Has DC seen its last indie record store?

I don't think $19 for a cd is expensive at all, when you consider what you get…I mean $19 is two cans of boddies at the 930 and 20 minutes later you're peeing it out…GONE!~

Some people pay $25+ for a book that you tend to read once, cd's you play over and over…I say 'some' because have you noticed how many people sit around in B&N reading a book for an hour then walk out empty handed? That would piss me off if I ran a book store. It's like all the asians that hang out in the Starbucks next to B&N in Rockville, they get a glass of water, or if they want to splash out, a small coffee, then sit at a table for hours on end with their study books, while cash-paying customers can't find a seat after shelling out $5+ for a milky cup of something….off tangent rant there for a mo'…anyway, $19 for a cd isn't too bad if you put it in perspective.

$19 aint much if you're a middle age guy buying 10 cd's a year of reissues from early 80's lp's.

Different story if you're a 20something trendy pullin in 30K a year and need to buy every freaking album pitchfork tells you you need to own.

Originally posted by jpbelmondo:
Very few bricks-and-mortar stores are making money on CDs right now. Olsson's makes money on books.

And Olsson's Metro Center is closed!

Originally posted by mankie:
Some people pay $25+ for a book that you tend to read once, cd's you play over and over…

Mank, my dad was in the book business. You don't want to know how few people buy hardback books m(it's less than 5% of the population; I'm tempted to say 2% buy two or more hardcovers in a year, but that may be a stale figure).

And nearly all of the independent bookstores outside of major cities have gone out of business as well (that was my dad's business, selling to independents). It's the same as the record stores – the Barnes & Nobles, Borders, Wal-Marts forced them out. And this was *before* online sales got so prevalent. And you can't, for the most part, 'download' books for free.

What I fear is that, while I'm 36 and still buy plenty of CDs, I'm a dying breed. [Even in my early 20s, making $23K, I bought two to four CDs a month.] I don't have much interaction with teenagers, but I have a feeling that downloading is second nature so that, except for the rare must have, buying a CD seems just ludicrous.

Originally posted by Rutherford J. Balls:
$19 aint much if you're a middle age guy buying 10 cd's a year of reissues from early 80's lp's.

Different story if you're a 20something trendy pullin in 30K a year and need to buy every freaking album pitchfork tells you you need to own.

If the 20'something crowd owned only 5 pairs of $120+ sneakers and $80 jeans made to look like a homeless bloke threw them out, and saved that $5 latte for just a Sunday treat…..I'm sure they could afford to buy a few $19 cd's now and again.

I can agree with that.

Originally posted by mankie:

Originally posted by Rutherford J. Balls:
$19 aint much if you're a middle age guy buying 10 cd's a year of reissues from early 80's lp's.

Different story if you're a 20something trendy pullin in 30K a year and need to buy every freaking album pitchfork tells you you need to own.

If the 20'something crowd owned only 5 pairs of $120+ sneakers and $80 jeans made to look like a homeless bloke threw them out, and saved that $5 latte for just a Sunday treat…..I'm sure they could afford to buy a few $19 cd's now and again.

I dont think you can blame downloading just yet.

CD sales have only declined afew percent, if at all.

It's just cheaper and easier to buy from Amazon.com. They always have what I want and it is always cheaper than the new prices at the local stores.

Buuuu Byyyyyyeeeeeeee local stores.

But I do think $19 -$20 is too much for a CD. I just wont buy them at that price. They are only $14 from CDwow.net

I think a $10 DVD or a softback book is much better value.

Plan 9 just *opened* a new store. They're doing very well by all accounts. They have a good, diverse stock of new and used CDs, mainstream and indie, plus vinyl, dvd, trinkets, etc.

Maybe DCCD, which had an anemic selection of new CDs and a sad used section (Collective Soul for $8.99, anyone?) struggled, but I think a diverse and well-run store, in the right location, could thrive.

All true, but has the internet even come to central/southern virginia yet? As soon as it does (after the power and phone lines go up), the downloading will begin, and same result.

Originally posted by bellenseb:
Plan 9 just *opened* a new store. They're doing very well by all accounts. They have a good, diverse stock of new and used CDs, mainstream and indie, plus vinyl, dvd, trinkets, etc.

Maybe DCCD, which had an anemic selection of new CDs and a sad used section (Collective Soul for $8.99, anyone?) struggled, but I think a diverse and well-run store, in the right location, could thrive.

Re: dying breed –
Not to worry, most indie labels will still print up CDs – bands have to have something to sell at shows – just as many still print up vinyl, but look for the majors to get out of physical units as soon as they can make more money on downloads. Unless iTunes and similar sites are consistently patronized by the average music buyer, that probably will be in the form of a tax (though it won't be called that) on your ISP.

Originally posted by bellenseb:
Plan 9 just *opened* a new store. They're doing very well by all accounts. They have a good, diverse stock of new and used CDs, mainstream and indie, plus vinyl, dvd, trinkets, etc.

Maybe DCCD, which had an anemic selection of new CDs and a sad used section (Collective Soul for $8.99, anyone?) struggled, but I think a diverse and well-run store, in the right location, could thrive.

where is this so-called "plan 9"?

where is this so-called "revolution"?

www.plan9music.com

They're all over central Virginia.