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Posted: |
Dec 5, 2019 - 6:43 PM
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By: |
kam
(Member)
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I got into this game back at the tail end of 2007. My first order that I ever recall placing with any of the soundtrack labels was with Intrada for their then-new releases of Jaws 3-D, One Night with the King, and The Mechanic. I was 16 at the time and in high school.
I'm also in Canada. Shipping for three CDs was $5.60 back then. The Canadian dollar was also roughly the same as the US dollar so I paid $5.60.
Now shipping is $17 US* (or $24 Canadian) -- but it's more cost-effective now to order 7 titles, because shipping is $17 regardless if I buy 2 titles or 7. The Canadian dollar nosedived in 2015 and it hasn't recovered ever since.
I used to have a huge collector mentality. I've hopped between numerous jobs since leaving high school so back then I could afford to do a lot of buying. I'd estimate that I now have between 75-80% of every release that Intrada, Varese, and LLL have put out (even their old catalog from the late 80s and 90s).
But I lost my job a year and a half ago. I've been unemployed and living on disability assistance ever since. I can barely afford food nevermind barely afford to place 1-2 big soundtrack orders every month now. But at the same time, I'll be damned if I ever go back to working retail (or god forbid fast food) and risk earning myself feet and back issues again at the expense of earning minimum wage.
I listen to samples for everything now - which is really what I should have been doing in the first place, instead of buying everything that everyone released. And I will commend the soundtrack industry here for keeping the price of CDs (for the most part) at $20 or less. But that's $28 for me -- and between shipping costs increasing every year, and having to pay 1.4 times what the US price is on top of everything, it's getting harder and harder for me to justify picking up even the titles I want.
So usually I wait. I wait until something I want is about to sell out, or go out of print, or I wait for sales. But I'm having to pass on more and more sales now, because I can't justify it even with the reduced prices. 25% or 30% off barely qualifies as a "sale" to me. Warner Archive just ran a 40% off sale (combined with free US shipping on orders over $100) that was a better deal than any of the BF sales some of the soundtrack labels just offered.
And soundtrack CDs are pretty much the only luxury I invest in for the most part. I haven't seen 90-95% of the movies or TV shows representing my entire soundtrack collection (I have thousands). I've had to sell off a bunch of my other things so I could afford to get some recent new releases. I'm still collecting every Intrada release but I'm starting to question whether or not I should bother keeping at that.
I'm not asking for sympathy or to bum money off of anyone. I guess my point is this:
a) nothing lasts forever, and living as if you will be prosperous forever will eventually come back to bite you; and
b) all those news articles about millennials "killing off" numerous industries is just highlighing the fact that we're broke as hell and nobody wants to pay us anymore. (it's also part of the reason why "ok boomer" has become a thing recently but I'll leave it at that)
*(Those are Intrada's current rates, but SAE and LLL charge even higher. To be fair to them however, it costs less to go to them as a Canadian buyer if you're only buying 2 or 3 titles as opposed to 6 or 7)
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You must have bunches of CDs that are OOP and people would pay for on eBay or somewhere. Unsealed but like new, I'm guessing? You could sell whatever you don't prioritize as a collector, and that would help you with cash, shelf space, and how hard it is the next time you have to pack up and move.
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Posted: |
Dec 5, 2019 - 10:29 PM
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By: |
Alex Klein
(Member)
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I hate to say this but you should consider yourself lucky to live in Canada; where I live (South America), such things as 'disability assistance' simply don't exist, so if you're out of work or even sick, you'll end up out in the street (i'm not joking).
Like you, I used to buy more CDs when I was a college student (how ironic), and adult life has certainly cut down on the purchases. Then again, how many soundtracks can anyone buy anywhere? Serious collectors are a minority, and that's why most releases are limited editions. As for me, I try to stick only to titles and composers I consider to be essential, which doesn't save me from losing out on many limited editions.
What am I trying to say with all of this? That you are not alone, and you could certainly be doing a lot worse. Trust me: most people I know would go through a lot of pain and hunger just to be able to live in a country like Canada.
Breathe deeply, and consider yourself lucky.
Alex
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Collecting CDs in Asia takes more pain and effort than in North America.
I've been doing it for 30 years already.
I agree with you that collecting soundtracks is a really expensive hobby.
Nevertheless, collecting is like an addiction.
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Looking on the bright side, the FSM CDs from 1998 are still the same price as over 22 years ago, but I've yet to find a bar that'll sell me a pint of beer for 85p nowadays.
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Soundtrack collecting is a complicated profession.
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Posted: |
Dec 6, 2019 - 11:18 AM
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By: |
1977
(Member)
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I hate to say this but you should consider yourself lucky to live in Canada; where I live (South America), such things as 'disability assistance' simply don't exist, so if you're out of work or even sick, you'll end up out in the street (i'm not joking).
Today I looked out of my window at work and saw with my own eyes, an elderly man, as thin as a rake, lying on the pavement. A younger, healthy man walked up to him, stole something out of his pocket, and slapped him in the face. The old man, disorientated from what had happened, started crawling away on all fours and I realised then that he was partially paralysed. He started trying to crawl across a busy intersection with cars driving past. Two ladies from our office went out to help and gave him something to eat. This man has nothing, no food, no shelter, cannot defend himself and cannot even walk. I'm sure he'd love to get disability assistance, if such a thing existed in my country. I don't think he would even understand what it is as he is very likely uneducated and illiterate. OP, sorry about your misfortune, but consider your blessings to be living in a First World country.
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But in 2009 things changed as I had several bouts of unemployment, low paying and good paying jobs, more unemployment, until finally late this year I ended up working for the county's Social Services and again am earning a nice living...