A Post-Discogs Future

[holy ghost]

So I'm sure this is common knowledge by now but Discogs has raised it's fees from 8% to 9% and is also charging fees on the shipping cost as well - in what world does THAT make sense? So you pay a fee to discogs, another fee for shipping and another fee to paypal? It's nuts.

Anyway for me - I'm done. I've been casually selling b, c and d list records in my collection to fund other purchases so I can keep my collection at the "only bangers" level. But it's just not worth it anymore. With postage costs being the way they are it doesn't make financial sense for a small fish like me to be ambling over to the post office to mail stuff for little to no return. I know I'm not the only one feeling this, so what's next?

A friend of recently mine sold his whole collection using a read only google doc and facebook, and I can also remember the days of the "Clean Plate Trading Board" where people would post their power violence trade lists. Am I the only one feeling like there has to be better and more "low-tech" options?

tl,dr I don't like fees

[Residual / RT]

Yeah, Facebook groups and Instagram, I guess discord maybe altho I don't use it. Haven't bought anything from discogs in ages, I get all of my stuff locally or from closed social media groups

[33033]

I try to promote the Bigcartel page more when I get orders on Discogs, usually send a discount code for it to forego discogs entirely. I don't love that it was 8% and like it even less now it's 9%. I'll keep it but I doubt I'll see any more orders now.

[ChicagoAnimal]

I am in the boat that the noise community, and record collectors at large, should embrace and/or work around the post-COVID scarcity economy. By that, I mean that to stop thinking about how to collect as much as possible from across the world from the most consolidated platforms that exist within a modern e-commerce marketplace. These kinds of platforms are what is driving the price of second-hand records up so fucking high, because you are, in theory, marketing to the entire world.

I am 100% an advocate for people returning to primitive websites, hand-typed out lists, email commerce, whatever. Decentralization at large. With that in mind, I would be curious if that kind of model is sustainable for labels like White Centipede, New Forces, Phage, Total Black, etc. who have diligently worked hard to grow their operations into something that is graduated beyond grass roots/shoebox labels.

So I'm sure this is common knowledge by now but Discogs has raised it's fees from 8% to 9% and is also charging fees on the shipping cost as well - in what world does THAT make sense? So you pay a fee to discogs, another fee for shipping and another fee to paypal? It's nuts.

I wouldn't be surprised if the cost increase is to off-set a price increase on their end regarding the infrastructure of their site. If they are using a data center or any kind of cybersecurity, which they should considering how much identify information is flowing through their site, these kinds of services are expensive and the providers hold leverage over subscription costs. I am not sure if this is the case, though; but if it is that is the kind of world where a 1% increase makes some kind of logical and practical sense. That being said, maybe they are trying to increase raw profit margin with the increase. How long has the fee been at 8%?

[totalblack]

I am 100% an advocate for people returning to primitive websites, hand-typed out lists, email commerce, whatever. Decentralization at large. With that in mind, I would be curious if that kind of model is sustainable for labels like White Centipede, New Forces, Phage, Total Black, etc. who have diligently worked hard to grow their operations into something that is graduated beyond grass roots/shoebox labels.

I can‘t speak for anyone else, but I doubt that things will go back to a pre-modern level of E-commerce like direct lists and email only orders- just due to buying habits of people. Convenience is paramount to most people these days, and they just wouldn’t bother. Decentralization is something else, but aside from hassle on a back-end level, wouldn’t say I would be really stressed if I needed to switch platforms for some reason, I already use my own store, bandcamp, discogs, and brick and mortar sales- so things are diversified. From a strictly time perspective - it’s not sustainable to try and do that volume via direct business. I have friends who do it and their business has suffered from refusing to modernize.

This discogs thing is depressing but expected and discogs is already depressing as is. I hope that buyer habits change and in person sales escalate, but I already have lots of people who are local, and somehow prefer to pay the fees, AND shipping on an item that they could just grab in person easily. Maybe now that i’m moving to a more easily accessible location this will change, but i’m doubtful.

[Residual / RT]

I hope that buyer habits change and in person sales escalate, but I already have lots of people who are local, and somehow prefer to pay the fees, AND shipping on an item that they could just grab in person easily. Maybe now that i’m moving to a more easily accessible location this will change, but i’m doubtful.

I'll admit I do this sometimes, buy from a local shop or seller and have it shipped home despite having to pay extra, rather than spend a few hours to go to pick the items up myself. Conveinience generates laziness, and even a trip to the record shop, something I really enjoyed when I was younger seems like a chore now.

[New Forces]

I hope that buyer habits change and in person sales escalate, but I already have lots of people who are local, and somehow prefer to pay the fees, AND shipping on an item that they could just grab in person easily. Maybe now that i’m moving to a more easily accessible location this will change, but i’m doubtful.

This would drive me out of my mind if I owned a brick-and-mortar.

[xIncorruptibleCorpse777x]

Literally the only time I ever used discogs to buy something was to ensure I reserved the one copy of something from a local store who had a "pick up" option (that didn't have shipping). Didn't want to leave my house, just to be disappointed.

[holy ghost]

I still use discogs - A LOT! But I think as a seller I might have to rethink things. I rarely order anything from outside of Canada any more. It just doesn't make any financial sense.

Even US shipping has gone out to lunch, I was considering ordering a couple of (admittedly heavy) DLPs from NWN and the shipping was $70 US even with DHL! Nowadays It's cheaper to wait for a record to hit a Canadian distro.

I used to keep a healthy stock of used records for sale to move to keep new sounds incoming (I work for a non-profit org these days) and now it's just cheaper to buy nothing and less hassle to not bother selling online.

[33033]

Even US shipping has gone out to lunch, I was considering ordering a couple of (admittedly heavy) DLPs from NWN and the shipping was $70 US even with DHL! Nowadays It's cheaper to wait for a record to hit a Canadian distro.

I’ve generally ordered vinyl from overseas rather than the US. The most recent Mortuous LP was around $60 with shipping from the US, and $40 in all from Denmark. You’d think it would be the opposite but yeah EU for the win (maybe this changed though?)