[quote][i]Originally posted by eight6[/i]
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You're right, the packaging of the record was sub par for sure, but the mind boggles at the stupidity of folding what obviously looks as though it ought not to be folded. I've seen it all as far as packaging methods as well. Leaving the record in the jacket for shipment is one of the most common offences, perhaps only second to lack of proper cardboard support for package contents.[/quote]
Leaving the record in the jacket is something that doesn't even bother me. If it's a sealed record, I'm definitely not going to ask them to open it to take it out. I had one dingbat -- and this was after I specifically requested not to do this -- cram about 50 or so LPs into a flimsy piece-of-shit box that was pretty much 12" L x 12" W on the nose. She "thoughtfully" took all the records/innersleeves out of the jackets, shoved everything in there, the post office crushed the box on two of the sides, and all the jackets got demolished. So that's the most common offense for me. The innersleeves might have made it through that one okay, but because dingbat took them out and couldn't be bothered slipping everything in protective sleeves, cardboard backings or, gosh, ANYTHING, they took a beating, as well. I shitcanned her on the spot. Total moron.
[quote]Records By Mail does charge a lot for shipping, no doubt. Too bad they didn't opt to make extra money by teaching other vendors how to package records, instead of raping and pillaging it's customers with outrageous packing/shipping charges.[/quote]
I honestly don't have any problems with Records by Mail's S&H prices within the U.S.* since they started offering media (although they were awful before they did). 25 cents for a 45 after the first is nothing. It's the prices of their vinyl that's horrific! I mean, do they even have a 12" anywhere in their store priced under $10? Every store I go into locally has more than their share of $2-$5 vinyl. Most of them have dollar bins. It's not just rare stuff they've priced that way, either. I could understand if they were a small store with little overhead, but they've got over a million records. Most of which will just sit there because you can get 99% of them cheaper elsewhere.
So, the only times they're worth it to me is it's some private release that had a low print run and that they're letting go for the lower end of their pricing spectrum. Not that there are a whole lot of those.
*Granted, their international rates could be brutal.
[quote]How big is a 78 anyway? I've always assumed it was slightly smaller than an lp...about the size of a 10" piece of vinyl.[/quote]
All the ones I have are 10". I only have a meager collection of 78s. Mostly jazz, swing and some Roaring '20s stuff. The one thing I really like about them are the hardcover book-style jackets a lot of them came in. The one thing I don't like is packing them for a move!
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Runners - "Endlessly (Hitting the Wall)"
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