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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Jaguär on April 30, 2004, 03:14:00 am
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This from an Opal Music newsletter:
(Sorry about the length.
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"IMPORTANT CHANGES AT OPAL MUSIC (http://www.opalmusic.com)
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in reply
to your recent order.
We have been closed for the past 2 weeks, mainly as we have
had an opportunity to move, very quickly, into new (larger)
premises but also after many recent changes to decide
the future of Opal Music.
Please, if you can, take the time to read this message.
The record industry (both labels and distributors) seem to
be doing everything they can to close the few remaining "Indie"
stores such as Opal Music. Most of you will have noticed
that your local independent store has now either closed down
or (in most cases) are finding it difficult to continue.
We now sell very few CD albums, even when we sell them for LESS
than they cost us from the record company, as either:
1) you can buy them from another internet store that is not
really a UK company and does not have the same rules and taxes
to pay.
2) the other store is so much bigger that they get huge
discounts or they can send back any items they do not sell
- which makes a huge difference.
3) the item is a limited edition like the recent Franz Ferdinand
and Super Furry Animals CD's. As we are no longer able to
sell anywhere near as many normal CD albums as we used to
the record companies will now only send us VERY VERY FEW
copies of any that are limited editions.
This also applies very much to "limited" singles.
In the past we have had in stock and sold large numbers
of copies of singles by bands like the:
White Stripes, Strokes, Franz Ferdinand etc.
However partly because of the CD album situation we now have
a similar situation with many singles.
Some recent examples include:
White Stripes - There's No Home 7" we received ONLY 20 copies
Boxer Rebellion - In Pursuit 7" ONLY 4 copies
Snow Patrol - Chocolate 7" ONLY 3 copies
We will sometimes be able to get more copies from other sources
but this can not be guaranteed and they will usually be a little
more expensive as a result.
In many cases new releases are also becoming more and more limited
- too few copies are actually being made - which we think is not always
so sensible. If you have bought for example every previous White
Stripes single then find it impossible to get say there 12th
single on 7" .... Sorry, this is record company logic for you.
We feel that despite what they may say in public it is now actually a
deliberate policy by most record companies to make life so difficult
that the remaining "indie" stores close down. Then they can use this
argument to force you to buy music in future from a handful of massive
corporate pay to download or subscription sites -
"like" Sky or My Coca Cola etc
.... really quite sad, especially for those of us who still like
the old vinyl ...
FOR THESE REASONS IN THE FUTURE
1) In most cases we will no longer be able to accept advance pre-orders
for new releases as we want to be certain that we will have the items
in stock to send to you so you will not be dissappointed.
2) We will stock less "new release" CD albums then in the past, apart
from limited editions and more underground harder to find releases
like for example - Ulrich Schnauss, Melys or Bearsuit ...
3) In most cases we will now NOT order in items that are no longer in
stock at Opal. This is actually to improve our customer service.
Record companies seem to be very good at losing stock in their
warehouses
or sending us the CD instead of an LP, damaged stock or even a
completely
different item altogether etc etc ....
Basically there is normally a problem with virtually every back
catalogue
order we do with most record companies.
Your order with Opal Music is then delayed and nobody knows what
is happening and nobody is very happy - so we have unfortunately had
to
STOP this service.
We already have in stock more titles then most other UK companies and
although some of you will be dissappointed by this change it should
mean
that in every other way you get a better faster service.
4) We will only be able to accept orders placed using our website order
form. Sorry no e-mail, post, fax or telephone ORDERS in future.
In the rare instance that there is a problem with your order please
EMAIL
to the same email address that automatically confirms you website order
and
we will now have much more time to quickly answer your message and
solve
the problem. This was also the reason for the increase in the website
minimum order - sorry this was not an easy decision and we really did
not
have too much choice about this.
SO IN FUTURE
when you place an order from the OPAL MUSIC website all the items will
normally already be released and the IN STOCK items - still virtually
everything listed on our website is in stock now - should be actually
SENT out to you and confirmed by e-mail within 2 WORKING (week) days
and often the same day you place your order.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Thank you very much for your valued custom and taking the time to read
this.
We hope you can understand our position and felt it necessary to
explain
what has changed recently. Despite some rumours OPAL MUSIC is very
much
alive and we will once again aim to offer you the best choice of
"indie"
music and service that the (UK) record industry allows.
Once again please accept our apologies if your recent order has been
delayed during this time."
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:( I feel so bad for buying Snow Patrol at Best Buy. My dad was in the independent book store business and he saw its demise outside of big cities. I should know better. From now on, it's Revolution Records or bust. Although, the letter from Opal makes it sound like special orders are not worth it, and Revolutions stock isn't huge...
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Originally posted by Macktastic Bag O' Flash:
Revolution Records or bust
you'll have a hard time finding anything decent then, I finally went there, didn't care for it much, I just get stuff from cd exchange or the labels now
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Originally posted by Macktastic Bag O' Flash:
I feel so bad for buying Snow Patrol at Best Buy.
