unknown pleasures

I haven't posted here in forever because the ads make the site unusable and they did that whole adblocker thing, BUT I just happened to discover Whatnot tonight and then saw your questions so I'm going to respond because I'm really interested in the site. It seems like the potential is there for a really good site, it feels like eBay in the old days to me. They are focusing way more on things like sneakers and sports cards than vinyl, it truly is niche on what is already a niche site, but from what I can tell they are committed and have some of approval process in place for sellers so it's not like any old person can go sell there. I was thinking of applying to do an auction of some rare stuff I've got sitting in a box that isn't really eBay type material: test pressings, demos, signed stuff. For now, I'm going to sit back and wait while I look at the types of auctions I see. I agree they've been unimpressive so far with the vinyl sellers, but I did come across one tonight that had some cool autographed records and OG pressings of things. At this point, I could totally see it bombing but I could also see it taking off; I'd even say it's a 50/50 chance at either. (Ok, blockers back on. It's very unlikely I'll post again here, just read the replies following mine...)

Euro’s not looking too hot either…

It depends on the shrink. There’s more than one kind used, and the more “plastic wrap” kind definitely gets snug around the corners over time and starts bowing the jacket, especially on single LP or non-gatefold releases.

It’s not too bad, I just get a new Crosley each time.

I’ve been doing it the other way around and it seems to work just as well.

This entire thread feels like a performance art piece to me.

You’re being very optimistic. Funko is a publicly traded company which means it owes nothing to anyone but its shareholders. It will always find ways to cut corners and squeeze out maximum profit, because that’s what (most) publicity traded companies do.

This was their phone number in 2014 when I had problems with them: +44 1189569183 Good luck!

Vinyl Collectors: Waiting for “The Bubble” to Burst Since 2005

I know several record shop owners that basically break even or even take a small loss on new releases. Then you’ve got people giving great record shops 1-star Yelp reviews because they “have too much used vinyl and not enough not vinyl.” Very sad state we’re in…

Piebald era Newbury had 1/10th as much vinyl as the average Newbury Comics today but was somehow 100x more awesome.

Is Billy Corgan having a sale?!

I honestly can’t tell which are the overpriced relists and which are just regularly overpriced.

You know the old adage: one to keep sealed, one to listen to, one to sell… …and one to display in Urban Outfitters record frames, one to burn for warmth next January, one to pass onto your grandchildren, one to put under that short table leg to stabilize it and one to eat for roughage after the inevitable start of WWIII.

I still get sales tax in the US which is killing it for me - same reason I passed on that last release in the fall.

"Keep my label's name out yo' fuckin' mouth!!"

I don’t think there’s one answer to this. It’s going to depend on the distance you’re moving, the size of the collection, how much other stuff you have to move, if you’ve got help, if you’ve got time, etc…

They don’t call it “the butcher cover” for nothing…

I traded mine to a fool for a sack of corn.

They'd be bankrupted in days.

I wish I could fly back from any vacation with only 40 records to bring back.

That employee’s name? Elon Musk.

I miss those punk singles I used to listen to in high school that were as thin as prosciutto and ultra-transparent when held to the light. You could probably get a good dozen of those pressed out of the same pellets as a single 180g brick.

This is my whole point. Nearly every post you’ve made in this thread has been about how easy it is to write things off and I’m trying to warn people it isn’t so simple.

This guy gets it. And this is directly from the IRS’s own guide to determining if you’re a business versus a hobby: In order to make this determination, taxpayers should consider the following factors: • Does the time and effort put into the activity indicate an intention to make a profit? • Does the taxpayer depend on income from the activity? • If there are losses, are they due to circumstances beyond the taxpayer’s control or did they occur in the start-up phase of the business? • Has the taxpayer changed methods of operation to improve profitability? • Does the taxpayer or his/her advisors have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business? • Has the taxpayer made a profit in similar activities in the past? • Does the activity make a profit in some years? • Can the taxpayer expect to make a profit in the future from the appreciation of assets used in the activity?