Go LaLa For Used-CD Venture

Looking at my want list of about 175 CDs, which includes stuff already sent to me. I could reasonably expect to get a third of that, the other two thirds are items along the line of compliations either from the UK or out of print. Of the hot one third so far I've gotten half of them, so it's working for me…

did anyone see the tidbit in the feedback section about how they are going to start billing members 30 days out? that means several free cds for moi!

Does this mean our first 30 days are free? Or that they bill every 30 days, regardless of when you signed up?

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
did anyone see the tidbit in the feedback section about how they are going to start billing members 30 days out? that means several free cds for moi!

the way i read it the first 30 days are free, see the feedback page under the billing topic…

i'm now considering more agressive swapping policy to see what i can get. i.e. out with the little listened to DCFC

That's awesome news. I think I'm just hitting the one month mark now, which rules. I've been getting some strange glances from the misses every day when the lala packages show up…

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
the way i read it the first 30 days are free, see the feedback page under the billing topic…

i'm now considering more agressive swapping policy to see what i can get. i.e. out with the little listened to DCFC

I'm unhappy to report that the first 30 days are not free; I just got a bill for almost $40 bucks. Time to slow down my shipping, I think…

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
the way i read it the first 30 days are free, see the feedback page under the billing topic…

i'm now considering more agressive swapping policy to see what i can get. i.e. out with the little listened to DCFC

yeah not quite sure what to make of flip flop on that… it may have been something once planned and decided against at last minute. I keep hoping someone will say but in this other thread this… not sure if I want to whiner and point that out.

and the whole slowing shipping is something i'm considering as well.. would a better stream of new releases vs back catalog

note to self: no more posting with the treo late at night…

that post should read

blah blah blah bunch teases blah blay on hold blah blah bleech back catagory good blah blah need more new stuff blah blah

addendum: i'm a total doofus

Music
A Swap Meet for Your Used CDs
The Wall Street Journal Online
By Vauhini Vara

New Web Sites Let Users Trade Music, DVDs and Games; An Unsuccessful Hunt for Elvis

If compact discs are practically obsolete, imagine what used CDs must be worth. Some new Web sites are betting the answer is something.

The sites, with names like Peerflix, BarterBee, TitleTrader and Lala (which launches today), are aiming to give consumers a second lease on life on their CDs, movies and videogames by allowing them to trade them for better ones. In the age of the iTunes Music Store and digital devices like the iPod, the sites are making an unusual gamble: that downloadable media won't displace people's collections of CDs, DVDs or shrink-wrapped videogames anytime soon.

For all the buzz around digital music, online downloads still make up fewer than 6% of music sales world-wide, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, an industry trade group. An even smaller proportion of movies and videogames are sold as Web downloads, according to analysts.

Instead of receiving cash in exchange for, say, a copy of the Who's "Quadrophenia," members of the new sites collect points that can be used to buy other CDs, or other media like digital video discs, from fellow members. For now, Lala lists only CDs, while Peerflix focuses on DVDs. Other sites, like BarterBee and TitleTrader LLC, let people swap between categories – a movie for a videogame, for example.

Here's how the sites work: After signing up online, you can create a list of used CDs, DVDs or videogames that you're willing to sell. If another member asks to buy something on your list, the site will notify you, usually by email. Once you agree to a sale, you have a few days to put the item in the mail. Some sites help with that step: Lala sends its members prepaid envelopes and CD cases, while Peerflix displays a page with an address on it that can be printed and folded into an envelope. BarterBee gives members the option of buying its branded envelopes, but they can also use their own.

The more items you sell, the more points you collect. (Some sites, but not Lala, also let you buy points outright.) You can make purchases once you've gathered enough points, plus a fee of $1 or more, payable via credit card. The seller gets the points, and the Web site collects the cash. Most of the sites rely on this cash for revenue, though some also feature advertising.

