Location: KY - Scotland
Posts: 5,470
I'm Mike.
Location: essex; uk
Posts: 260
I'm richard.
This is my experience with all the charity shops in my area that I can think of. I do go and look but it's now rare to find anything worth playing & keeping. I have spoken to staff at say 4 or 5 of those shops and all have the same arrangement - dealers get in 1st and its the residual that goes in the shop. I've also found out that it's not uncommon for staff to buy the LPs too! Local oxfam shops transfer the best LPs to their dedicated book & record stores where they charge dealer prices and sometimes more - chelmsford is my nearest example of that. So seems to me you're lucky if u can get vinyl from a charity shop but for my area its been as above for some 4/5 years now .
Oxfam in Chelmsford is the one of the worse for that: their vinyl stock is way overpriced - even the staff there think so. Once whilst I was in the shop, their 'record expert' was in, pricing up some new stock. I asked him how they went about pricing, and he told me they look at ebay, and other on-line guides, as well as the various price guides. When I said I didn't think ebay was a reliable pricing guide, and if Oxfam priced their goods a little lower they would sell a lot more, he didn't say anything.
Now I realise charity shops need to maximise their assets, but if my Oxfam shop had asked reasonable prices I would have spent hundreds of pounds in there over the years. Needless to say I don't visit there anymore, nor do I donate items there - they go to other shops.
Barry
Location: essex; uk
Posts: 260
I'm richard.
You are right Barry - I was being diplomatic about their pricing 😋 and yes i too would have brought a lot. So far - zero from there. I respect the need for the charity to make money but a smaller profit turned over faster surely is a better strategy. Not our call though!
I ought to say in Oxfam's defence their other shops around the country ask far more reasonable prices for CDs: £1 - 2, depending on location, whereas the Chelmsford 'specialist' branch charges £4 for most, regardless of title, artist(e) or condition.
Barry
Location: essex; uk
Posts: 260
I'm richard.
The other Oxfam shop i used to go to was brilliant - Saffron Walden - but that one is now pants; their decent stuff ends up with dealers and the Chelmsford shop.
.....You will have to PM me Barry with your list of Essex decent charity shops https://theartofsound.net/images/smilies/10481.gif - I'm in Dunmow and there's nothing here ! https://theartofsound.net/images/smilies/rolleye0011.gif
Location: essex; uk
Posts: 260
I'm richard.
LOL - I knew that ! but I had to ask !
(BTW - Shame about the gifs i inserted... will get it right next time)
I used to love finding records at the charity shop and doing a bit of experimenting. The disc had to look spot on so it was often a second choice selection that paid off in enjoyment. I was only paying a pound each. Oh and Oxfam are way overpriced by the way and I dont always agree with the motives and structures of big charities...the shops are there and I wander in to a couple I like.
The selection has dried up now to the usual dealer rejects and tat. Any interesting stuff is in such bad condition that its obviously been rejected by the dealers. It seems clear to me that dealers are getting at it first (or handing in their rejects) and I dont expect anything amazing to get past the dealers and the sorting staff.
I dont know where Im going with vinyl again. I bought a new record a few months ago and where there is a quieter passage "Rose" "Ive got a little black book with my poems in" all I can hear is the low beat of the stylus riding a lump in the vinyl.
Im not putting up with flaws in vinyl beyond a few nostalgia purchases just to say I have them on vinyl again. I know enough about the upgrade path to know that the best platter, bearing and moving coil will not overcome flaws in the pressing
Although I like dabbling with vinyl, its moments like that which sell streaming to me
Last edited by Minstrel SE; 11-04-2018 at 07:49.