Price of CDs on amazon uk

[David Ayers]

The shop price of the CD in the UK can often be about £15 inclusive of tax. That is already expensive compared to the United States. Amazon, which in the past offered most CDs at a much lower price than this now frequently offers back catalogue CDs for almost this price or sometimes much more. Of course, there are many Amazon sellers, especially those based in North America, who offer the same CDs at a much lower price. However, for me personally, I would like to be able to order a CD within the UK and have it arrive very promptly within two or three days, say. I find now that often, compared to the past, I am not able to source a CD from a UK vendor, at a price which I am prepared to pay. I am prepared to pay the full shop price for a CD, but only if I buy a CD in store. Also, although for any individual CD, it might be possible to source it at a reasonable price in the UK, this involves a lot of opportunism and shopping around. Classical CDs in the UK can be sourced from various specialist online sellers, who always offer discounted prices, and are very consistent in that respect. I am now struggling to source jazz CDs in the same way. I don't quite know what to do. Does anyone in the UK have any answers on how to do this? It seems to me that Amazon has now become so dominant in the UK and pushed out other sellers, so that they can set much higher prices than in the past. I am not even sure that they really want to sell the past back catalogue of CDs that exists any more. What do you think?

[erwbol]

Spread your jazz orders. If you place an order twice a week at a North American seller, there will be a steady stream of new music in your letterbox. And you'll be able to do more with your money. I prefer All Your Music.

[David Ayers]

I'm an impulse purchaser, that's my thing, and if I have to wait two weeks I've usually moved on....

Also I no longer order the volume I once did, so my desires are for THIS item NOW.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've seen a bit of this but there's usually a download available from Amazon at a reasonable price. Since I haven't got much room for CDs any more, downloads are what I'm buying anyway. And MUCH more immediate for the impulse buyer.

MG

[David Ayers]

Re. downloads - sure - but in cases where I *want* the CD, it is becoming harder...

[BillF]

Some of the from-the-US prices have been very good recently - not surprising with the pound nearing $1.72! Well worth the 2-3 week wait IMHO.

[mjazzg]

Do you know Jazzhouse Records http://www.jazzhouserecords.co.uk/?

Alan carries a fair back catalogue and if your "THIS item NOW" will tolerate secondhand then that will increase likelihood. Prices are fair, postage is often same day and he will often order things if you suggest labels he's not stocking.

[David Ayers]

I do know Jazz House but that depends on what is in stock.

Example from amazon uk today - a Leo disc priced at over £19. Of course a Leo I could order direct - it's in print.- but I just don't like that everything is a detective hunt, and the underlying story is that the only major online retailer of CDs is sending prices up and up. A Leo from Leo would cost maybe £10, in store maybe £13, but I wonder if what uk amazon shows is that CD prices are now set to rise as the distribution and retail structures shrink.

[mjazzg]

But 'depends on what's in stock' applies everywhere doesn't it?

Maybe the price for having most everything available (a reasonable expectation?) is the cost of the CDs you're seeing at Amazon. No smaller outfit could afford to hold such a selection at a more reasonable price could they? Even in the 'glory days' of the megastores the back catalogue wasn't as deep as Amazon.

[David Ayers]

I guess...

But classical dealers who don't hold much stock but get supplies quickly from distributors seem to be able to keep prices down....

I guess I'm wondering if even online CD buying is being squeezed and if this will happen more widely.

Edited July 3, 2014 by David Ayers

[mjazzg]

I guess you're guessing correctly

let's face it the "This item Now" option and depth of catalogue is increasingly fulfilled by downloads. No waiting at all there (Ok no cover or shiny disc but....we'll get over that)

Edited July 3, 2014 by mjazzg

[David Ayers]

I think maybe I just need to change my set up so that I can get d/ls and streaming from my hi-fi. I certainly don't need all these discs sitting around but the way I am set up they sound better.

[mjazzg]

That's exactly my situation. Once I can work out how best to play dl's through the rather 'vintage' amp I'll be dl'ing a lot more

[David Ayers]

I am trying to find the right device which I can just plug in to the amp. They do exist but I am not very good at finding them apparently....

[A Lark Ascending]

Me too.

I find the thought of connecting everything up too frightening. So I work off a Heath Robinson arrangement.

Keep looking at one of these:

[sidewinder]

Me too.

I find the thought of connecting everything up too frightening. So I work off a Heath Robinson arrangement.

Keep looking at one of these:

Lovely piece of kit. You won't go wrong with that.

[Jazzjet]

Me too.

I find the thought of connecting everything up too frightening. So I work off a Heath Robinson arrangement.

Keep looking at one of these:

Lovely piece of kit. You won't go wrong with that.

Have you considered a Sonos system? Very easy to set up. Large choice of streaming options, eg Spotify, plus iTunes and also includes Qobuz for lossless streaming. And you can connect pretty much anything to it. A big plus for me, with a house with thick walls, is that it creates a wireless network that is actually more robust and reliable than my main network (BT).

[mjazzg]

Me too.

I find the thought of connecting everything up too frightening. So I work off a Heath Robinson arrangement.

Keep looking at one of these:

what model no. is that Bev?

[mjazzg]

Me too.

I find the thought of connecting everything up too frightening. So I work off a Heath Robinson arrangement.

Keep looking at one of these:

what model no. is that Bev?

Don't worry Bev. Found it. Price Ouch!

Edited July 4, 2014 by mjazzg

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, very expensive. Has the advantage of just needing a pair of speakers.

Not too bothered about wireless, except it might be nice for the kitchen - I currently have a pair of cheap (but effective) speakers wired to there. Don't need it upstairs.

What I would like to do is experiment with playing straight off an external hard drive. At present I still burn discs.

Hopefully this will also playback my iPod family in reasonable sound. I have a cheap think linked up to do this at present but even someone with my cloth-ears can hear the thinness of the sound.

Will continue to ponder.