Have CD prices dropped at Best Buy and Circuit City? (1 Viewer)

[KeithH]

In looking at Best Buy and Circuit City fliers in yesterday's paper (Sunday, 3/24), it seems to me that CD prices are more reasonable than what I am used to. Best Buy is running a special starting Tuesday (3/26) where you can save $2 on any CD normally $9.99 and up (limit 2) when you purchase any new release. New releases are advertised for $11.99, and quality CDs like 3 Doors Down The Better Life, Steely Dan A Decade of Steely Dan, Sheryl Crow Tuesday Night Music Club, No Doubt Tragic, and Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction are only $9.99.

Circuit City is also advertising new releases for $11.99, and "40 of Today's Top Hits" are also just $11.99 every day. In addition, Celine Dion All the Way...A Decade of Song is just $11.99, while her new album coming out this Tuesday entitled A New Day Has Come is just $10.99. Also, Dion's Celine Dion and The Colour of My Love are just $8.99.

Admittedly, I haven't shopped for CDs at Best Buy and Circuit City lately, as I've been focusing on SACDs, but these prices for CDs seem cheaper than what I remember. Are CD prices finally coming down?

 

[Todd H]

I haven't bought a cd in quite a while (well over a year now). So I'm not sure if the prices have gone down or not. I know the industry has been promising this (and not delivering I might add) for a while now. If prices have indeed dropped, then I might be inclined to pick up a cd or two. Anybody else know if prices have gone down?

 

[Mike Broadman]

You can definitely find CD prices for lower than many pay. New releases are often marked down, and you can get great deals at places like Newbury Comics and Best Buy. I am always surprised when people complain about $18 CD prices- don't pay that much! Don't shop at Sam Goodies.

 

[Todd H]

For a lot of us, we don't have a lot of options when it comes to places to buy cd's. The few options that we do have seem to charge $15-$20 a cd. That's why I'm hoping the cd price drop is across the board. Small town living has its disadvantages.

 

[John Garcia]

No, those prices are relatively normal for Best Buy. I always check there first for new releases, as they are often either on sale, or even at their normal price, they are lower than basically every "music" store chain. New releases are often $11.99

The problem is selection, they don't always have much of one. While they both have a large number of titles, I often can't find niche music, old stuff or very specific bands. It's kind of hit-and-miss, sometimes they have what I'm looking for, so it's worth a look there first.

My other local place is Fry's electronics. Same deal.

 

[Rachael B]

I just came from Busted Buy and I'd say that CD prices are as high as ever. Keith having "coupon Daze" isn't like accross the board price reductions. Most of the new realeases I saw were $13.99. The music industry is so full of it! Best wishes!

 

[KeithH]

Rachael,

I was afraid of that. I only looked at the fliers instead of taking a trip to the stores. However, I went into two Best Buy stores in Maryland last night (was there on business, but stole a little time for fun) and saw that prices haven't changed.

Mike,

Paying $18+ for a CD at Sam Goody is sheer lunacy, but I feel Best Buy's and Circuit City's prices are too high as well. Many CDs are $13.99, and this includes older titles.

 

[Scott Kriefall]

Most discs at Best Buy seem to be priced at $13.99 or $14.99, with some now starting to show up at $15.99. That's in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area...

 

[Will_B]

Does anyone remember when CDs first came out in the mid eighties, they were $12.99? Then when they became popular they went up to $15.99, and then for several years in the nineties every disc, no matter where you went - Tower or whatever - was only $11.99.

Having become accustomed to $11.99, there's just no way I can go back to higher prices. And don't even talk to me about CD-singles that cost $9 - nearly the price of the entire album!

 

[KeithH]

Will, when I started graduate school in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in 1993, Best Buy sold chart-topping CDs for $9.99. I don't think you could find CDs at Best Buy back then for more than $12.99. That lasted until around 1995 or 1996. Then I remember prices started to climb. It just plain sucks. CDs are overpriced. The record companies are going to have to do something, seeing as sales are lacking.

 

[PaulBoud]

A few years back, maybe 6 to 8, there was a warehouse cd seller called Noteworthy Music. They sent you a catalogue once a quarter and it was literally packed with thousands of titles. The prices were excellent and the shipping costs were reasonable, unlike Amazon and others. Unfortunetly they went out of business in the early-mid 90's. Maybe their prices were too low? It's a shame, my cd collection swelled during their heyday.

 

[Rusty Ray]

people wonder why burning cds is rampant... its really hard to justify 14.99 for ANY cd...

 

[BrianB]

Unfortunetly they went out of business in the early-mid 90's. Maybe their prices were too low?

I think you answered your own question.

 

[Brian E]

I went to Sam Goody today to look for a couple of new releases. They didn't have them, but I was chaeking out their prices. $18 - $22 for a basic CD release! That's f'n crazy. Ended up across the street at Best Buy and found one of the discs for $15 (not bad, this group is somewhat obscure) which was one of their highest priced discs, most were $10 - $13.

NP: Blind Guardian, A Night At The Opera

 

[Rusty Ray]

cds are cheaper to make than tapes, so they should be selling them at half of what they are now.. 7.99-8.99. that would be a reasonable price.

 

[BrianB]

cds are cheaper to make than tapes, so they should be selling them at half of what they are now..

So? You're not paying for the media - you're paying for what's on it.

 

[KeithH]

Rusty, you won't get an argument out of me. I doubt we will see it, however.

 

[Kelley_B]

So? You're not paying for the media - you're paying for what's on it.

Yet tapes have the same material just in analog and cost about $3-6 dollars less on average.

I just went to best buy this after noon and bought three CDs, none of them were over $11...although none of them were anything that is in the top 40 or gets played on the radio, they were albums by The White Stripes and The (Internation) Noise Conspiracy.

 

[KeithH]

Kelley, of course, no one wants cassettes these days, so the prices should be very low. The CD is the dominant format. That said, CD sales are still flat and more and more people are getting their music by other means that I won't go into here.

 

[Will_B]

Y'know, I don't know if CD sales really ARE flat. The majors say they are, but they're talking Brittney. Of the last dozen CDs I've bought, half came from artists whose labels only sell via online (like peppermintcds.com - great pop/folk music from the likes of Stuart Davis and Brenda Weiler, who don't have the clout to get into stores but have been around for _years_). I don't mind paying $15 when it is from a true indie. And then there's some discs bought at shows straight from the artist.

The other half dozen may have been from the "majors" - but they were mostly used discs!