I have 4 other versions of this album

There's a 1/4" 4 track stereo tape of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue up on eBay at the moment and right now and I am sorely tempted. But it's nearly $240 now and will probably sell for over $300. Then I think of how much music $300 can buy and quickly conclude that my 200g Classic Records copy on vinyl will have to do.

--Jerome

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsaliga /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's a 1/4" 4 track stereo tape of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue up on eBay at the moment and right now and I am sorely tempted. But it's nearly $240 now and will probably sell for over $300. Then I think of how much music $300 can buy and quickly conclude that my 200g Classic Records copy on vinyl will have to do.

I totally know what you mean.

 

[Tridacnid]

Wow. This love. I envy you guys.

So far, the only expensive CD I've come into contact with is "Invisible Lantern" by the Screaming Trees for $30. I already own the cassette, but will probably end up buying the CD soon.

 

[TheAzhrei]

I love my music, but I've paid far more for concert tickets than CDs, except for the WaxTrax! Records Black Box, box set. Best $250 I ever spent, and I feel I got a good deal. My lowest price was a free CD I got after the music industry had to settle a lawsuit due to price fixing and the school where I work got several large boxes of CDs. Most of it was stuff most folk wouldn't want, but I got some classical gems in there. For a few minutes I stopped hating the record industry.

 

[fatgh0st]

I've spent upwards of $75-$100 for some OOP SACDs. The most expensive was $110 for Duke Ellington - Blues in Orbit MFSL SACD. Costly, but Oh so worth it

 

[Duggeh]

I spent £70 on an original pressing of Mike Oldfields Platinum. I later sold it for nearly £100.

 

[jsaliga]

There's been a couple of very good points made. But value doesn't necessarily mean dropping a big wad of cash on a recording -- jog up to the post by Bunnyears above about the $2 CD.

I know that certain recordings are worth a lot to me moneywise but they even have more personal value and perhaps even sentimental value. For example, I don't know how high I would go on a really nice original issue vinyl pressing of Frank Sinatra's - Where Are You?, but I can tell you that I have spent upwards of $25 to $30 for worn out and scratched up examples (of course the sellers represented them as near mint!). I thought the Sinatra album Songs for Swingin' Lovers was getting pretty rare for an original 1950s pressing, but I managed to find an exceptionally nice copy for $10.

And I won't be hestitant to admit that I have been taken a few times. I bought about 60 original 1950s RCA Victor classical music albums, paid about $3 each (waaayyy over my bulk lot price limit of about 75 cents per record. The seller talked them up and I was caught so easily that it took a pair of needle nose pliers to get the hook out of my mouth.

Out of that batch of records, I doubt that more than 5 were keepers. The rest of them were junk. Very nice jackets, but the records were completely worn out. I was plenty pissed at the seller, and at allowing myself to get sucked in so easily.

It seems odd to me that I would consider chasing after a 1/4" Stereo tape of Kind of Blue for over $250, but probably would not consider dropping a lot of money on any single classical, rock, or blues album (boxed sets are different). I didn't think twice about ordering the John Coltrane complete Atlantic recordings on 180g vinyl or The Doors boxed set on 180g vinyl from Rhino (both were about $200).

But truth be told, I have found just as much joy and pleasure in the following record:

This particular record cost me all of 50 cents as part of large lot of 100 albums that I bought for $50, and I doubt that this album had ever seen a turntable. It sounded glorious, and I looked at my wife grinning as the record played, calling it "burried treasure." I wondered how long that record sat in a box before it found its way to my listening room. I think the contrasts can be rather striking.

BTW, I bid on and won that copy of Kind of Blue on 1/4" 4-track stereo tape. So I just shattered my old high of $70. But the more I thought about it the more I persuaded myself that you only go around once and I wasn't too sure that another opportunity would present itself anytime soon.

--Jerome

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I spent £70 on an original pressing of Mike Oldfields Platinum. I later sold it for nearly £100.

My biggest problem is de-accessioning recordings. Once they go into my collection unless they are truly awful, they stay there. At one point I rationalized the expensive recording as something that I might sell one day for cash, but now I don't fool myself anymore that I will ever sell anything for a profit.

 

[LFF]

On the extreme end - I spent over $1,400 for a sealed UHQR Sgt. Pepper MFSL on vinyl.

On the other end, I found a mono Simon & Garfunkel Bookends in NM condition for $2.00!

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsaliga /img/forum/go_quote.gif But truth be told, I have found just as much joy and pleasure in the following record: This particular record cost me all of 50 cents as part of large lot of 100 albums that I bought for $50, and I doubt that this album had ever seen a turntable. It sounded glorious, and I looked at my wife grinning as the record played, calling it "burried treasure." I wondered how long that record sat in a box before it found its way to my listening room. I think the contrasts can be rather striking. BTW, I bid on and won that copy of Kind of Blue on 1/4" 4-track stereo tape. So I just shattered my old high of $70. But the more I thought about it the more I persuaded myself that you only go around once and I wasn't too sure that another opportunity would present itself anytime soon. --Jerome

Those old London Phase 4 records almost always sound glorious. Fantastic recordings! I have a copy of Ben Hur and it is definitely a demo recording.

As for the 1/4" 4-track stereo tape of Kind of Blue - I'm extremely curious at how it may sound. I have countless pressings on vinyl including a mint 6-eye mono but I have yet to hear the 4 track stereo.