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Owning rare CDs (1 Viewer)

Greg_S_H

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I don't know if anyone will be able to relate, but does it ever "spook" you when you find out a CD you own is now almost impossible to find? It makes me think that if I hadn't just happened to be into that music at that particular time, I'd either be paying a fortune or be out of luck. Two examples I just encountered while searching on a lark were John Paul Jones's "Scream For Help" soundtrack and the Mobile Fidelity version of Alan Parson Project's "Tales of Mystery and Imagination." Amazon Marketplace has them both new for $249! The latter doesn't matter to me, as I would be fine with the standard version, which is readily available. There aren't any other options for "Scream For Help," however, and I just bought it a few years back for the standard price of an import CD! I really hate that music has to go out of print for just this reason. It makes me wonder what's out there right now that I should be getting before it's too late. I've begun to encounter just this thing with some of the music I'm trying to acquire. I guess that's the reality. They can't keep old stock waiting around for me to decide I want it.
 

Will_B

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I had little idea that Missing Persons reissues from a few years back were pressed in such small quantities that they'd be rare and expensive as heck just a few years later. I own Rhyme & Reason - a $40+ cd - that I paid maybe $9 used for. I also picked up Spring Session M - a $30+ cd - for $3, but that one doesn't count because it is a recent purchase, one I knew was more valuable than what the store was selling it for (rather than being something I already had in my collection that just happened to go up in value).
 

AnthonyC

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Whenever anyone tells me not to buy a CD to wait for a price drop, I tell them about the tragic time I decided to buy Weird Al's Alapalooza over the now extremely rare Peter and the Wolf. Every time I used to walk into Tower afterwards I was reminded of it...so at least one good thing came out of their closing. ;)
 

Dennis Nicholls

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The early 1950's Szeryng recording of the Bach sonatas and partitas was only available on an import RCA for a short while...now out of print.

The boxed set of the complete Chopin recordings by Rubinstein was only selling for something like $70 when it first came out. Last time I checked on Amazon new sets were selling for more like $450. :eek:

I imported a copy of the Hanssler complete Bach works two years ago for about $185. Amazon is now selling the Hanssler box set for $1700. :eek: :eek:
 

Greg_S_H

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Wow. That has anything of mine beat by far!

An example of missing out is Jackie Gleason's Merry Christmas. I just read a review about that this season, and went to look for it on Amazon. It starts at $79. Of course, the LP is readily available, and I do still have a turntable.
 

Brad M

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Good topic. I'm a fan of the 80s. A couple of years ago I bought the Fat Boys: All Meat No Filer Greatest Hits cd. I paid $10 and it now sells for about $70.

I have a few cd singles that I bought when new that are worth quite a bit. Peter Gabriel, U2, Van Halen etc. They have remixes of hit singles that are not found anywhere else.

Somewhat related:
I've been really enjoying the new Deluxe Editions of cds such as Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair, Def Leppard: Hysteria & INXS: Kick. Each is a 2-disc set that has all the b-sides and remixes from that album. I've never seen them in stores and had to order them online. Most off Amazon.
 

dan-0

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I have Ice Cubes 'Cop Killer' cd with the cop killer song before they pulled the album. I'm guessing not really rare or anything, just more of a novelty.
 

Jonathan Peterson

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Wow! I bought them when they were released because I had wanted them for years. I Would never guess they'd be valuable.
 

Greg_S_H

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There was a time when there were two versions of Appetite for Destruction floating around--one with the "robot rape" artwork, and one with a replacement photo of the band or something. I owned the tape since the '80s, but I only got around to buying the CD a year ago or so. The "robot rape" art is back.

Reminds me of Street Survivors. The "band in flames" cover was replaced after the Skynyrd plane crash, but it's been back since the album was remastered several years ago. I'm guessing Virgin Killers and Blind Faith can be purchased with original art in almost every region by now.
 

Felix Martinez

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Wow, I've got Al and Wendy Carlos' Peter And The Wolf. Had no idea it was so rare.

I have to check what else I have. I do know that the first two Bears CDs are very rare, and I treasure those as well!
 

Paul.S

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Anyone have the The Muppet Movie s'track? Long OOP and currently selling for $125 used via Amazon Marketplace.

Tangent: Dennis (or any other classical collector) -- Do you know anything about the status of the 1990 3-CD Decca release of a Solti/Chicago performance of "St. Matthew's Passion"? The arias and choruses highlights disc is available, but the whole work appears to be OOP and when it pops up on Marketplace the price is close to $100.

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Matth%C3%...505456-3286004
 

Greg_S_H

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Other soundtracks I've tried for but were too rich for my blood are the Ghostbusters score and the 'burbs. I don't know how rare or expensive the original, concert version of the E.T. score is, but I know it was very hard to search for when I was looking for it. It was deleted and replaced by the actual score, and the record company assigned it the exact same catalog number. And, just putting in "e.t." comes up with a lot of hits completely unrelated to the movie. I ended up having to import it from a private collector in Australia.
 

Chris Gerhard

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Thanks a lot, I have about 400 CD's, almost all are basically worthless, a few worth a little less than when new but none worth anything much. It seems the titles with a tiny demand and even smaller supply are the ones that are worth money and I never seem to own one of those.

Chris
 

dan-0

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opps, ice something. I never listen to it.

Funny thing is that he now plays a cop on TV. Oh the irony.
 

Jesse Skeen

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I've been a fan of Negativland for a long time, so I bought their "U2" single the week it came out, being surprised when it was pulled the following week.
 

Todd H

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I have it as well. Looking at E-bay, it looks like it goes for about $20-$30.

The only other rare CD I have is an early pressing of Alcatrazz's Disturbing The Peace album.
 

Grant B

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I bought the Beatles Christmas record fro around $ 10 in the 70s.
Around $400 now if you can find it.
Never came out in CD
 

John Kilduff

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I've taken to file-sharing networks like Limewire and Shareaza to download albums. I've gotten some good stuff off Limewire, like the "Weird" Al Yankovic/Wendy Carlos version of "Peter And The Wolf" and Neil Young's synth album "Trans".

I've also gotten some rare stuff by bands like Pink Floyd, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

It's mainly concerts when it comes to the Rolling Stones.
 

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