Joe Miller: Vinyl Renaissance vs.The Democratization of Music

On Friday, I got a $75 check in the mail that I wasn’t expecting, so I cashed it and headed straight for Vinyl Renaissance to feed my latest addiction.

I was having a great time putting together a stack of wax to take home and trip out on. Midway through my shopping frenzy, though, I remembered something I saw a few days ago on the store’s online Internet website: a turntable-buyers discount program. I thought, Hey! I bought me a turntable at this store, a totally cool vintage Dual with a brand-new Ortofon cartridge.

So I went to the man at the cash register and I said, “What’s up with your turntable-buyer’s discount plan?”

He said, “You get ten percent off of everything in the store for a year if you buy a new turntable.”

“Not used?” I asked.

“Not used,” he said.

Of all the injustices!

The new turntables at Vinyl Renaissance are all like $5,000. Used is only $100 or so. I can understand why they’d want to offer incentives for people to buy the expensive high-end stuff.

BUT THE FACT IS, THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THE USED TURNTABLES ARE THE ONES WHO NEED IT THE MOST!

I was kind of pissed, but I went right on shopping, loading up on some Pink Floyd, Minutemen, Johnny Cash, Bill Evans and the Flaming Lips. It was the best capitalist rush I’ve had in months.

But then when they rang me up, they didn’t take 10 percent off. They added 10 percent. Sales tax. For The Man.

I’m still going to shop at Vinyl Renaissance. They’ve got an awesome selection, and their used discs are all in great shape.

Still, this record shop needs to get back in touch with its revolutionary spirit and un-Man-ify.

You all might sell a lot of classical. But you also sell a lot of rock, blues, country and jazz. And when you capitalize on these art forms with roots in poverty, you have an obligation to the poor. And that includes people who dropped $150 on a beautiful old Dual and had to suck it up elsewhere in the budget to make it work.

It’s the least you can do.

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11 Responses to Joe Miller: Vinyl Renaissance vs.The Democratization of Music

  1. Huh? says:

    What is the point?
    I am not compliaining, but would you please clarify what the point of your article was/is?

  2. Hearne says:

    If you have to ask…
    I repeat, if you have to ask…

  3. PV_Pathfinder says:

    Tough shit.

  4. Huh? says:

    Serious
    I was really asking, I kind of slooooow sometimes….and I really wondered if I missed the point(s)

    Was the point it to shop at this store?… or dont shop there cuz they suck for not giving him discounts?, or was the point it to buy LPs versus CDs? If so shouldnt he tell us where the store is? If he was talking to the store, then mybe he should mail them a note, not post it here…… and…… if he had to cut his budget…..why did he buy a double LP player, Wouldnt a single player work juts as well? Why would a new player cost $5,000, that seems high, when i think I have seen LP to MP3 coverters record players available for about $250.00…or maybe it was something about how to get a mystery money $75.00 check in the mail…… if so…how can I do that? I was just wondering…..

    But iguess if i have to ask…I can afford to know……. oh well 🙁

  5. Huh? says:

    or if the point was….
    If the point was….
    He was challenging people to compare vinyl collections? becasue I would take that challenge. I bet I have a cooler collection of pictures discs and vinyl than anyone….wanna bet?

    I”l start….. http://i51.tinypic.com/108d4io.jpg

  6. Ridiculous says:

    I don’t get it either
    One: This is not news, so who cares. Two: If you go to a restaurant and they have buy one entree get one half off do you bitch when you buy an appetizer and they won’t give you an entree for half off. You spent $100 on a turntable and you want to be able to save more than what you spent?

  7. Huh? says:

    Then mail the store a letter
    1) “The point was that record stores and record buyers are stick it to the man kind of people””….. UH…I buy records, but I only stick it in women, please dont make vast generalizations

    2)If you have an issue with a store, please mail the store a letter, unless hearne is going to make turn this into a consumer complaint website, and in that case I have several complaints to file, where do I sign up to start threads about stores I want to call out by name?

    3) TBA

    4) I guess I win the best vinyl collection.

    5)TBA

  8. Huh? says:

    Lets start with weather forecasters
    How about starting the compl,int list with these fuking weather forecasters scaring the shit out everyone with their BS projections. Come tomoorow if there is not 8 inches of snow on the gorund, then a thread should be started telling these assholes to fk off. The only good they are doing is helping many many stores sell supplies….. fkn marketing BS.

    If they are not scaring people with BS terror warnings……. they are trying to scare people with snow…..fkn azholes….Not that they scare me, I dont give a fk, I am meaner than any terrorist or TSA agent and I can drive through 4 feet of snow…..get the fk outta my way!!!!!!! I am coming through…… I need to buy some more records.

  9. Cody Jarrett says:

    Well Played Mr. Huh?!
    Best comments I have ever read on this site. If I had a used turntable to send you as a prize, I would. Hilarious and also spot on regarding the pointless nature of the post. Kudos to you. And Hearne can take his condescending “If you have to ask…” and shove it. Readers and commenters deserve a little respect (they occasionally click on those stupid flashing ad things that keep this waste of broadband afloat).

  10. PV_Pathfinder says:

    So, you want a discount for dropping $100 on a used turntable? By making such a request, you forfeit the right to post a sob story when the store goes out of business.

  11. Huh? says:

    It is the thought that counts
    Thank you Cody, I take the compliment : ) Stay cool.

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