Amazon bargains, perhaps too good to be true

[hiker_rs]

Almost surely mispriced, don't know if the seller will honor, but I-
deals has a large number of CDs priced cheaply if you do just a
minimal amount of browsing:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_1?ie=UTF8&asin=B001U0HB60&isAmazonFulfilled=0&seller=A3DJR8M9Y3OUPG

For example the 7 CD Haydn Weil box on Vivarte is $4. Many other CDs
are only a buck.

My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.

Rich

[RVG]

That or they're fakes manufactured by pirate factories in Asia.
I've been had with DVDs a couple of times.

--

« Les mots qui vont surgir savent de nous des choses que nous ignorons
d'eux. »
René Char

http://www.jamendo.com/fr/user/RVG95
http://soundcloud.com/rvgronoff
http://bluedusk.blogspot.com/

[John Wiser]

"RVG" <not....@themoment.invalid.org> wrote in message
news:k5at00$gdf$1...@blueduskconspiracy.eternal-september.org...

> Le 13/10/2012 05:17, hiker_rs a écrit :
>> Almost surely mispriced, don't know if the seller will honor, but I-
>> deals has a large number of CDs priced cheaply if you do just a
>> minimal amount of browsing:
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_1?ie=UTF8&asin=B001U0HB60&isAmazonFulfilled=0&seller=A3DJR8M9Y3OUPG
>>
>> For example the 7 CD Haydn Weil box on Vivarte is $4. Many other CDs
>> are only a buck.
>>
>> My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.
>>
>
> That or they're fakes manufactured by pirate factories in Asia.
> I've been had with DVDs a couple of times.
>

I-deals is purveying the genuine goods, but at these prices they exhaust
stock quickly. I've gotten several good things from them lately, and have
missed out on many more. The Haydn set has evaporated, of course!
I am sore about a couple of Chandos multi-CD sets that came and went
with blinding speed.

JDW

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 12, 11:32 pm, "John Wiser" <ceec...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "RVG" <not.h...@themoment.invalid.org> wrote in message
>
> news:k5at00$gdf$1...@blueduskconspiracy.eternal-september.org...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Le 13/10/2012 05:17, hiker_rs a crit :

> >> Almost surely mispriced, don't know if the seller will honor, but I-
> >> deals has a large number of CDs priced cheaply if you do just a
> >> minimal amount of browsing:
>

> >>http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_1?ie=UTF8&asin=B...

>
> >> For example the 7 CD Haydn Weil box on Vivarte is $4. Many other CDs
> >> are only a buck.
>
> >> My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.
>
> > That or they're fakes manufactured by pirate factories in Asia.
> > I've been had with DVDs a couple of times.
>
> I-deals is purveying the genuine goods, but at these prices they exhaust
> stock quickly. I've gotten several good things from them lately, and have
> missed out on many more. The Haydn set has evaporated, of course!
> I am sore about a couple of Chandos multi-CD sets that came and went
> with blinding speed.

I'm not so sure they intended those prices--they exhausted stock much
too quickly across the board.

--Jeff

[John Wiser]

"jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:38bf441a-a757-4512...@b8g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...

I can't judge intent, I just know that I acquired
a few nice things at derisory prices. If it was done
in error, i-deals still honored the posted price...as
I would have done as an Amazon seller.

JDW

[Oscar]

Turn out the lights
The party's over.
They say that
All good things must end. http://tiny.cc/row3lw

(All i-Deals listings down.)

[Dana John Hill]

"hiker_rs" <schi...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:6a0c4ba9-759f-43c5...@x14g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...

I've scrolled through dozens of pages and have yet to find one item that is
listed as available.

Dana John Hill
Gainesville, Florida

[John Wiser]

"Dana John Hill" <da...@danajohnhill.com> wrote in message
news:k5bp20$ejf$1...@usenet.osg.ufl.edu...

Sorry, Dana John, but gone is gone. Except that the super-low prices
didn't come off the Amazon main pages until sometime in the wee smalls EST.
All gone now. Gone, gone gone gone gone gone <sigh>.

jdw

[randy...@gmail.com]

I managed to order a whole slew of stuff before i-Deals closed their store. Lets see if they fullfill, cancel, or use some "out-of-stock" gimmick to not fullfill the orders.

Biggest bargains I ordered were the Naxos Haydn Symphonies and a few very large Brilliant Classics sets, all normally $80-120. I just ordered volume 5 of the Brilliant Classics Schütz Edition yesterday. Had I waited I could have gotten the bundle set for $1.00. Oh, and recall the thread where we complained about Brilliant cases where the last volume or two is not available individually and a collector is stuck if he/she collected all of the individual issues as they came out. I cited the case with the Haydn Edition and the single CD not available in the 150 CD box or individually but only in the Baryton Trios box. I ordered the Baryton Trios box for $1.00, about the right price to get just the one missing disk.

What I liked were a few items I found that competitors had already, through robotic means, lowered their price to beat the i-Deals $1.00 price. I only think I ordered one of those items though, as most were things I had no interest in.

[RVG]

Le 13/10/2012 08:55, John Wiser a �crit :

In 2005 Amazon.fr mistakenly tagged many electronic goods at �1,
including classic iPods (40Gb), USB keys, DVD players, etc.
That day I spent �12 including p&p and I still don't regret one cent. :)

--

� Les mots qui vont surgir savent de nous des choses que nous ignorons
d'eux. �
Ren� Char

[randy...@gmail.com]

> What I liked were a few items I found that competitors had already, through robotic means, lowered their price to beat the i-Deals $1.00 price. I only think I ordered one of those items though, as most were things I had no interest in.

The one I ordered from a competitor that had lowered their price to less than $1.00 has shipped (the recently released Melos Quartet DG Originals CD with Debussy, Ravel, and Kodály. $o.98 + 2.99 shipping.

[hiker_rs]

On Oct 13, 4:12 pm, randy.l...@gmail.com wrote:
> > What I liked were a few items I found that competitors had already, through robotic means, lowered their price to beat the i-Deals $1.00 price. I only think I ordered one of those items though, as most were things I had no interest in.
>
> The one I ordered from a competitor that had lowered their price to less than $1.00 has shipped (the recently released Melos Quartet DG Originals CD with Debussy, Ravel, and Kodály. $o.98 + 2.99 shipping.

I love it when the robots wind up doing stuff like that. I've seen 2
or 3 sellers lower their price a few cents a day, for days on end,
just to have the lowest listed price.

Rich

[Oscar]

On Saturday, October 13, 2012 3:03:40 PM, hiker_rs wrote:
>
> > The one I ordered from a competitor that had lowered their
> > price to less than $1.00 has shipped (the recently released Melos

> > Quartet DG Originals CD with Debussy, Ravel, and Kodály. $0.98

> > + 2.99 shipping.
>
> I love it when the robots wind up doing stuff like that. I've seen 2
> or 3 sellers lower their price a few cents a day, for days on end,
> just to have the lowest listed price.

One of my favorite Bach CD's — Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena — by Stephen Stubbs and Tragicomedia [Teldec 1991] is for sale by MovieMars for $0.98 new. It's the Das Alte Werk 2008 reissue, but really, someone should grab it http://tiny.cc/bt14lw

[whiskynsplash]

On Oct 12, 10:17 pm, hiker_rs <schie...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Almost surely mispriced, don't know if the seller will honor, but I-
> deals has a large number of CDs priced cheaply if you do just a
> minimal amount of browsing:
>

> http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_1?ie=UTF8&asin=B...

