http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Tue, 28 Oct 2003 08:10:58 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/27/234047.php#comment-25609 excellent points, thanks for staying on top of this 25609@blogcritics.org Tue, 28 Oct 2003 08:10:58 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/27/234047.php#comment-25604 You're right, visualsimplicity. Here's how it works: Record companies only allow a music store to advertise their albums (like a cardboard standup, or a poster, or a newspaper ad) if they agree to keep the prices high. Chains like Best Buy, and Wal-Mart (the number one seller of music CDs) can afford to tell the record companies to go screw themselves, because they have name power to ensure high sales. People just KNOW that CDs are 12 bucks at Best Buy, and 18 at Camelot. In case you were wondering, these business tactics on the part of the record companies effectively make the (and the RIAA) a cartel. 25604@blogcritics.org Tue, 28 Oct 2003 06:40:13 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/27/234047.php#comment-25603 You're right, visualsimplicity. Here's how it works: Record companies only allow a music store to advertise their albums (like a cardboard standup, or a poster, or a newspaper ad) if they agree to keep the prices high. Chains like Best Buy, and Wal-Mart (the number one seller of music CDs) can afford to tell the record companies to go screw themselves, because they have name power to ensure high sales. People just KNOW that CDs are 12 bucks at Best Buy, and 18 at Camelot. In case you were wondering, these business tactics on the part of the record companies effectively make the (and the RIAA) a cartel. 25603@blogcritics.org Tue, 28 Oct 2003 06:38:54 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/27/234047.php#comment-25596 That bonus disc thing-a-ma-jigga has been going on for a while. A definite example of the 9.99 to 15.99 at Best Buys thing was Meteora by Linkin Park (but I think the bonus was 14.99), which was about a year ago. Also, I don't believe Best Buys has a deal with record labels to keep prices high. On the contrary, I believe record labels hate stores like Best Buys, Target, etc... because I think only certain chains (Tower, Sam Goody, etc...) have a contract with record labels to create a sort of oligopolistic monopoly (that's why those stores prices are so high). Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 25596@blogcritics.org Tue, 28 Oct 2003 02:19:18 EST