[Digitalbath3737]

So I recently found out about LaLa. It's a place online where you trade CDs. They send you prepaid envelopes for the CDs you'd like to send out. Then you only pay $1 for each CD you receive, plus $0.75 for shipping. So basically it's free to send CDs and only $1.75 to receive.

Sounds great. Of course the downside is you have to wait for albums you want to be available for trade. So it's not instant gratification. So have yet to actually pull the trigger. I wanted to hear from people who have experience with Lala.

 

[The Actual]

I use it, and would definitely recommend at least signing up. The service is not perfect in that it seems many of the albums I want the most don't get sent to me, and that in general the CDs I receive are in slightly worse condition than the mint ones I trade from my own collection.

The upsides though are that really you should only ever need to send out CDs you don't really want, and that you only will receive CDs you personally specify as 'wanted.'

Additionally, it is a pretty cool community. There are a ton of super nice people, and pretty much anytime I message someone about a new artist, or what CD by X is best to get after hearing some of album A I get a thoughtful response. It is fun to be a part of a community of music lovers.

 

[Digitalbath3737]

i accidently pulled the trigger (I entered in my credit card number, just to be prepared) so automatically they sent me a cd off my want list and a shipping kit. Which is pretty cool. Plus I like that you have the option to ship out only what you want to get rid of.

This defaintly going to save me alot of money. I figured the cost to get all the cds on my want list is going to be about $127.75.... which is deafintly better than getting them from amazon. Now I just have to hope that the cds I want are available.

 

[VicAjax]

i liked it at first, but i'm starting to go sour on it a bit.

first of all, it seems like no one wants the CDs i have left on my have list, so movement has slowed to a trickle.

secondly, there's no control over which release or version you prefer. i had requested a couple of SACDs, but received the regular CD (both of which i already had). LaLa's policy is that they can't guarantee this, so i screwed myself by failing to read the fine print.

thirdly, it seems like other members will add the same CD to their have list many times over... artificially inflating their list and i suppose making it more likely that they'll get the trade.

 

[BillC]

I just signed up. I wish there was a way to require specific versions and artwork. I'd be willing to pay more for shipping if jewel boxes/digipaks and full artwork could be required. That said, I've put some hard to find out of print stuff on my want list so it will be interesting to see if I ever get anything shipped to me.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillC /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...I've put some hard to find out of print stuff on my want list so it will be interesting to see if I ever get anything shipped to me.

none of the hard to find stuff i've added to my want list has shown up. it's all been the more mainstream stuff.

it actually got to the point that i removed everything that wasn't hard to find, because i'd rather wait for that stuff than burn all my trades on stuff i could just pick up on my own.

 

[BillC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif it actually got to the point that i removed everything that wasn't hard to find, because i'd rather wait for that stuff than burn all my trades on stuff i could just pick up on my own.

That's how I'm trying to use it. If I can't be sure I'm going to get Album Art, etc. I'm only really interested in using it to get CDs I can't find at my local used CD store.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

No CD cases!?!? Nevermind, LaLa is not for me

 

[BillC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja /img/forum/go_quote.gif No CD cases!?!? Nevermind, LaLa is not for me

They send you envelopes and small cd holders you're supposed to ship in - they encourage including the CD booklet. I was trying to fit a digipak into the included envelopes and it just won't fit. No chance to get a jewelbox in the envelope.

 

[jonnyhambone]

I kinda like you LaLa...aw shucks.
Really though, I use it to keep a running list of those cd's I always want to pick up but never actually do...mostly they're good 'uns though. I've recently received: X "Los Angeles", Nina Nastascia "Blackened Sky", Robert Wyatt "Cuckooland", Opeth "Damnation", Lisa Germano "Geek The Girl", Red Red Meat "JimmyWine Majestic", Grateful Dead "Workingman's Dead" ... a bunch of stuff I've been wanting forever! Not many people want my 'Have List' so it's pretty slow but, what the hell. Every week or two, I get a cd in the mail for under $2 that I totally want. Good deal and the more people who participate, the more music is in circulation.

EDIT: people are pretty cool and often include the tray liners along with album art...throw it in an empty jewel case and you're good to go.

 

[rhythmicmoose]

I'm a fan, except when people don't send me the back tray art. Aside from that, I've been loving it.

 

[J-Pak]

I've stopped using it for similar reasons that VicAjax said.

I've only received one moderately hard to find CD, and of the CDs I've received not one had artwork. I've always made it a point to send the inserts/booklets, so I just gave up.

With used record stores, internet stores it's not hard to find most common CDs for less than $5. It's the out of print stuff that costs a lot (which I'd never get off lala).

 

[calaf]

I find lala to be a great place to trade CDs I don't like. And if you are patient and don't put stuff in your want list just for the sake of receiving a CD, you can get some good stuff both old (e.g. Melchior/Traubel/Toscanini Ring selections) and new (like Jennifer Koh Bartok/Szymanovsky Cedille CD). The problem I got is that after sending out 28 CDs in 8 months, I am running out of CDs I am willing to ship...

 

[elrod-tom]

I'm finding that the more interesting CD's that I'm trying to run down are not becoming available. I'm also running out of stuff that I wish to part with.

 

[The Actual]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm finding that the more interesting CD's that I'm trying to run down are not becoming available. I'm also running out of stuff that I wish to part with.

Yeah, like VicAjax said, my shipments to others have really slowed down.

One thing though is that I've received and shipped digipacks a few times and they fit OK. One of them I used tape to close the envelope since the adhesive strip would have been partially on the CD otherwise.