>
> For example the 7 CD Haydn Weil box on Vivarte is $4. Many other CDs
> are only a buck.
>
> My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.
>
> Rich

I ordered Handel Operas - Alessandro, Lotario, Partenope, Rodelinda,
Tamerlano, Serse, Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare (22 CDs) [Box set, Import]
for about $35 from I-deals a couple of days ago and they said it had
been shipped, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V69WN8

[randy...@gmail.com]

I got the same box from the same merchant about 2 months ago for about the same price, no problems.

[The Historian]

On Oct 13, 9:07 am, "Dana John Hill" <d...@danajohnhill.com> wrote:
> "hiker_rs" <schie...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

>
> news:6a0c4ba9-759f-43c5...@x14g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Almost surely mispriced, don't know if the seller will honor, but I-
> > deals has a large number of CDs priced cheaply if you do just a
> > minimal amount of browsing:
>

> >http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_1?ie=UTF8&asin=B...

>
> > For example the 7 CD Haydn Weil box on Vivarte is $4. Many other CDs
> > are only a buck.
>
> > My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.
>
> > Rich
>
> I've scrolled through dozens of pages and have yet to find one item that is
> listed as available.
>
> Dana John Hill
> Gainesville, Florida

Store is back up. Let's see if they will honor my 1 dollar purchases -
20 disc set of Idil Biret playing Beethoven, Engel's Mozart Piano
Concertos, some Aussie Eloquence stuff....

[Frank Berger]

Everything shows up as not available.

[The Historian]

Hmm. Amazon let me place the order. And some of the items I was buying
before they went "not available" last time were gone, so I suspect
they reopened for some reason. I hope they do - I discovered the Maag/
Paris CO Rossini overtures are on an Eloquence CD, and that's been one
of those recordings I've longed to see reissued. Getting it for a
dollar is that much sweeter.

[jrsnfld]

Many items became available for a second round yesterday (including
this morning)--in fact, they added a whole bunch of stuff that didn't
seem a part of the sale the first time. Then when items were pulled or
sold out later in the morning, they were all pulled at once. This is
the most peculiar aspect (as peculiar as the prices themselves!). I
have trouble believing that so many hundreds of items sell at exactly
the same rate, so, either it is indeed intentional, or perhaps this
store got hacked somehow. I prefer to think it's intentional and in
any case I hope for their sake (and yours) that the price is
legit...especially if as you say they seem willing to honor the
sales.

---Jeff

[The Historian]

Now the store lists nothing for sale at all. Perhaps that was a going
out of business sale?

[jrsnfld]

That's one line of speculation that has been running rampant in
another newsgroup, especially because the storefront seems to have
changed names recently. A lot of people took advantage of these
prices. Soon we'll hear if they got the discs and/or if money changed
hands. Who knows?...the whole mischief might start up again
tonight....

--Jeff

[The Historian]

That adds new meaning to the phrase "fly by night operation." Anyway
we will see what happens. John Wiser assured us that IDeals was legit,
and I don't doubt he's had good dealings with them.

[John Wiser]

"The Historian" <neil.the...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:b17b0091-8dd8-43fc...@o5g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...

:>That adds new meaning to the phrase "fly by night operation." Anyway

> we will see what happens. John Wiser assured us that IDeals was legit,
> and I don't doubt he's had good dealings with them.

We'll find out, won't we, with light-of-Monday confirmation or denial?
Last night's cheapout orgy sucked nearly two hundred dollars off my card,
mostly for minor stuff I'm curious about: Wellesz, Krenek, Roentgen,
Tansman,
forgotten Brits revived by Dutton & Lyrita, and a BBC Monteux collection
containing Willem Pijper's 3rd Symphony. No standard rep at all for me.
I think I'll wander over now and see what mischief" transpires....

JDW

JDW

[randy...@gmail.com]

I woke to find several shipping notifications in my inbox from orders placed with i-Deals during the blitz:

Haydn Baryton Trios on Brilliant Classics ($1, normally $50-60)
Dvorak Trios on Supraphon ($1, normally $15)
Solomon EMI Icon box ($1, normally $20)
Schiff Mozart Complete Piano Concerti ($2, normally $55-60)
Edwin Fischer EMI Icon box ($1, normally $60)
K. Flagstad Edtion on Decca ($5, normally $40)
Kletzki Beethoven Symphonies on Supraphon ($1, normally $30)

Three orders with more than 2 items have not shippeed just yet.
I have ordered lots of merchandise from i-Deals in the last 90-120 dyas, service and delivery always ideal (all puns intended).

I've noticed that at about the same time i-Deals came into being my favorite Amazon merchant, Blowitoutahere, stopped selling on Amazon, though their website is still live and I get some great bargains there often.

http://www.blowitoutahere.com

The parent company of Blowitoutahere is DirectToU Inc., so I wonder if i-Deals is not the new Amazon merchant for DirectToU, especially since most of the shipments seem to originate from the same places I always got Blowitoutahere orders from.. Just specualtion though.

[Peter H.]

I am sure that you are correct. I've noticed that shipments from i-deals originate from the same place blowitoutahere used to.

I have not seen shipping notices yet, but my orders are showing as shipping soon.

I hope that this isn't a sign i-deals is going out of business or at least the classical business.

[The Historian]

Ditto. No shipping notices for me, but Amazon lists the orders as
shipping soon.

[hiker_rs]

On Oct 15, 10:41 am, The Historian <neil.thehistor...@gmail.com>
wrote:

My Saturday orders have shipped.

Rich

[randy...@gmail.com]

I amnot so sure I am correct about i-Deals being under the same umbrella as Blowitoutahere.

Most orders originate form Sherperdsville, KY, specifically 300 Omicron Ct.
That address is for Alliance Entertainment, who acquired Edge Entertainment Distribution last year. I belive both i-Deals and Blowitoutahere use that distributor for direct shipments to consumers.

See http://tinyurl.com/8lqlfdd for info about the acquisition.

[The Historian]

On Oct 15, 11:41 am, The Historian <neil.thehistor...@gmail.com>
wrote:

My purchases were in two orders, and I just received an email that the
first of them - Cambreling conducting overtures and vocal works by
Berlioz, Mozart's piano concertos by Karl Engel, and a two disc
Eloquence set of the Vienna Octet playing Mozart chamber music -
shipped.

BTW the storefront is open again, but there are no listings currently
available.

[wkasimer]

On Oct 12, 11:17 pm, hiker_rs <schie...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> My guess is that this will not be honored, it's just too cheap.

I just received e-mail notifications that all of my orders were
cancelled.

Bill

[Peter H.]

Ugh. Well now I am holding my breath.

[pgaron]

Out of curiosity, did they give any reason?

pgaron

[Gerry]

Same here, Bill. Except that they have only cancelled one order thus far. No reason given.

[Art]

> rel
> Bill
>

This looks like another one of those situations where they pick and
choose winners and losers. That's why I didn't even bother with this
because I'm usually in the latter group and my orders are cancelled with
no explanation given.

[jrsnfld]

You're giving me hope...so far only one of my items has been
officially cancelled. I'm expecting more cancellations, but given that
it is taking them so much time to cancel, there's a possibility that
they might actually honor a few more than the small handful that have
already supposedly shipped. Admittedly, the discs that shipped were
probably not the most high-profile or popular purchases whereas the
one that cancelled was a big-ticket item.

--Jeff

[Peter H.]

> You're giving me hope...so far only one of my items has been
>
> officially cancelled. I'm expecting more cancellations, but given that
>
> it is taking them so much time to cancel, there's a possibility that
>
> they might actually honor a few more than the small handful that have
>
> already supposedly shipped. Admittedly, the discs that shipped were
>
> probably not the most high-profile or popular purchases whereas the
>
> one that cancelled was a big-ticket item.
>
>
>
> --Jeff

I would just like to hear one way or the other. 3 orders, all still showing as "Shipping Soon", as they have since Sunday morning.

[Peter H.]

Yep, all of my orders got cancelled. C'est la vie!

