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…

5 hours ago, mitchard said:

Also, I don't know if this has been debunked as finicky vinyl dude pseudo-science yet, but wasn't the general consensus that decades in shrink poses concerns serious for warping?

 

 

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. 

25 minutes ago, mameeshkamowskwoz said:

Playing sealed records must be hell on your stylus!

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

8 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

Few things make me more proud than seeing the community band together to enlighten someone that records should be opened if they're going to be played, and sealed if they're intended to sell. 🥹 You came to the right place.

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. 

4 hours ago, MCDELTAT said:

Honestly, I’m going to be optimistic about this one. They wouldn’t buy them if their gonna to say “Hey switch to selling just Tiki Mugs, that’s where all your revenue and fans come from right?”

 

if anything, it’ll just open a huge stream of capital for them. Maybe we finally get bigger vinyl pressings out the gate, maybe they can just bribe the pressing plants to jump the line. Who knows. But I can’t imagine they change things too much and survive to be a valuable acquisition.

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!

19 minutes ago, porkdad said:

My initial thought is: "but people will still pay these prices, right?"

I keep seeing preorders that at are $45-$60 that still sell out no problem. 

I dont know why, but I never saw the bubble bursting because of people priced out of vinyl. I just figured the trendiness, culture, and allure of it dying out in a bunch of years would do it?

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…

6 minutes ago, Sad Heart said:

I want Piebald era Newbury again. 

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

3 minutes ago, subplotofcrows said:

Imagine paying $80 for a single LP at “retail.”

Is Billy Corgan having a sale?!

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

7 hours ago, ntslash said:

Remember when a bunch of people were panicking about this release and saying that half of preorders weren't going to be filled? Looks like there will be plenty of Tool to go around. People who placed 8 orders might want to start canceling some of them now. 

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. 

10 minutes ago, voltagedrop said:

$50 USD shipping to Canada still. At least they're not charging taxes anymore but... seriously?

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.

3 hours ago, Derek™ said:

Numero says fuck you this time.

https://numerogroup.com/products/together

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

1 hour ago, DecayToDeath said:

What did you do to actually move them though? Moving company, uship, drive yourself, etc?

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…

7 hours ago, Billich0986 said:

I prefer the aesthetic of turning my vinyl into decorative bowls, and cutting up the jackets to use as coasters. 

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

5 hours ago, derkwithano said:

I traded mine for a bar of gold. 

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

42 minutes ago, dawhizz said:

Yes, the always honorable Amazon company will have no choice but to honor their word lest they besmirch their impeccable reputation for honesty and impeccable customer service. 

They'd be bankrupted in days.

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

9 minutes ago, Why not Shelby said:

Bullmoose is employee owned as of a month ago. Nobody talks about good things though. 

That employee’s name? Elon Musk.

11 hours ago, Why not Shelby said:

Exactly, I've been arguing this for years now but there's always someone who thinks 180g does something. That's a whole ass nother record they could have pressed for every three and a half 180g records. Such a waste.

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.

16 minutes ago, stl_ben said:

Its always best to contact a tax professional and take all internet advice with a grain of salt.  If you get audited siting some guy on a VC isn't going to hold up in court.

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. 

2 hours ago, chiefwahoo said:

Yes, businesses can be any size but the vast majority of people here will not qualify as a business per IRS rules. Maybe you're an exception. You can't have a full blown record collection and then file a Schedule C for the ten records you sell per year. But the IRS is so screwed up right now that nobody is getting audited anyway. If you're going to file a Schedule C that ultimately shows income, you're probably at a low risk. They have no manpower for major businesses much less small fry shit. But coincidentally starting your Schedule C business  the same year as new 1099 rules is obviously a red flag. Most of us just have to take our lumps.

 

 

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?