Go LaLa For Used-CD Venture

[nkotb]

My Karma level on Lala has been pretty good, but it definitely seems to be rewarding me for quick turn-arounds, especially after reaching 20+ traded CDs.  In the past two days, I've shipped out 7 discs, and am set to receive 4 more.  
 
 I would highly recommend this to anyone with CDs to spare.  I've come close to completeing my Husker Du and Pink Floyd sets, and even managed to get Vampire On Titus.  
 
 I just wish they'd give me some invites...

[chaz]

I think i've got some swaps going with some La La deadbeats....3 cd's that I shipped out on the 16th are still showing up as in transit.  It's starting to piss me off...why can't these losers mark them as recieved???  They've got to be there by now.  I'm also still waiting on a few that were supposedly shipped to me on the same day.
 
 Other than requiring people to show their nick name so you can message someone to see if they sent or recieved something, I'm not sure how La La could get a handle on this type of thing.

[nkotb]

Apparently, after 3 weeks they automatically show up as received.  I had the same concern; a few discs I sent out first (two and half weeks ago) were just confirmed.  Maybe that's why I'm getting this rush of new discs.
 
 

Originally posted by Chaz, Lover of all Beings:
  I think i've got some swaps going with some La La deadbeats....3 cd's that I shipped out on the 16th are still showing up as in transit.  It's starting to piss me off...why can't these losers mark them as recieved???  They've got to be there by now.  I'm also still waiting on a few that were supposedly shipped to me on the same day.
 
 Other than requiring people to show their nick name so you can message someone to see if they sent or recieved something, I'm not sure how La La could get a handle on this type of thing.

[kosmo vinyl]

Just found out Chaz's Deepest and Darkest secret via lala... that he is a devote of Lindsay Lohan, oh wait that means because i'm "swapping" that cd with him... nevermind
 
 still digging lala, getting great cds happy with the turn around time.  there is still much moaning about shipping cds with and without booklets, delivery, deadbeats etc...  So far out of 25 sent one appears to be a dud, although the person getting it hasn't logged on since signing up, which of course could mean anything.  It appears using zip+4 really helps, two cds I sent out on friday afternoon arrived in michigan on monday.
 
 It appears that supply is exceeding demand at the moment because unless your quick on the mark about agreeing to ship, another will already have traded it.  Which is a good thing especially as the service gets bigger. I've lost out on trading five or so CDs, which means they'll likely go at a later date.

[kosmo vinyl]

and it may just be coincidence, but its possibly lala is now assigning trades based on location as my last three trades went to va, dc and ny

[kosmo vinyl]

at the moment i've got one invite for lala, pm me your email address if you'd like it...

[kosmo vinyl]

invite taken, more to come hopefully

[chaz]

Well the deadbeats I was dealing with finally checked in and my karma's good again.  I've got 7 cd's on the way!
 
 No invites for me yet, but I'll post when I do.  
 
 They seem to be working out some of the kinks in the system.  I wonder how many members there are so far??

[chaz]

I was given a few La La invites today...PM me if anyone's interested.

[kosmo vinyl]

my best guess is that it's around 6500... one of the support people hinted at how to findout a users # and the highest i could find so far is 6300 as of today... they added a whole lot of people when the beta went public i.e. 2xx on 3/6 to 8xx when i joined a day later.

[nkotb]

I have a few I could spare as well.  PM me if interested.

[ledooh]

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of stuff are people requesting? That is, are people asking for greatest hits collections, really obscure stuff, currently popular albums, stuff from the past?

[chaz]

Originally posted by ledooh:
  If you don't mind my asking, what kind of stuff are people requesting? That is, are people asking for greatest hits collections, really obscure stuff, currently popular albums, stuff from the past?

I can't speak for La La at large, but a sampling of my "Have" list that is currently being requested by other users:
 Interpol
 The Sonics
 Nick Drake
 Libertines
 Bowie
 Big Star
 Wire
 
 
 Some of the Cd's I've either received or that are on the way:
 Operation Ivy
 Snow Patrol (courtesy of Kosmo)
 Dead Meadow
 Springsteen
 Dylan
 Greenhornes
 Jesus Mary Chain
 Devo

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by ledooh:
  If you don't mind my asking, what kind of stuff are people requesting? That is, are people asking for greatest hits collections, really obscure stuff, currently popular albums, stuff from the past?

It would appear all of the above applies... I've added CDs that I thought were pretty obscure or lesser known that people have wanted.  Almost any act playing one of the big festivals or currently touring is likely to get requested.  Stuff from the past is being swapped.  Really obscure out of print stuff isn't likely to swapped anyways. Have gotten a couple CDs added as a whim that I didn't  expecting to get, but was pleased to do so.
 
 Here's the breakdown for my 63 trades...
 
 Most of my sent stuff has been duplicates along with stuff I just don't listen to anymore.  Have also been picking up some five dollar and under used CDs to keep the process going.  I hit a mother lode of two to three dollar used cds in excellent condition at the Sam Goody store going out of business at Montgomery Mall.  Two of which were snapped up instantly...
 
 Sent
 Bigger Lovers
 Interpol
 Bright Eyes x2
 TVOTR
 The Coral
 Snow Patrol
 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
 Sia
 Weezer
 Five for Fighting
 Jethro Tull
 Myracle Brah
 Posies
 Aimee Mann
 Idlewild
 Jesus Jones
 Brendan Benson
 Smashing Pumpkins
 XTC
 Aqualung
 Blur
 Wilco
 James
 Fatboy Slim
 Midnight Oil
 Guano Apes
 
 Have Gotten
 
 Iggy Pop
 Beautiful South x2
 Everything But The Girl - Back To Mine & Ben Watt's Buzzin both compilation CDs
 Jack Drag
 Ultravox
 Call and Response (discovered via Lala)
 Kirsty McCall x 2
 Big Audio Dynamite & The Clash
 Ultravox
 Glen Phillips
 Beth Orten & Fine Young Cannibals - Remix Collections
 Prince
 Postal Service
 Killing Joke
 Early Underworld
 BRMC
 Darkness
 Green Day
 
 These are for Kosmette  
 Wham!
 Kylie x2
 Cake

[kosmo vinyl]

LaLa definitely has some tough challendges ahead of them... Do they stick to the orginial swap music not artwork model or do they also attempt to cater to the more vocal new users who want it be a huge used cd where complete packing is sent.
 
 The more pressing issue is that there is definitely more supply than demand for popular titles. The email notification system in place isn't working at all.  So unless you are monitoring the system all the time you'll likely to miss out on being able to send out CDs several other people also have available... Requests for lessen know CDs can linger a bit longer
 
 The recommendation engine and the interface needs tweaking but thats why they are in beta mode until July...