[Peter H.]

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 8:47 am, "Peter H." <pbho...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yep, all of my orders got cancelled. C'est la vie!

All the rest of mine were similarly cancelled this morning. I think
about 7 of the 40 items I ordered confirmed shipping. This is a good
day for my local brick and mortar merchants! :-)

--Jeff

[The Historian]

The rest of mine were cancelled too. All I have coming are the
Cambreling Berlioz overtures and vocal music with orchestra, the two
disc Eloquence set of Mozart chamber music, and the Mozart piano
concertos by Engel. However, I now have a half-dozen Eloquence titles
added to my future purchase list, thanks my deal-hunting Saturday
night.

[jrsnfld]

Same here. Some of the discs that were cancelled have been available
used at reasonable prices from other sellers. I may take this as an
excuse to buy a small subset and save some money.

--Jeff

[Peter H.]

> Same here. Some of the discs that were cancelled have been available
>
> used at reasonable prices from other sellers. I may take this as an
>
> excuse to buy a small subset and save some money.
>
>
>
> --Jeff

Just went over to their storefront. They are taking a hammering in the customer satisfaction rating today!

[randy...@gmail.com]

> Just went over to their storefront. They are taking a hammering in the customer satisfaction rating today!

I will not be one of those hammerers. They will get raves from me.

Seven orders were shipped, 10 items for a total cost $44.80, 110 CDs.
Four orders cancelled, 17 items for a total of $80.66, 147 CDs.

Five of the seven shipped orders are due to be delivered today.

This was most likely an error on the part of a programmer or database administrator (occupations I identify with). I am very happy the company honored as many orders as it dfid. I would not have been upset if they cancelled all of them. Mistakes are mistakes. If we all were made to pay the cost for every one our own mistakes to the degree of accountability some expect from a merchant like this we would likely be in debt for the rest of our lives and leave behind a legacy of debt at the end.

[Peter H.]

I agree. Though I did not get anything I hoped for, I will not be leaving negative feedback. And I will be shopping from them again as soon as their store is back up and running.

[Gerard]

randy...@gmail.com <randy...@gmail.com> typed:

> > Just went over to their storefront. They are taking a hammering in
> > the customer satisfaction rating today!
>
> I will not be one of those hammerers. They will get raves from me.
>
> Seven orders were shipped, 10 items for a total cost $44.80, 110 CDs.
> Four orders cancelled, 17 items for a total of $80.66, 147 CDs.
>

You ordered 257 CDs?
Did you also make a scheduling for listening to them?

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 11:13 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> randy.l...@gmail.com <randy.l...@gmail.com> typed:

It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational response
was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box sets, the
more sane the order.

--Jeff

[Gerard]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> typed:

I don't know if that is sane. Or rational. The bigger the boxes, the more
recordings you'll never listen to.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> appears to have caused the following letters to
be typed in news:2e4df21c-577c-444e-90a6-840fc23113b4
@m4g2000yqf.googlegroups.com:

> It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational response
> was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box sets, the more
> sane the order.

Well, that probably depends on your definition of "rational response."

It is probably well known that I am a skinflint, and that I love finding
bargains on things that I want, but at no time did I even think of taking
the opportunity to screw over this vendor for their obvious error.

(Yeah, I know, I HAVE bought some obviously mispriced things in the past,
but I kept those purchases small.)

I'm not chiding the rest of you, per se, but I am saying that I did not,
and don't, want any part of this.

--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!!
Read about "Proty" here: http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/proty.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employers.

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 11:55 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> > > > Seven orders were shipped, 10 items for a total cost $44.80, 110
> > > > CDs. Four orders cancelled, 17 items for a total of $80.66, 147
> > > > CDs.
>
> > > You ordered 257 CDs?
> > > Did you also make a scheduling for listening to them?
>
> > It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational response
> > was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box sets, the
> > more sane the order.
>

> I don't know if that is sane. Or rational. The bigger the boxes, the more
> recordings you'll never listen to.

Welcome to the "Supersize-Me" era of CD buying.

When a box of a thousand CDs costs no more than a box of one, it's
rational to buy the thousand in order to get just one of the discs--
particularly if there's no other way to hear that disc.

Of course, it's also rational to decide that it's not worth the shelf
space of a 999 unused discs to hear that one disc, or not worth the
hernia to lift the box, or not worth the social stigma of consuming
large quantities of material goods.

Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
never listen to again, because very few people can know for sure which
discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about ensuring
the option to listen when the desire might strike.

In any case, many people will buy a few hundred discs over the course
of a year or more. Are you suggesting that it is better to order those
same discs a little at a time, at 10 or 50 times the price? How often
do you choose to pay more in order to wait indefinitely? Do you really
abhor those unused discs so much?

The rationality of ordering 257 CDs under such circumstances is clear.
The problem is finding a way to rationally limit the number of discs
to order. This pricing of $1 per CD box, regardless of the size, is
far more difficult to navigate than any all-you-can-eat smorgasbord
you've encountered. The latter repays self control with comfort and
health; the former punishes self control with higher costs, less
choice, and longer waits.

--Jeff

[randy...@gmail.com]

My orders were generated mostly by browsing through a vast array Amazon wish lists containing lists of CDs/sets I have some ineterest in. I compile those private wish list so I can browse and notice when the price drops to a level that I consider worth buying the item for. I did not simply go for whatever would show up on the i-Deals storefront for $1 or so and order as many as I could for the sake of buying as many CDs as I could.

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 12:50 pm, "Matthew B. Tepper" <oy @earthlink.net> wrote:
> jrsnfld <jrsn...@aol.com> appears to have caused the following letters to

> be typed in news:2e4df21c-577c-444e-90a6-840fc23113b4
> @m4g2000yqf.googlegroups.com:
>
> > It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational response
> > was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box sets, the more
> > sane the order.
>
> Well, that probably depends on your definition of "rational response."
>
> It is probably well known that I am a skinflint, and that I love finding
> bargains on things that I want, but at no time did I even think of taking
> the opportunity to screw over this vendor for their obvious error.
>
> (Yeah, I know, I HAVE bought some obviously mispriced things in the past,
> but I kept those purchases small.)
>
> I'm not chiding the rest of you, per se, but I am saying that I did not,
> and don't, want any part of this.

At what point do you decide that you don't want any part of buying
mispriced things? How small is small?

In this day and age of vendors offering used discs online for one cent
plus shipping, of formerly major labels offering box sets at a dollar
a disc and commercial downloads are less than that...what signal do
you use to verify that a price is a mistake?

This looked like a mistaken offer when it first appeared; it looked
more intentional when the deals were "out of stock" but reappeared the
following day. Taking a bargain like that to the register is not
sneaky; but it would be unreasonable to complain much if the cashier
decided not to honor the price.

The biggest complaint is that people wasted their time shopping until
the wee hours of the night thinking that their dreams had come true.

--Jeff

[Gerard]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> typed:

> On Oct 17, 11:55 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > > Seven orders were shipped, 10 items for a total cost $44.80,
> > > > > 110 CDs. Four orders cancelled, 17 items for a total of
> > > > > $80.66, 147 CDs.
> >
> > > > You ordered 257 CDs?
> > > > Did you also make a scheduling for listening to them?
> >
> > > It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational
> > > response was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box
> > > sets, the more sane the order.
> >
> > I don't know if that is sane. Or rational. The bigger the boxes,
> > the more recordings you'll never listen to.
>
> Welcome to the "Supersize-Me" era of CD buying.
>
> When a box of a thousand CDs costs no more than a box of one, it's
> rational to buy the thousand in order to get just one of the discs--
> particularly if there's no other way to hear that disc.
>
> Of course, it's also rational to decide that it's not worth the shelf
> space of a 999 unused discs to hear that one disc, or not worth the
> hernia to lift the box, or not worth the social stigma of consuming
> large quantities of material goods.

