This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
Done With Used CD Shops
Ok that’s it: I’ve had it with the used CD shops in Halifax. I’m trying to decide what I hate more about going to those places: the piss-poor attitude and awful customer service i receive or the way I continually get raped over the cash value of the (qua
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The apathy among salespeople in this town never ceases to amaze me. I’ve tried to get quotes on computer gear worth thousands and I used to have to badger them day after day to get my info. Now, if they dick me around, I go directly to the manager or/and owner. Fuck the middle guy – he couldn’t care less.
I agree the customer service sucks, then again customer service sucks in many places.As for your cash payout, it’s the age of the burn. People aren’t buying music in the “traditional format” as much as they used to. Because of this the $5-$6 paydays for good discs are gone, gone, gone been gone so long.Of course you should get more money selling online. You have just cut out the middle man that has to pay rent, wages, utilities etc.
Remember Disc-Go-Round? It was a used CD store that was around about 10 years ago. It went out of business because people thought it was a “chain” but it was actually locally owned and run. It gave good money for CDs and I always found them to be quite friendly but every grunge loving music snob had some strange loyalty to Urban Sound exchange. I suppose it’s cause secretly we all love being ignored and then scoffed at when we go to buy our “lame” selection. My point is that I feel the used CD buyers of Halifax have brought this on themselves and more people should be vocal with management about the shitty attitude you get from certain establishments. Also, spending your money elsewhere works too.
Sorry Recks, “Disc-Go-Round” went out of biz because, in a nutshell, they were paying too much for crappy music.Perhaps it was an attempt to lure “sellers” loyal to other stores. Perhaps they didn’t understand you can’t pay out $5-$6 bucks for virtually every title and then carry it in inventory for months. Bottom line was bad buys and not enough turnover with inventory. They also had a crappy location in Woodlawn (not the store, the actual location)that probably hurt too.Another thing to remember. When the person behind the counter makes you an insufficient offer you don’t have to sell.
Why would anyone bother dealing with aging rockers and annoying kids in these stores at all? Service is bad, selection is often iffy and “judgement” of a selection is obvious to most. It’s a terrible way to run a business and with so much available online now, why put yourself through it?
Actually, I was talking about the location on Blower’s Street. As for paying too much for crappy music, I actually had them explain to me that the buying was done based on how well the CD was selling in their inventory. That’s why they couldn’t take my Bone-E-M Christmas CD. Seems to me that’s a pretty sure system to not over pay for CDs, but that’s just my take on it.
I understand what you were talking about but think of it this way. Imagine, you rip the left leg of your pants. The right leg is still in great shape but overall the pants are hurtin’ … understand what I’m trying to say in regards to the Woodlawn location perhaps being a burden on a pretty good Blowers St location?As for the xmas CD lol … I had to laugh at that one, no offence intended. Seasonal music is not comparable to mainstream music. The seasonal discs are only in demand for a short period of time so naturally they are harder to unload.Imagine how difficult it is to build an inventory of music. Imagine how difficult it is when you are not the only game in town AND the general public are your distribution source. How would you entice people to bring their music to your location ….$$$$. So, to build their inventory they overpaid for marginal music and multiple titles that didn’t move as quickly as anticipated.I got $6 for my Alanis Morrissette and Hootie and the Blowfish CD’s so I’m pretty sure many others did too.I’m just in disagreement that it closed simply because of the “chain store” reputation. CDPlus is a national chain and it’s predecessor, Urban Sound, was a franchise too.Chuck, the internet has opened things up for people. It not only increases selection, it also helps to create a more informed consumer. However, not everybody has a credit card. Furthermore, not everyone wants to wait 7-10 days for their piece of music to arrive. Sometimes people just have to jump in their SUV, blast through 7 crosswalks, and park in the handicap space for their instant music gratification 🙂