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
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
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