You should! I re-read that post yesterday because Snow Patrol is playing here on Wednesday and I was cracking up at how everybody was trying to one-up each other with the low-prices.
Instead of a Bigyawn idea, why can't some board members get together and recreate an Amoeba in DC? There's plenty of interest and colege students in the area.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Macktastic Bag O' Flash:
I feel so bad for buying Snow Patrol at Best Buy.
You should! I re-read that post yesterday because Snow Patrol is playing here on Wednesday and I was cracking up at how everybody was trying to one-up each other with the low-prices.
Instead of a Bigyawn idea, why can't some board members get together and recreate an Amoeba in DC? There's plenty of interest and colege students in the area. [/b]
I've been told, and it appears that this is true, but the old brick and mortar record stores are almost impossible to sustain. Unless of course Amoeba is looking to expand to the east coast...
But, an online store is not out of the realm of possabiltiies....
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It's not easy...here's a good article on an upstart in Norfolk, and what sort of time and money it takes...
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=67776&ran=43903 (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=67776&ran=43903)
As for an online store, Insound treats me pretty well. No need for a "local" online store really.
Anyone know if CD Cellar in Courthouse is open yet?
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Originally posted by bellenseb:
Anyone know if CD Cellar in Courthouse is open yet?
It is, I stopped by there yesterday, the selection was just as good; they are still setting up but they're ready for business. They also mentioned that they were considering later hours since there is more foot traffic there than in their other 2 locations.
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Originally posted by bellenseb:
It's not easy...here's a good article on an upstart in Norfolk, and what sort of time and money it takes...
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=67776&ran=43903 (http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=67776&ran=43903)
As for an online store, Insound treats me pretty well. No need for a "local" online store really.
Anyone know if CD Cellar in Courthouse is open yet?
These guys have the right idea... but can you imagine what $100,000 in Norfolk money would cost here...?
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Originally posted by redsock:
$100,000
Come on, GGW makes that in between posts!
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Stopped by the new CD Cellar. They have a pretty good selection there so far, and it's nice to have one so close to the District.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the prices seemed pretty consistently higher across the board - way more 9.99 and 8.99 discs than I remember seeing in Falls Church.
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What's the address of the CD Cellar at Courthouse?
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Luckily, i just got a job right across the street from Soundgarden. Literally, across the street.
Otherwise, insound is the place to go.
my friends and i tried to start a electronic music record shop in Boston, and no go, its TOO expensive, by all means!
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Originally posted by Macktastic Bag O' Flash:
:( I feel so bad for buying Snow Patrol at Best Buy.
The power of a good protest...damn I love my school.
Best Buy Apologizes to D.C. Students
By Karlyn Barker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 1, 2004; Page B01
A top official of Best Buy apologized yesterday to administrators and students at Georgetown Day School for any discriminatory practices at its Tenleytown store and said the company is taking steps to make sure "that all of our customers are treated with dignity and respect."
Click here!
Bradbury H. Anderson, vice chairman and chief executive of Best Buy Co., said in an e-mail to school officials that the company "fell short" of its code of behavior in dealing with the private school, which complained that its black students have been treated unfairly since the store opened on Wisconsin Avenue NW last fall.
"Thank you for alerting us to the situation at our Tenleytown store," Anderson said in the e-mail to Peter Branch, the head of the private school, and Paul H. Levy, principal of its high school. "One of our company's core values is to 'show respect, humility and integrity.' It appears we fell short of our own code of behavior. . . . We apologize" to school officials, faculty and the students.
Levy wrote a letter to Best Buy last month complaining of several incidents of racial discrimination against Georgetown Day's black students, saying employees followed them as they shopped, subjected them to searches and, in one instance, admitted a group of young white students to shop but barred a group of young blacks.
A spokesman for the company said it is talking with school officials about setting up a conference call next week between Anderson and Georgetown Day students to discuss their concerns. A story about the students' difficulties at the store appeared in yesterday's Washington Post.
"This has gotten so big that I think they understand they have to do a little reaching out," Levy said yesterday.
The principal went public with his complaints, he said, after he had trouble contacting company officials or getting a satisfactory response to his letter.
Cindy Laughlin, Best Buy senior manager for diversity and multicultural relations, spoke with Branch and Levy yesterday about ways to mend the store's practices and any hard feelings.
"We're in contact with the store personnel to start the process to figure things out," Laughlin said. She said the company initially failed to treat Levy's complaint seriously because "it fell through the cracks. This was not indicative of our standard customer care."
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The power of a good protest...damn I love my school.
walkie - do you go to GDS? did you play lax? a good friend of mine used to teach and coach there
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Students from Georgetown Day School should not be discriminated against, regardless of color.