Ordering from REAL GONE vs Amazon, etc?

[marybrewster]

Does anyone have an opinion on whether it's more beneficial to order directly from Real Gone [[in this case, for the Mary Anthology) or from Amazon or another retailer?

I'm not sure how sales are "tracked"; I guess I want to make sure my purchases are noticed and help the bottom line, or perhaps help facilitate other Expanded Editions or Anthologys getting released.

[johnny_raven]

Screw Amazon.

[SatansBlues]

Does anyone have an opinion on whether it's more beneficial to order directly from Real Gone [[in this case, for the Mary Anthology) or from Amazon or another retailer?

I'm not sure how sales are "tracked"; I guess I want to make sure my purchases are noticed and help the bottom line, or perhaps help facilitate other Expanded Editions or Anthologys getting released.
Then definitely buy directly from Real Gone. I've purchased a few releases directly from them, and they all arrived either on time or early.

[kenneth]

I have also bought many CDs from Real Gone directly and never had any problems. The one downside to me is that you have to pay in advance for pre-orders, whereas on Amazon you do not.

[vgalindo]

I bought from Real Gone and received my cds early. I hate Amazon. Always late. The last few times from Amazon. I had to cancel and bought elsewhere.

[sophisticated_soul]

Definitely Real Gone. CDs generally arrive ahead of release date.

[ejluther]

If it’s a release I really appreciate and the type I want to encourage, I always buy directly from the source [[in this case, Real Gone)…

[TheMotownManiac]

I appreciate Real Gone Because there has to be an alternative to Amazon. If there’s no competition which is what Amazon is hoping for, they will be able to treat us however they want to. The world has to play by Amazon rules If we can’t go elsewhere. Monopolies that are regulated sometimes can be a good thing, like public utilities etc. this would be a nightmare of epic proportion’s they’ve already close 99% of the record stores in bookstores and 80% of all the other retail stores.

[thommg]

I ordered from Real Gone directly.

Surprisingly, the current Amazon price is more expensive that the Real Gone pre-order price.

[kenneth]

I ordered from Real Gone directly.

Surprisingly, the current Amazon price is more expensive that the Real Gone pre-order price.

I'm doing the same. The Mary Wilson CD was $29.99 on Amazon the other day, and on Real Gone it was only $21.99. The BJ Thomas CD was also much cheaper on Real Gone. I agree, it's important to support anyone who isn't Amazon these days just so we still have some choice.

[carlo]

I agree that it is a good thing to purchase from non-Amazon sources whenever possible. One of my favourite CD stores in a neighbouring city just closed their doors, as they were not able to survive the relatively extensive lockdowns we've had in Ontario during this pandemic. I'm sure the competition from Amazon did not help either. This store was a big supporter of the expanded editions and usually had them in stock. Such a shame, as it seems the music retail options are dwindling down to nothing.

There is no doubt that the label makes more per unit, if you buy from them directly, which is more favourable to them and their cash flow, which allows them to secure more funds to finance future projects. This is why we now see so many record labels selling product through their own online stores and offering limited edition exclusives to fans, in order to provide that extra incentive. However, in terms of them being able to gauge interest and track sales, they can definitely track this no matter where you buy from. At the end of the day, they are the label/distributor, so they certainly know how many units are going out their doors to other retailers.

I hope that everyone will support this release and possibly even buy multiple copies, if possible. The same idea applies to any hits compilations that come our way, even those released on vinyl...including the latest Supremes Number 1's exclusive vinyl at Target and the Reflections mono vinyl. Every sale counts these days. It's important to show that there's still interest in the Supremes legacy.

[daviddesper]

As the time gets closer for this release, I hope others will post tips about the prices on various sites, assuming that we will not be limited to Amazon and Real Gone.

[mwmr]

Does anyone have an opinion on whether it's more beneficial to order directly from Real Gone [[in this case, for the Mary Anthology) or from Amazon or another retailer?

I'm not sure how sales are "tracked"; I guess I want to make sure my purchases are noticed and help the bottom line, or perhaps help facilitate other Expanded Editions or Anthologys getting released.

no option for us here in the UK. Real gone don’t ship to uk.
cd is not even on Amazon uk .
had to order mine via Amazon in US.

tbh I think this is terrible… the uk is probably `Mary’s biggest market & embraced her solo after the Supremes more than the USA.
so many potential sales lost

[jack020]

no option for us here in the UK. Real gone don’t ship to uk.

Very strange, they ship to Holland. Never had a problem with them.

[carlo]

I was reading that Real Gone's online store does not ship to the UK due to some complications from Brexit. It sounds like they are trying to work out a solution for the future. I'm sure this release will soon pop-up on other websites for pre-order [[ie. Amazon UK, Import CDs, HMV UK, etc). This release was only formally announced this week.

[marybrewster]

Real Gone: $21.99
Amazon: $29.99