All this seems "rational" when it happens once or twice. But during the last
year (or few years) it looks like the same people order everything that's cheap
in enormous quantities. Only because it's cheap. I'm sure they will end soon in
a full house with stuff they've never heard.

>
> Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
> never listen to again,

I think it is more tha a few discs. And that number is growing very fast when
ordering these amounts of discs.

> because very few people can know for sure which
> discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about ensuring
> the option to listen when the desire might strike.

You're not telling something new here ;-)

>
> In any case, many people will buy a few hundred discs over the course
> of a year or more. Are you suggesting that it is better to order those
> same discs a little at a time, at 10 or 50 times the price? How often
> do you choose to pay more in order to wait indefinitely? Do you really
> abhor those unused discs so much?

Too many questions.
I only pointed to the fact that many of those cheap discs will not be listened
to - making the discs much less cheap then they seemed to be.

>
> The rationality of ordering 257 CDs under such circumstances is clear.

When it happens once. So many threads in this ng are about this kind of ordering
that it hard to see rationality in ordering everything that's cheap.

> The problem is finding a way to rationally limit the number of discs
> to order. This pricing of $1 per CD box, regardless of the size, is
> far more difficult to navigate than any all-you-can-eat smorgasbord
> you've encountered. The latter repays self control with comfort and
> health; the former punishes self control with higher costs, less
> choice, and longer waits.
>

And less problems of storing what you don't need.

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 1:06 pm, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> > Of course, it's also rational to decide that it's not worth the shelf
> > space of a 999 unused discs to hear that one disc, or not worth the
> > hernia to lift the box, or not worth the social stigma of consuming
> > large quantities of material goods.
>
> All this seems "rational" when it happens once or twice. But during the last
> year (or few years) it looks like the same people order everything that's cheap
> in enormous quantities. Only because it's cheap. I'm sure they will end soon in
> a full house with stuff they've never heard.
>

I have the same visceral, negative reaction to this situation that you
do. It's just that this behavior seems to be just as rational (or
more!) than my avoidance of big boxes and massive orders. (I still
have too many discs that I'll never hear again.)

>
>
> > Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
> > never listen to again,
>
> I think it is more tha a few discs. And that number is growing very fast when
> ordering these amounts of discs.

Growing exponentially. A truly bizarre situation that I couldn't have
imagined five years ago.

>
> > because very few people can know for sure which
> > discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about ensuring
> > the option to listen when the desire might strike.
>
> You're not telling something new here ;-)
>
>
>
> > In any case, many people will buy a few hundred discs over the course
> > of a year or more. Are you suggesting that it is better to order those
> > same discs a little at a time, at 10 or 50 times the price? How often
> > do you choose to pay more in order to wait indefinitely? Do you really
> > abhor those unused discs so much?
>
> Too many questions.
> I only pointed to the fact that many of those cheap discs will not be listened
> to - making the discs much less cheap then they seemed to be.

At $1 a box, the number of unheard discs hardly affects the price. But
that's an extreme. Either way, the situation with massive boxes of
cheap discs is unreal by former standards.

--Jeff

[jrsnfld]

I wouldn't suggest otherwise. But I can't see how you stopped at 257,
or any other number. That sale had far more incredible offerings that
you *ought* to have wanted!

--Jeff

[Dana John Hill]

"jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:562149be-8ad4-4992...@o5g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...

>Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
>never listen to again, because very few people can know for sure which
>discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about ensuring
>the option to listen when the desire might strike.

I think about this a lot. I am presently generating a database of all my
recordings. I realized this was necessary after I repeatedly purchased discs
I already owned. As I have been typing away (I am about to begin cataloging
my Mozart recordings), I am noticing how much I have that I have not
listened to in years. Indeed, I have some discs I have not yet opened. When,
I wonder, will I get around to listening to all of the neglected ones?

Perhaps the answer is never. I am sure I have some recordings of, say, the
Music for the Royal Fireworks that I'll never get around to playing again,
given that my enthusiasm for that piece is relatively light, and I already
have eight or more recordings of it.

But who knows what my tastes will be twenty years from now? I may some day
feel like I need to compare Previn's Pittsburgh recording to Leppard's ECO
recording, or one of several Marriner recordings, or another.

Long ago, I had Harnoncourt's set of Brahms' symphonies (with the BPO?). I
listened to them once, I guess, then set them aside. Later, I got another
set, and felt that I might as well just sell the Harnoncourt. So I did.
Then, a couple years after that, I saw someone (here, probably) post
something about Harnoncourt's Brahms that made me want to give it another
listen, but I no longer had it. I decided I wasn't going to sell off things
any more, and I haven't sense, except for exact duplicate performances.

I cannot predict the future, and I don't know what I am going to like or
dislike five or more years from now. In 2020, I may be way into Czech opera,
or the French baroque. The Janacek and Couperin sitting neglected on my
shelf now might become favorites.

Dana John Hill
Gainesville, Florida

[randy...@gmail.com]

I suppose instead I should be more discerning and shop like the buyer in the following:

http://tinyurl.com/cvacdta

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 17, 6:33 pm, randy.l...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 11:13:27 AM UTC-7, Gerard wrote:

> > randy.l...@gmail.com <randy.l...@gmail.com> typed:

>
> > > > Just went over to their storefront.  They are taking a hammering in
>
> > > > the customer satisfaction rating today!
>
> > > I will not be one of those hammerers. They will get raves from me.
>
> > > Seven orders were shipped, 10 items for a total cost $44.80, 110 CDs.
>
> > > Four orders cancelled, 17 items for a total of $80.66, 147 CDs.
>
> > You ordered 257 CDs?
>
> > Did you also make a scheduling for listening to them?
>
> I suppose instead I should be more discerning and shop like the buyer in the following:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/cvacdta

Now you're talking! The only way to earn the respect of other snobs is
to risk an occasional, costly mistake. :-)

--Jeff

[The Historian]

On Oct 17, 3:50 pm, "Matthew B. Tepper" <oy @earthlink.net> wrote:
> jrsnfld <jrsn...@aol.com> appears to have caused the following letters to

> be typed in news:2e4df21c-577c-444e-90a6-840fc23113b4
> @m4g2000yqf.googlegroups.com:
>
> > It was one of those vexing situations where the only rational response
> > was to order as much as possible, and the bigger the box sets, the more
> > sane the order.
>
> Well, that probably depends on your definition of "rational response."
>
> It is probably well known that I am a skinflint, and that I love finding
> bargains on things that I want, but at no time did I even think of taking
> the opportunity to screw over this vendor for their obvious error.
>
> (Yeah, I know, I HAVE bought some obviously mispriced things in the past,
> but I kept those purchases small.)
>
> I'm not chiding the rest of you, per se, but I am saying that I did not,
> and don't, want any part of this.

I didn't think of it as a mispricing, but as a clearance or overstock
sale. John Wiser pointed out he's gotten items from the seller at very
low prices before, and also missed out on some.

[Gerard]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> typed:

> On Oct 17, 1:06 pm, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Of course, it's also rational to decide that it's not worth the
> > > shelf space of a 999 unused discs to hear that one disc, or not
> > > worth the hernia to lift the box, or not worth the social stigma
> > > of consuming large quantities of material goods.
> >
> > All this seems "rational" when it happens once or twice. But during
> > the last year (or few years) it looks like the same people order
> > everything that's cheap in enormous quantities. Only because it's
> > cheap. I'm sure they will end soon in a full house with stuff
> > they've never heard.
> >
>
> I have the same visceral, negative reaction to this situation that you
> do. It's just that this behavior seems to be just as rational (or
> more!) than my avoidance of big boxes and massive orders. (I still
> have too many discs that I'll never hear again.)

