The MusicWeb Message Board: Re: Déjà-reviews

You will forgive me, I hope, that patriotism, however meek and vacillating, compelled my reply. :)

Perhaps you misinterpreted my trans-Atlantic confrères' glee for "competitiveness". Goodness knows I have a hard time containing my excitement that these boxes exist at all, often at bargain prices to boot. (Remember how stingy record labels were with reissues back in the 1990s and 2000s?) And how often does the opportunity come up to share one's delight in ultra-fringe interests within a musical genre long banished from the mainstream?

As for the big boxes, I say keep 'em comin'! Even when factoring in duplication, the prices of these boxes are reasonable enough to make trading up fairly painless.

Duplication is not as big a problem for me as I am, perhaps, younger than the average MWI reader/contributor. (Turning 42 next week—chocolates, letters of congratulations, and other tokens of good cheer are happily encouraged, please!) Consequently, I have less to potentially duplicate. Although not for lack of trying!

In 30 years of collecting, I've amassed about 35,000 CDs and counting. (No, I'm not trying to "compete" with anyone!) :) Have I listened to them all in depth? Hardly—but how many men have seen every sunset, climbed every mountain, loved every woman? Collecting is its own pleasure and, as Debussy once said, "pleasure is the law".

Previous Message

Michael (and Ralph)

Yes, you are quite right about those 'mega-boxes' - as for bringing in revenue, I am sure they do.
Some years ago I read in amazement a series of posts by members of another forum about how
they'd just bought that box of XYZ, and the first response was 'Oh, great, I'm just waiting for my
box of ABC to arrive...' on and on it went - all very competitive (Americans, as if I need to say).
Yet no-one ever mentioned actually listening to the CD's. Not once. Extraordinary.

As for Michael's suggestion that companies should offer smaller more manageable units, I agree,
they haven't really thought the matter through.

Ralph's mention of having a clear-out - I had to smile... "I now have "only" a core collection of
several thousand." Ah, but what about those in the cardboard boxes that are still sitting in the
spare room/garage which you forgot about?

As for having a clear-out, well I did once... damn it, I need to make some room so I can properly
arrange things to be more accessible. Walked into the shop (which no longer exists) and found they
were having a sale. Almost walked back out thinking they would be too busy to glance at my large
bag full of discarded 'treasures' - but no, they were only too happy. Receiving over three times my
realistic estimate, I promptly blew it all (and a bit more) in the sale. Oh, well...

regards