70's Supremes: "This is the Story"

[marybrewster]

Amazon has 4 new copies offered for sale; ranging from $1222.95 to $4529.80. Yes, you read that right.

Used copies range from $138.99 to $627.70. Yes, you read that right too.

What's the deal? Is it really THAT rare?

Why doesn't Universal/Motown/Hip-O Select press more copies? Obviously this is in demand; isn't this a surefire way to make some $$$? Why let the sellers on Amazon or eBay profit?

Doesn't this also help confirm that physical releases of product are still in demand?

"This is the Story" is just one example. Bredna Holloway's "Anthology" and Diana's "LTISH" are another.

[antceleb12]

Woowwww. That's unbelievable.

[mysterysinger]

Not really unbelievable, try buying 16 Big Hits Volume 7, or Supremes Where Did Our Love Go [[exp) or.... Well you get the message - it's all too common these days for "profiteers" to try to fleece the average fan but then anyone with sense will not buy them anyway at these prices. The point about physical product is well made and I would always prefer a CD every time. As one who benefited from the second run of David Ruffin's unreleased album and, from the mysteriously re-appearing TCMS Volume 6 I would also ask why they can't press some more of "This Is The Story", or David Ruffin Solo 2 or .....well the list goes on and gets bigger!

[vgalindo]

Not really unbelievable, try buying 16 Big Hits Volume 7, or Supremes Where Did Our Love Go [[exp) or.... Well you get the message - it's all too common these days for "profiteers" to try to fleece the average fan but then anyone with sense will not buy them anyway at these prices. The point about physical product is well made and I would always prefer a CD every time. As one who benefited from the second run of David Ruffin's unreleased album and, from the mysteriously re-appearing TCMS Volume 6 I would also ask why they can't press some more of "This Is The Story", or David Ruffin Solo 2 or .....well the list goes on and gets bigger!
I know my copy of "This is the Story" was stolen from me and it was way to expensive to replace. Jobeterob offered to make me copies as well as copies of the artwork. I just want everyone one to know how wonderful Jobeterob is to do this for me. He did a great job.
The Supremes "Where did our love go" has been selling for outrageous prices. I do try and buy 2 of everything I play one and store the other. For some reason I didn't when WDOLG came out. My cover has a lot of wear and I wanted to buy another copy but not at the prices they are going for. Hippo really should print more copies of This is the Story and WDOLG. They would sell out for a second time.

[Roger Polhill]

This is why it is so important to purchase these items when they are released.It helps our cause if sales are up at this time.If you sit back and and procrastinate then you have only yourselves to blame when the going price goes through the roof. They are limited editions for this reason.

[thanxal]

Doesn't this also help confirm that physical releases of product are still in demand?
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No. They have to actually get that price, which they almost never do. Its like when someone says "well I saw it for this much on eBay". If there were real demand, Universal would be printing them as fast as they could. This is the difference between mass-market and niche-market. Most companies aren't after the latter.

[calvin]

Yes, these are niche products, not mass market. The idea behind releasing these as limited editions is to encourage those fans with interest to buy immediately. Some speculators will also buy up some copies with the hope of selling them later at a profit, and this is also good for Universal. Universal wants to sell off their product quickly to lock in their desired return on the investment.

After this has been out on the market for some months, Universal can figure that most fans with buying interest have already bought their copy. Yes, there will be a few newcomers who missed out, but not too many. In most cases it will take years [[perhaps decades) before demand builds up again to the point of making another physical release worthwhile. And then you might see it again. Or, I should say, your grandkids might, if there are still any physical releases!

One way they pick up some of these newcomers who missed out - or people who just didn't want to pay full price for the whole physical package - is to sell them as downloads. As we've discussed in another thread, putting them out as lossless downloads should gain them additional sales, but they aren't doing this, at least not yet.

One exception was the David Ruffin Unreleased Album. As it was one of the early Hip-O releases, it seems they severely underestimated the demand. They realized that a lot more could be sold, and it was re-released. I see that this re-release appeared in Oct 2012 on Amazon UK and it's still number 42,387 in sales. Not too shabby!

[Roger Polhill]

I was not happy at Hip-O discovering more copies of "David" as I`d paid $140.00 for mine.

[Jimi LaLumia]

when the pipeline was open, people here were, "ugh!. The Copa? I'm not buying that!"..."who wants "I Hear A Symphony", I have enough versions!", etc and I said if everyone starts flaming and making demands,and not supporting the product, Universal won't lose sleep,they'll just stop making these products..they have the biggest current stars in the world, you think they're gonna lose sleep over petty talk from a handful of 'big talkers'..they laughed and walked away.. and there ya go..

[jobeterob]

I wonder how much TCMS 1966 is going for! I have a sealed 2nd copy!

[smark21]

I know a lot of you don't like digital releases, but on iTunes the set can be purchased for $34.99--certainly a better deal than what's currently available on Amazon. No digital booklet or a set to hold onto, but you get the music, and that's what's important, right?

[thanxal]

You can still find these types of rarities sometimes on eBay when the seller doesn't know what they are selling or in the flea market/yard sale circuit. I found the long title version of "Breath Taking Guy" at a flea market. I was buying a bunch of LPs and the woman didn't want to look up the price so shoved it in my bag. I also found the "Right On" CD in a CD shop in Johannesburg, South Africa which completed my collection of the 1990s Supremes CD reissues. Stuff pops up in weird places if you just watch and wait.

[vgalindo]

You can still find these types of rarities sometimes on eBay when the seller doesn't know what they are selling or in the flea market/yard sale circuit. I found the long title version of "Breath Taking Guy" at a flea market. I was buying a bunch of LPs and the woman didn't want to look up the price so shoved it in my bag. I also found the "Right On" CD in a CD shop in Johannesburg, South Africa which completed my collection of the 1990s Supremes CD reissues. Stuff pops up in weird places if you just watch and wait.
This is so true. A couple of years ago I found a copy of The Supremes "Touch" on cd in the cut out bin for less than $5.00. Recently I found Diana Ross' "LTISM" at Rasputin for only $19.99 and The Supremes with the Four Tops Complete Studio duets for only $19.99. These are both sold out and cost a fortune on Ebay and Amazon.

[vgalindo]

I just found a mint copy of the Supremes Country and Western CD at Rasputin. For only $3.95.

[nathanj06]

I had wondered how The Supremes "Story" set would sell and it did. All those seller's are in Japan and completely out of their minds. When something sells out like this you would think Universal would produce more. I hope no one falls for those outrageous prices.

[gordy_hunk]

Most of my entire collection is for sale on Amazon [[CD that is) and vinyl on Ebay. Most of it is relatively low in price - well under £10. A few items though are higher eg Meet The Supremes; Never released masters; There's a place for us; Where did our love go.

Vinyl on Ebay - I usually start at just £2.99 and rarely go above £3.99.

Nearly all the CD have been played once or just occasionally more than once; the vinyl is generally in very good / excellent condition.

Even though the prices are quite cheap, the demand is simply not there, otherwise I think most of my collection would have gone by now.

So, it's fine for someone to try to sell for outrageous amounts - but that doesn't mean it will ever sell for what the seller is hoping to obtain.