Same here.
I'm seriously trying (most of the time) to buy only those discs I really want to
have, but it's hard to resist extremely low prices ;-(
OTOH I very seldom order on the web (and if I do so, I restrict my self to _one_
retailer - who had to stop having a store and switched to the web). This
restriction 'helps' me a lot ;-)

>
> >
> >
> > > Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they
> > > will never listen to again,
> >
> > I think it is more tha a few discs. And that number is growing very
> > fast when ordering these amounts of discs.
>
> Growing exponentially. A truly bizarre situation that I couldn't have
> imagined five years ago.

Those bizarre prices were very common here five/ten years ago - when Brilliant
Classics discs could be found for around 2 Euros per disc everywhere.
It was a good training in buying what you really want only. Yet the largest
Brilliant boxes had to come; but it was relatively easy tot resist buying them.

>
> >
> > > because very few people can know for sure which
> > > discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about
> > > ensuring the option to listen when the desire might strike.
> >
> > You're not telling something new here ;-)
> >
> >
> >
> > > In any case, many people will buy a few hundred discs over the
> > > course of a year or more. Are you suggesting that it is better to
> > > order those same discs a little at a time, at 10 or 50 times the
> > > price? How often do you choose to pay more in order to wait
> > > indefinitely? Do you really abhor those unused discs so much?
> >
> > Too many questions.
> > I only pointed to the fact that many of those cheap discs will not
> > be listened to - making the discs much less cheap then they seemed
> > to be.
>
> At $1 a box, the number of unheard discs hardly affects the price. But
> that's an extreme. Either way, the situation with massive boxes of
> cheap discs is unreal by former standards.
>

I'ld like to see the results of some serious research about who (what kind of
people) are buying those massive boxes.
Of course, some collectors who like to fill the gaps. But I suppose that they
lose interest after a few of those boxes.
I think those boxes mainly are sold to people who like to buy something
classical only once (in their lifetime), assuming that those boxe contain very
good stuff and enough of it.

[John Wiser]

"The Historian" <neil.the...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Oct 17, 3:50 pm, "Matthew B. Tepper" <o...@earthlink.net> wrote:
[removes Tepper's self-serving drivel]

> I didn't think of it as a mispricing, but as a clearance or overstock
> sale. John Wiser pointed out he's gotten items from the seller at very
> low prices before, and also missed out on some.

That was indeed my belief, that it was a fire sale or something of the
sort, to clear out slow-selling obscurities. How much standard rep was
on offer, I didn't note, as that's not my bag, Wellesz, Krenek, Roentgen,
Tansman, they're not on top of anyone's chart. As it turned vout, they
apparently shipped the earliest of orders, four or five CDs, and a day
later,
cancelled the rest without explanation. That's alway a bad idea. The extra
step, even a form letter, can ward off all kinds of bad juju,. So perhaps
after
all, it was a major glitch in the system. I have sent them five negs, one
for
each cancelled order, but will entertain the possibility of taking those
ratings down when the filled orders arrive. I suppose five items out of
thirty-
five isn't bad, I'm certainly no major CD-snarfer.

I like the idea of having a reference collection and have many items shelved
still in their shrinkwrap.

JDW

[Gerard]

Dana John Hill <da...@danajohnhill.com> typed:

> "jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:562149be-8ad4-4992...@o5g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
> > Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
> > never listen to again, because very few people can know for sure
> > which discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about
> > ensuring the option to listen when the desire might strike.
>
> I think about this a lot. I am presently generating a database of all
> my recordings. I realized this was necessary after I repeatedly
> purchased discs I already owned. As I have been typing away (I am

I've started such a database (Oracle) many years ago, but gave up after
realizing that entering all the *works* by Bach and Mozart only (just the titles
of the works, not the recordings of them) would take me too much time I'ld not
like to spend that way.

How did you set up this database?

> about to begin cataloging my Mozart recordings), I am noticing how
> much I have that I have not listened to in years. Indeed, I have some
> discs I have not yet opened. When, I wonder, will I get around to
> listening to all of the neglected ones?
>
> Perhaps the answer is never.

I think you're right.

> I am sure I have some recordings of,
> say, the Music for the Royal Fireworks that I'll never get around to
> playing again, given that my enthusiasm for that piece is relatively
> light, and I already have eight or more recordings of it.

I like this piece, and have more recordings. But most of them out of curiosity,
because it has been clear so long already which recordings I prefer and enjoy
every time I listen to them. So most recordings of this work I will never listen
to again. I remember listening to a Mahler recording by Inbal and thinking "why
should I listen to this recording while I have some other recordings I really
enjoy?"

>
> But who knows what my tastes will be twenty years from now? I may
> some day feel like I need to compare Previn's Pittsburgh recording to
> Leppard's ECO recording, or one of several Marriner recordings, or
> another.

Maybe. But don't count on it too much. ;-)

>
> Long ago, I had Harnoncourt's set of Brahms' symphonies (with the
> BPO?). I listened to them once, I guess, then set them aside. Later,
> I got another set, and felt that I might as well just sell the
> Harnoncourt. So I did. Then, a couple years after that, I saw someone
> (here, probably) post something about Harnoncourt's Brahms that made
> me want to give it another listen, but I no longer had it. I decided
> I wasn't going to sell off things any more, and I haven't sense,
> except for exact duplicate performances.
>
> I cannot predict the future, and I don't know what I am going to like
> or dislike five or more years from now. In 2020, I may be way into
> Czech opera, or the French baroque. The Janacek and Couperin sitting
> neglected on my shelf now might become favorites.
>

New territories to explore always will exist.
This can be done very cheaply sometimes (by those mega budget boxes). But in
most cases (we're talking about experienced collectors in this ng) exploring has
started with buying one of a few discs.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

I may as well not own a single recording of "I Quattro Stagioni," at least so
long as there is a radio station in Los Angeles which plays classical music.

[weary flake]

"John Wiser" <cee...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I like the idea of having a reference collection and have many items shelved
> still in their shrinkwrap.

Ouch, I always promptly open purchases to give a visual inspection, to
avoid nasty surprises later, like gouged or wrong discs, which does
not have an easy solution when they have become out of print.

[Dana John Hill]

"Gerard" <ghendri-n...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9f98b$507fc030$5356543a$40...@cache100.multikabel.net...

> Dana John Hill <da...@danajohnhill.com> typed:
>> "jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:562149be-8ad4-4992...@o5g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>> > Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they will
>> > never listen to again, because very few people can know for sure
>> > which discs those are. Owning CDs is not about listening but about
>> > ensuring the option to listen when the desire might strike.
>>
>> I think about this a lot. I am presently generating a database of all
>> my recordings. I realized this was necessary after I repeatedly
>> purchased discs I already owned. As I have been typing away (I am
>
> I've started such a database (Oracle) many years ago, but gave up after
> realizing that entering all the *works* by Bach and Mozart only (just the
> titles
> of the works, not the recordings of them) would take me too much time I'ld
> not
> like to spend that way.
>
> How did you set up this database?
>

Strictly speaking, it's more of a spreadsheet than a database. A friend of
mine who actually understands computing explained the difference. I just use
OpenOffice. Each unique performance of a discrete musical work gets a row in
the spreadsheet. There are several columns: Composer, Title of Piece,
Soloist(s), Conductor, Ensemble, Playing Time, Label, Catalog Number, Year
Recorded.

It's as simple as can be, and it does everything I need it to. I have to do
some work, of course. For instance, I must add up the timings of all the
movements that make up a larger work. But I have a time-calculator, and, if
I'm lucky, the recording will actually give me the playing time of the whole
piece, and not just the separate movements. Some people may not worry about
playing time, but ever since I got a job in radio, I find it's something I
need to know.

