Some small fraction that.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shai Drori" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] music man murray record collection & Murray Gershenz, music collector 
extraordinaire, is parting with his entire music library.


>  In the TV run they said his collection is worth 3-4 million. How much do you think it is actually 
> worth?
> Shai
>
> On 8/18/2010 5:51 PM, Tom Fine wrote:
>> The big issue with huge "collections" of mostly used records owned by these long-time stores is 
>> that 90+% of the gross weight is either worthless or near-worthless. The smart few of these guys 
>> put that 90% of gross weight at the curb and let the accumulators vaccuum it all up. Then they 
>> carefully sell off the valuable 10%, either to long-time collector/customers or via a wider 
>> marketplace like eBay. If a person owns a record store that long and doesn't know in his heart of 
>> hearts that 90% of the gross weight is worthless, he's first of all deluding himself and second 
>> of all it's a miracle he's stayed in business long enough to become an "institution."
>>
>> By its very nature, a used record store must be an accumulator. The business model works if you 
>> continuously have a nice valuable 10% moving at high prices and if your rent is cheap enough to 
>> use the other 90% to attract accumulator traffic and to look like you have a vast inventory of 
>> "treasures."
>>
>> Don't get me wrong, the 90% has some value to someone. Just not any of it monetary. I always 
>> troll the dollar bins and free bins at used record stores, mainly to find better-condition covers 
>> to records I have where the vinyl is great but the cover is shot (and I probably therefore got it 
>> for a huge discount). There was a decorating fad a while back, popular enough to make it to the 
>> NYT style section, that seriously crimped this MO. The kids were into buying up dollar-bin LPs to 
>> frame the cover and hang them on the wall. Suddenly, competition for my good-condition dollar 
>> covers and novelty covers! The fad seems to have passed, based on recent success in the dollar 
>> bins.
>>
>> -- Tom Fine
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aaron Levinson" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 11:05 AM
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] music man murray record collection & Murray Gershenz, music collector 
>> extraordinaire, is parting with his entire music library.
>>
>>
>>> There is a reason why it is such a massive collection in the first place-no one wants it for a 
>>> patently ridiculous price! Does this all seem vaguely reminiscent to a guy with a warehouse in 
>>> Pittsburgh?...Someone needs to tell these guys that we are in the greatest economic downturn 
>>> since Black Friday and that whatever you thought you had and how much you (wildly) imagined it 
>>> was worth, things ain't what they used to be.
>>>
>>> AA
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8/18/10 1:42 AM, Michael Biel wrote:
>>>>  It is interesting that both these postings and the article and TV piece all refer to the stock 
>>>> of a retail store as a "collection".  Over on the 78-L there have been comments from several 
>>>> who have been customers and know this shop well that the prices he asked were too high, and 
>>>> even the reduced price he is now asking for the whole stock is still too high considering that 
>>>> it has been pawed thru by thousands of collectors for 50 years.  I suppose that if your prices 
>>>> are too high, a store's "stock" becomes a "collection"!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 8/16/2010 7:22 PM, Rod Smear wrote:
>>>>>> This came up in today's LA times article about a local gentleman here who is looking to 
>>>>>> unload his masssive collection. Apparently from edison cylinders to LP's. Don't know if 
>>>>>> anyone might be interested or know someone or organization willing to buy collection. Sorry i 
>>>>>> don't have a link. I guess google LA times Music Man Murray records?  Rod Smear
>>>>>>
>>>> Here's the link.
>>>> http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-music-man-20100816,0,5301372.story
>>>>
>>>>> From: Gerald Segall<[log in to unmask]>
>>>>>
>>>>> Murray Gershenz, (aka "Music Man Murray"), after having amassed a lifetime of rare and 
>>>>> collectible 45s,  78s, vinyl LPs, and CDs, is sadly selling his entire collection's contents, 
>>>>> for any prospective buyer interested in these hard-to-find musical treasures. As news anchor 
>>>>> Glen Walker of KTLA News remarks, "...building a music library that attracted those who made 
>>>>> the music." If only a public, college, or university library could acquire such a precious 
>>>>> collection for the benefit of use by all music lovers, patrons, music students, music 
>>>>> scholars, and historians.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/?watchId=f773a6ed-bf4b-4b32-a437-0a5771774e91
>>>>
>>>
>>
>