Love Over Gold

[Pigmy Pony]

Remember Ivor Tiffanybum going on about having just one pair of speakers in the room? What happened to that? And what about buying cheap amp and speakers so you could throw most of your money at the front end? That hierarchy curiously disappeared with the advent of CD.

I shouldn't take the mickey too much, it was all part of our 'journey', and who knows, in 30 years we may be poking fun at some of the stuff that matters today. Not me though - I'll have gone to that single speaker dem room in the sky.

[alphaGT]

In the US we had the Columbia House Record Club. I imagine it’s the same thing? Maybe even the same company? Because it sounds exactly the same the way you describe it.

They would send out invites, list then in magazine adds, etc, that you could start with 12 albums for a penny! I knew a bunch of kids who stuck a penny in an envelope and mailed it off, to receive their 12 introductory albums! And then they started to send the Records they wanted money for! The honest ones bought the 6 required, or however many it was, before quitting, but many did not. They kept all the records they sent, never sending them a dime in return. And after about 5 Records they sent a threatening letter to report you to a collection agency! But, finding out the receiver was under age, there was nothing they could do about it. Honestly, I don’t know how they made money? They were ripped off more often than not, they must have gotten the records for near nothing?

Personally I looked to join, but after perusing their selection, I couldn’t find 12 Records I even wanted? And figured there was no sense in them ever sending more, if I got the only 8 or 10 I ever wanted in the introductory offer. So I never bought into it.

I do have the very first record I ever bought! And most of the records I’ve ever bought, and oddly enough, many of the earliest albums I own are in the best shape?

Russell

[Macca]

I joined it when they were still doing vinyl, didn't even get to the end of the obligatory purchases before they decided they were not doing vinyl anymore. Wouldn't let me cancel so I stopped paying them. Got collections letter. Paid them what I owed to date and that was the end of it.

They used to have big adverts in all the weekend newspapers so there must have been some money in it. If you just kept their reccos though you would have ended up with a petty dismal record collection on the whole.

[Pigmy Pony]

The records they sold appealed to the masses no doubt, otherwise they would not be financially viable. I bet they sold by the truckload, especially as you had "The Brits" awards telling the great unwashed how cool they were.

Although there was nothing cool about The Brits, I thought it was all a shambles and a bit of an embarrassment. Who remembers the year it was co-presented by Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox? Talk about The Hobbit meets the BFG. The camera had to pan right back to get them both in shot.

Us folks on AOS I think live on the fringes when it comes to our buying choices in music and reproduction (by which I mean we're not normal), and would largely shun the standard fare offered by the likes of Britannia Music, so probably didn't get far past the very persuasive introductory offer.