My goal is to get the whole collection inventoried, then put my catalog up
online so I can access it from anywhere. Like from a used CD store, for
instance. And after that, somewhere in the future, I'd like to have all the
music hosted on a secure server which I can call up from anywhere I happen
to be, and listen to any piece in the collection. But that's not a big deal
right now. Knowing what I have is.

As for it taking a lot of time - really, it's not that bad. This morning,
for example, I entered the data for Barenboim's EMI set of the Mozart piano
concerti. I did have to use the calculator to add up the movement times, but
I'm pretty quick about it. And, of course, I get to listen to the recording
while I do the data entry. By the time one concerto ended, I had already
finished with that box. And it was on to my next set of Mozart piano
concerti. And I could just copy and paste Composer and Title of Piece data.
The only things that take a lot of time are sets with dozens and dozens of
really short discrete pieces with titles that include a lot of special
characters.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

weary flake <weary...@hotmail.com> appears to have caused the following

letters to be typed in

news:wearyflake-EE137...@c-131-121-196-216.gonavy.usna.edu:

I had a friend who compulsively bought DVDs of popular studio movies and art
films, and only opened them when he watched them. He was in poor health, and
sure enough, when he died, his family picked out the ones that they wanted
and brought the rest to Amoeba Music, where the sealed ones must certainly
have gotten them more than the opened ones.

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 18, 12:29 pm, "Dana John Hill" <d...@danajohnhill.com> wrote:
> "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:9f98b$507fc030$5356543a$40...@cache100.multikabel.net...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Dana John Hill <d...@danajohnhill.com> typed:
> >> "jrsnfld" <jrsn...@aol.com> wrote in message

I've given up on doing a database--too much work. However, I like the
idea of maybe a quick-and-dirty spreadsheet with one line for each
disc (or set). Just a brief title, one or two artists, and the label
and number. I'm not interested in timings, and the shorthand is enough
to remind me what the disc or box is about--and of course, if I'm
really stuck remembering specific contents, the label and number will
lead me to information on line (like at Amazon or Arkivmusic, for
example) to fill in details.

An alternative I've been dreaming about is to take a picture of each
cover or booklet. That's basically enough info there if I'm in a store
trying to remember what I have. Of course, it's hard to alphabetize
and find pictures on my phone without good metadata. It might be
sufficient to simply take pictures of the spines as they sit on the
shelves, and then when necessary I could sift through the pictures on
Flickr, knowing how I've organized the shelves. Perhaps that would be
all I'd need, but the downside is that a lot of LP spines don't show
well on the shelf.

--Jeff

--Jeff

[John Wiser]

"weary flake" <weary...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:wearyflake-EE137...@c-131-121-196-216.gonavy.usna.edu...

Life is full of little hazards,
and this one is very little.
I'll take my chances.

JDW

[Gerard]

Dana John Hill <da...@danajohnhill.com> typed:

> "Gerard" <ghendri-n...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:9f98b$507fc030$5356543a$40...@cache100.multikabel.net...

> > Dana John Hill <da...@danajohnhill.com> typed:
> > > "jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message
> > > news:562149be-8ad4-4992...@o5g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
> > > > Nearly everyone on this newsgroup has at least a few discs they
> > > > will never listen to again, because very few people can know
> > > > for sure which discs those are. Owning CDs is not about
> > > > listening but about ensuring the option to listen when the
> > > > desire might strike.
> > >
> > > I think about this a lot. I am presently generating a database of
> > > all my recordings. I realized this was necessary after I
> > > repeatedly purchased discs I already owned. As I have been typing
> > > away (I am
> >
> > I've started such a database (Oracle) many years ago, but gave up
> > after realizing that entering all the *works* by Bach and Mozart
> > only (just the titles
> > of the works, not the recordings of them) would take me too much
> > time I'ld not
> > like to spend that way.
> >
> > How did you set up this database?
> >
>

> Strictly speaking, it's more of a spreadsheet than a database. A
> friend of mine who actually understands computing explained the
> difference. I just use OpenOffice. Each unique performance of a
> discrete musical work gets a row in the spreadsheet. There are
> several columns: Composer, Title of Piece, Soloist(s), Conductor,
> Ensemble, Playing Time, Label, Catalog Number, Year Recorded.

So you enter all this data for each recording of - e.g. - symphony 5 by
Beethoven?

>
> It's as simple as can be, and it does everything I need it to. I have
> to do some work, of course. For instance, I must add up the timings
> of all the movements that make up a larger work. But I have a
> time-calculator,

I have that too. That is: a small computer program.

> and, if I'm lucky, the recording will actually give
> me the playing time of the whole piece, and not just the separate
> movements. Some people may not worry about playing time, but ever
> since I got a job in radio, I find it's something I need to know.

If you trust the printed playing times.
(OTOH in most cases they are the playing times of complete tracks.)

>
> My goal is to get the whole collection inventoried, then put my
> catalog up online so I can access it from anywhere. Like from a used
> CD store, for instance. And after that, somewhere in the future, I'd
> like to have all the music hosted on a secure server which I can call
> up from anywhere I happen to be, and listen to any piece in the
> collection. But that's not a big deal right now. Knowing what I have
> is.
>
> As for it taking a lot of time - really, it's not that bad. This
> morning, for example, I entered the data for Barenboim's EMI set of
> the Mozart piano concerti. I did have to use the calculator to add up
> the movement times, but I'm pretty quick about it. And, of course, I
> get to listen to the recording while I do the data entry. By the time
> one concerto ended, I had already finished with that box. And it was

I have those recordings, 8 discs if I remember correctly.
This way 1000 discs will take 125 mornings. And there is the problem. Unless one
has 500 discs only.

> on to my next set of Mozart piano concerti. And I could just copy and
> paste Composer and Title of Piece data. The only things that take a
> lot of time are sets with dozens and dozens of really short discrete
> pieces with titles that include a lot of special characters.
>

Thanks for your valuable time ;-)

[randy...@gmail.com]

Ripping everything to FLAC and MP3 with robust tagging, including lots of custom tza values, does the trick for me. Serves dual purposes of (1)making the library available everywhere and (2) is reasonably searchable when loaded into a UPnP DLNA server (AssetUPnP), which is in reality a SqlNet database. I can search the UPnP library from anywhere using my Samsung Galaxy Note or my Apple iPad. I am far from finished loading everything, but have already used it to avoid duplicate purchases.

[randy...@gmail.com]

Read "tag values" for typo "tza values".

[Dana John Hill]

"jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message

news:0b1f07a3-d5d9-4841...@c20g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...

>An alternative I've been dreaming about is to take a picture of each
>cover or booklet. That's basically enough info there if I'm in a store
>trying to remember what I have. Of course, it's hard to alphabetize
>and find pictures on my phone without good metadata. It might be

Well, since you mention it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danajohnhill/sets/72157626022134958/

It's a work in progress. I have at least another 1,500 albums to photograph.

[Christopher Webber]

On 18/10/2012 21:49, John Wiser wrote:
>> I like the idea of having a reference collection and have many items
>> shelved still in their shrinkwrap.

An admirably Borgesian solution. Virtual listening as aesthetic
integrity. There's a purity there which I like very much.

But is it enough? You've inspired me to move towards not taking the CD
boxes out of the brown cardboard packaging at all - or never opening
same. This removes the gaudy distraction of looking at the cover art.