The new Web sites, which started to appear within the past year, aren't the first to hit on the idea of high-tech bartering. At FrugalReader.com, bookworms swap their own dog-eared novels for fresh ones. At SwapStyle.com, members trade pinstripe jackets and high-heel boots. A recent post in the "barter" section of Craigslist, the online classified-ads site, offered a new laptop computer in exchange for a van.

FYI for those interested in cover art…

I've found a pretty great site (http://www.mega-search.net/) that seems to link you to database collections of high-res CD artwork. Out of the 25 or so CD's I've received, I've either recieved or found artwork for all but two (and one was simply because it's original case was a digipack).

Okay, I've finally got up and running (user id - Throat Warbler Mangrove). The no artwork/jewel case policy is almost a deal breaker, but I'm hoping this will change.

Isn't this a one for one trading policy? I've agreed to ship The Joshua Tree and Bitches Brew (Disc 2). In return, I have Setting Sons, Two Wheels Good and Avalon coming.

How long does it take to receive your packet of mailers?

What's the deal with the Green, Yellow, Red lights for "My trades". My went from green to red in 24 hours.

The artwork thing is hit or miss. I've been receiving far more artwork now than when I first joined. It seems that if you send the art, they'll try to match you up with people that also send it. Of course, as with most things on lala, this might just be coincidental.

It pretty much works on a 1-for-1 basis, although at any given time, you may have more CDs out than in, or vice versa. It does seem to keep it fairly even though.

The colored lights indicate your "karma rating." Green means you're good to go, and have sent as many CDs as you've received or more. Yellow means you've received more than you've sent, and red means you've received WAY more than you've sent. I believe it's used for trading purposes internally, but don't worry; I started out in the red, but have been almost strictly green since then. And because the trades are determined by the system, there's not much you can do about changing it yourself.

ALthough I have no evidence, it seems that you'll stay red for the beginning, during your "testing period" if you will. Lala seems to give you a trial run to see if you'll actually trade before giving you the full go-ahead.

Of course, Kosmo will now correct everything I've typed :)

Originally posted by renton007:
Okay, I've finally got up and running (user id - Throat Warbler Mangrove). The no artwork/jewel case policy is almost a deal breaker, but I'm hoping this will change.

Isn't this a one for one trading policy? I've agreed to ship The Joshua Tree and Bitches Brew (Disc 2). In return, I have Setting Sons, Two Wheels Good and Avalon coming.

How long does it take to receive your packet of mailers?

What's the deal with the Green, Yellow, Red lights for "My trades". My went from green to red in 24 hours.

i usually get the envelopes from them in three days…

at this point half of the cds that have arrived co=ame with artwork with some of those sent out before the artwork became an issue. but thats not a real deal breaker for me.

the lights indicate what your is trading status. new users are only allowed to ship and get up to five CDs at time. the amounts increase over time as your "karma" goes up. karma is based on you proving that you are indeed shipping promptly, etc.

should have just let nkotb answer :D

right now my status is yellow and i'm not in the mood to be shipping many more out at the moment… think i'm going ro remain in a holding pattern until they give us more control of what we can get from our want lists. in fact at some point i'll be claiming one of NKOTBs ideas as my own in the feedback forum… A method brillently portrayed in "Thank You For Smoking".

and their system of automatically marking people who do not acknowledge getting CDs works… i had open trade to an person who hadn't logged on since signing up get credit for a the cd sent them.

I'm dealing with another deadbeat now….he supposedly shipped Feathers by Dead Meadow over 2 weeks ago and I've heard neither hide not hair…

I wish they would require members to diplay screen names to people they are sending disks to…all this anonymity takes a lot of the accountability out of it.

After 14 days you'll get the option to indicate the cd hasn't arrived and if the CD is available they'll have some else ship instead. I had that happen once and the replacement copy arrived the same day as the orginial one which was came three weeks after it was "shipped". I've got one in transit which should have arrived in NYC by now and it's driving a bit batty as the shippee is an active member and all.

The anonymity issue is one of the items that should be address shortly…

Best find on lala so far…

<img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c015/c01503l32g6.jpg" alt=" - " />

I'm PSYCHED!