[Frank Berger]

My Excel speadsheet (38,000 rows and growing) is identical less the playing
time column and with the addition of a column indicating AAD, ADD, or DDD)
and a useless column indicating whether the entry is orchestral, chamber,
vocal or opera). I wish I had recorded the actual recording date and not
just the year, but it's too late now. Having recently moved into a house
with a finished basement which I've made my own space, I've finally
purchased enough shelving to store the entire collection of around 8500
titles. As of now they're on the shelves, but I intend to order them by
label and catalog number as they once were. Not sure about the best way
mechanically to do that, but I'm going to give it a shot over the next few
months.

[Dana John Hill]

"Gerard" <ghendri-n...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:b7d18$50806bfe$5356543a$32...@cache50.multikabel.net...

>
> So you enter all this data for each recording of - e.g. - symphony 5 by
> Beethoven?
>

For every recording of the Beethoven Fifth I have, I have a row in the
spreadsheet with all the important almbum information. I don't have the
spreadsheet here on my work computer, but I figure I probably have, say,
eight Beethoven Fifths. Some of these are in boxes of the complete
symphonies, but I think of my spreadsheet more as a catalog of the
performances I have, and less about the albums themselves, so I don't worry
if any particular Fifth is in a box or on a single disc. I just want to know
that I have one.

>
> I have that too. That is: a small computer program.
>

I have a physical calculator, but I also know of a webpage that has one that
works well:

http://www.scottseverance.us/html/time_calculator.htm

>
> If you trust the printed playing times.
> (OTOH in most cases they are the playing times of complete tracks.)
>

Yes, I am sure some of these times are not correct.

>
> I have those recordings, 8 discs if I remember correctly.
> This way 1000 discs will take 125 mornings. And there is the problem.
> Unless one
> has 500 discs only.
>

When I start plugging away at it, I can probably do twenty-five discs per
hour. And since I do this while listening to music, and since I actually
find it strangely satisfying to be getting organized, I don't mind it at all
for short stretches.

[Dana John Hill]

"Frank Berger" <frankd...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:AcSdncNL75ggFh3N...@supernews.com...

I mean to do this at some point in the future. It will have to be after I
get caught up with my spreadsheet, of course. In the most basic sense, I may
be trying to get myself organized the way the classical collection at my
work is organized: alphabetical by label, numerically by catalog number.
It's less friendly for browsing within a single composer's works, but it
solves the multiple-composers-per-disc dilemma.

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 18, 3:49 pm, Christopher Webber <zarzu...@zarzuela.invalid.net>
wrote:

Often it is enough hold a disc in one's hand and savor the thought of
purchasing it, imagine the splendors of hearing it, and then leave it
behind satisfied with the experience. Of course, this requires the
existence of brick and mortar stores....

--Jeff

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 18, 3:45 pm, "Dana John Hill" <d...@danajohnhill.com> wrote:
> "jrsnfld" <jrsn...@aol.com> wrote in message

That's it!

So once you get all 3500 or whatever up there...how can you organize
it for quick usage? Can you shuffle the order to make it easier to
search remotely while you're shopping?

--Jeff

[Frank Berger]

Precisely. It also looks kind of cool, with large swaths of red EMIs,
yellow DGs, etc.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

randy...@gmail.com appears to have caused the following letters to be typed
in news:29e15791-ad0b-41a6...@googlegroups.com:

> Read "tag values" for typo "tza values".

Whew! I was about to ask what "tza values" meant. Let's make up a meaning!

[Matthew B. Tepper]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> appears to have caused the following letters to
be typed in news:f12f72b7-7628-4240-b99b-10d770903f60
@b19g2000vbt.googlegroups.com:

As a matter of fact, that *is* one of the mostly-lost pleasures. You just
can't duplicate it browsing Amazon or other online sites.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

"Frank Berger" <frankd...@gmail.com> appears to have caused the

following letters to be typed in

news:AcSdncNL75ggFh3N...@supernews.com:

My database is much the same, with the following fields:

Composer (Lastname, Firstname)
Selection (i.e., Symphony #5 in c minor)
Catalog (i.e., Op.67)
Type (i.e., symphony)
Performer (used for soloist or soloists)
Conductor (Lastname, Firstname)
Orchestra (obvious)
CDTitle (if any)
CDNumber (catalogue number)
Time (total time of the individual item)
File (where it's filed; collections have "z" in front of them)
Date (recording date)
Info (multiple soloists in opera recordings, chorus, miscellaneous stuff)

[Richard S. Sandmeyer]

In article <XnsA0F0C49BA61...@216.196.97.131>,

I use a very similar system, but with the information split into two
spreadsheets. The first spreadsheet has a row for each recording of
each work with the following fields (columns):

Composer
Title of composition
Opus number (or BWV, K, D number etc., if any)
soloist(s) (if any)
conductor (if any)
ensemble name (orchestra, quartet, etc.)
total duration of the piece
ID# assigned by me
recording date
publication date

As I acquire each CD (or box set) I assign a sequence number to it.

The second spreadsheet has one row for each CD (or set) with these
fields:
sequence number (assigned by me)
label
label's catalog number for the CD
# of CDs in the set (1 for a single CD)
purchase date
purchase place
status
duration of total CD (or entire box set if more than one CD)
comments (free text giving additional info)

the ID# in the first spreadsheet is a link to the sequence number in
the second spreadsheet. For example, ID# 3751.3 is the third
composition on the CD (or box set) numbered 3751. Each CD that I
purchase or otherwise receive is assigned a sequence number (first CD I
got was cd00001, most recent one (a box set) was cd3751.

The publication date is used mainly as an upper bound for the recording
date when the recording date is not available (i.e., it can't have been
recording after it was published).

The status in the second spreadsheet indicates whether the CD (or box)
is currently still in my collection, has been replaced (for example by a
new remastering), or otherwise disposed of.

The comments section in the second spreadsheet is typically a brief
description of what is on the CD (e.g., Beethoven: Sym 1 & 3)

I normally fill in the CD info immediately in the second spreadsheet
when I obtain a new CD. Later, every month or two, I have session of
going through the new acquisitions and entering the complete info into
the first spreadsheet.

BTW, I've found it more convenient to get the timings from iTunes than
to use a separate calculator. Put the CD into your computer (with
iTunes installed obviously). When iTunes opens the CD and displays the
track timings, all you need to do is highlight the tracks (i.e., select
them) belonging to the piece whose duration you want. The sum of the
track timings will appear at the bottom of the iTunes window.

--
Rich Sandmeyer
rich dot sand at verizon dot net

[John Wiser]

"Matthew B. Tepper" <oy兀earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:XnsA0F0C49B4EE...@216.196.97.131...

> jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> appears to have caused the following letters to
> be typed in news:f12f72b7-7628-4240-b99b-10d770903f60
> @b19g2000vbt.googlegroups.com:
>
>> On Oct 18, 3:49 pm, Christopher Webber <zarzu...@zarzuela.invalid.net>
>> wrote:
>>> On 18/10/2012 21:49, John Wiser wrote:
>>>
>>> >> I like the idea of having a reference collection and have many items
>>> >> shelved still in their shrinkwrap.
>>>
>>> An admirably Borgesian solution. Virtual listening as aesthetic
>>> integrity. There's a purity there which I like very much.
>>>
>>> But is it enough? You've inspired me to move towards not taking the CD
>>> boxes out of the brown cardboard packaging at all - or never opening
>>> same. This removes the gaudy distraction of looking at the cover art.
>>
>> Often it is enough hold a disc in one's hand and savor the thought of
>> purchasing it, imagine the splendors of hearing it, and then leave it
>> behind satisfied with the experience. Of course, this requires the
>> existence of brick and mortar stores....
>
> As a matter of fact, that *is* one of the mostly-lost pleasures. You just
> can't duplicate it browsing Amazon or other online sites.
>

So true! One obviously cannot make
a thoroughly convincing pest of oneself
to an online vendor.

JDW

[Oscar]

On Friday, October 19, 2012 1:10:53 AM, John Wiser wrote:
>
> > As a matter of fact, that *is* one of the mostly-lost pleasures. You just
> > can't duplicate it browsing Amazon or other online sites.
>
> So true! One obviously cannot make
> a thoroughly convincing pest of oneself
> to an online vendor.

Um, didn't you just leave SIX negative feedbacks in a row — with more to come, by gum! — for one online vendor??

[Gerard]

randy...@gmail.com <randy...@gmail.com> typed:

>
> Ripping everything to FLAC and MP3 with robust tagging, including
> lots of custom tza values, does the trick for me. Serves dual
> purposes of (1)making the library available everywhere and (2) is
> reasonably searchable when loaded into a UPnP DLNA server
> (AssetUPnP), which is in reality a SqlNet database. I can search the
> UPnP library from anywhere using my Samsung Galaxy Note or my Apple
> iPad. I am far from finished loading everything, but have already
> used it to avoid duplicate purchases.

I've found another 'solution' for duplicate purchases, which works rather
convenient if necessary:
I take both copies to the store where I can change one of them for something
different.
This works only at one store, and it can only be done when one of the 2 copies
has been purchased there.
But it works ;-)

[Gerard]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> typed:

A friend here is capable of _feeling_ if a recording is a good one by holding
the disc in his hands (before purchasing of course). He always buys with very
much confidence this way.

[John Wiser]

"Oscar" <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:12938c27-44a3-4960...@googlegroups.com...

This is a non sequitur, to my perhaps obtuse understanding. In any case,
I have received A LETTER OF EXPLANATION which was the crux of
my complaint and I shall presently take down those negs. There are no
more to come, where did you get that notion? Is that just another sample
of your characteristic disingenuousness? I don't neg vendors casually,
and I rate every transaction as soon as the goods are received.

JDW

[Oscar]

On Friday, October 19, 2012 4:54:23 AM, John Wiser wrote:
>
> This is a non sequitur, to my perhaps obtuse understanding. In any case,
> I have received A LETTER OF EXPLANATION which was the crux of
> my complaint and I shall presently take down those negs. There are no
> more to come, where did you get that notion? Is that just another sample
> of your characteristic disingenuousness? I don't neg vendors casually,
> and I rate every transaction as soon as the goods are received.

We all want to know what the Letter of Explanation says, Mr. Wiser. Pray tell — dish.

[John Wiser]

"Oscar" <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:08fb3b6f-de05-4ee1...@googlegroups.com...

For someone whose apparent high point in life
was a piece of stupid stage business at a rock concert,
you show a great deal of presumption.
I don't spread private emails around,

F Y R!

JDW

[wkasimer]

On Oct 19, 6:17 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I've found another 'solution' for duplicate purchases, which works rather
> convenient if necessary:
> I take both copies to the store where I can change one of them for something
> different.

I keep the receipt with the disc, and don't remove any packaging until
I get home and check to make sure I don't already own it, or own the
recordings in some other form. Virtually every store will accept
returns that are unopened and accompanied by a receipt.

I stopped trying to put my collection into a database at least 15
years ago. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work without a great
deal of real benefit.

Bill

[Gerard]

wkasimer <wkas...@comcast.net> typed:

> On Oct 19, 6:17 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I've found another 'solution' for duplicate purchases, which works
> > rather convenient if necessary:
> > I take both copies to the store where I can change one of them for
> > something different.
>
> I keep the receipt with the disc, and don't remove any packaging until
> I get home and check to make sure I don't already own it, or own the
> recordings in some other form. Virtually every store will accept
> returns that are unopened and accompanied by a receipt.

What I wrote is about a very specific store, where cds are not (or very seldom)
sealed and receipts are unknown.

>
> I stopped trying to put my collection into a database at least 15
> years ago. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work without a great
> deal of real benefit.
>

Same here.
BTW for those who don't visit stores (and only order online) this whole thing
has no use.

[William Sommerwerck]

>> I stopped trying to put my collection into a database at least 15
>> years ago. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work without
>> a great deal of real benefit.

> Same here.
> BTW for those who don't visit stores (and only order online) this whole
> thing has no use.

How do you find a particular recording? How do you find recordings you've
never listened to?

[Gerard]

William Sommerwerck <grizzle...@comcast.net> typed:

> > > I stopped trying to put my collection into a database at least 15
> > > years ago. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work without
> > > a great deal of real benefit.
>
> > Same here.
> > BTW for those who don't visit stores (and only order online) this
> > whole thing has no use.
>

> How do you find a particular recording? How do you find recordings
> you've never listened to?

By opening the right drawer and taking out the right cd. By pulling them out of
the right pile of never listened to cds.

Do you mean that you need to start your computer and to read your database to
find a particular recording?

[Frank Berger]

The benefit is that in the case of a large collection and the CDs ordered on
the shelves by label and catalog number, you can find whatever you want in
seconds. Another benefit entirely is that you can "interact with" your
collection whenever and wherever you are.

[Gerard]

Frank Berger <frankd...@gmail.com> typed:

> wkasimer wrote:
> > On Oct 19, 6:17 am, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I've found another 'solution' for duplicate purchases, which works
> > > rather convenient if necessary:
> > > I take both copies to the store where I can change one of them for
> > > something different.
> >
> > I keep the receipt with the disc, and don't remove any packaging
> > until I get home and check to make sure I don't already own it, or
> > own the recordings in some other form. Virtually every store will
> > accept returns that are unopened and accompanied by a receipt.
> >
> > I stopped trying to put my collection into a database at least 15
> > years ago. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work without a
> > great deal of real benefit.
> >
> > Bill
>
> The benefit is that in the case of a large collection and the CDs
> ordered on the shelves by label and catalog number, you can find
> whatever you want in seconds.

Only after three years of work - entering the data in a computer - and after
starting your computer and the 'database'.
Both take more than a few seconds.

> Another benefit entirely is that you
> can "interact with" your collection whenever and wherever you are.

What is "interacting with" your collection?

[jrsnfld]

On Oct 19, 12:29 pm, "Gerard" <ghendri-nospam_k...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Frank Berger <frankdber...@gmail.com> typed:

I've had enough of interacting with collections!
I am too lazy to look for discs that are not already sitting on the CD
player.
Too lazy to put away discs I've listened to.
Too lazy to file new discs.
Too lazy to buy more shelves.
Too lazy to tag downloads, put them in folders, or back them up.
Too lazy--for sure--to catalog anything.

Where is the librarian to do the "interacting" for me? Maybe on the
cloud...

--Jeff

[Gerard]

jrsnfld <jrs...@aol.com> typed:

He's listening to internet radio programs - randomized (too lazy to select one).

[Dana John Hill]

"jrsnfld" <jrs...@aol.com> wrote in message

news:df6bde1c-aa21-4dc3...@c17g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...

>That's it!
>
>So once you get all 3500 or whatever up there...how can you organize
>it for quick usage? Can you shuffle the order to make it easier to
>search remotely while you're shopping?

Hmm. I suppose I could just use Flickr's search bar to search within my
photos. Since I use the label and catalog number to title each photo, I
could do that, or, to see if I have a recording that has been reissued, I'd
have to search by performer name. Once I see the cover I know reasonably
well what the contents are.

[richard...@gmail.com]

On Friday, October 19, 2012 6:59:54 AM UTC-4, Gerard wrote:

> A friend here is capable of _feeling_ if a recording is a good one by holding
>
> the disc in his hands (before purchasing of course). He always buys with very
>
> much confidence this way.

He's very lucky. If I could hold a Cd and 'feel' the quality of music, performance, and recording I wouldn't need to listen to it or buy it- I'd already have enjoyed it.
Instead I have too many recordings that got one more listen than they deserved- the first.
Richard