Toronto Weird Boys

Happy Holidays Weird Boys!

I’m sure y’all are used to airport shit shows with Pearson, but I hope none of you are planning on going through YVR (Vancouver) this week (or have records going through there). Absolute mayhem. Most fights cancelled, folks stuck for 5+ hours in the plane on the tarmac (after they landed). Makes me thankful I cancelled my trip down and am staying in Whitehorse at -40.

My coworker and his family were headed back to Mexico for the holidays and are instead stranded at YVR right now! I wouldn't wish that on anybody not named Elon, Ye, Putin or Trump!
 
Happy Holidays Weird Boys!

I’m sure y’all are used to airport shit shows with Pearson, but I hope none of you are planning on going through YVR (Vancouver) this week (or have records going through there). Absolute mayhem. Most fights cancelled, folks stuck for 5+ hours in the plane on the tarmac (after they landed). Makes me thankful I cancelled my trip down and am staying in Whitehorse at -40.
My wife flew back to Victoria on Saturday, direct, and avoided all this shit. Hope things get cleared up (both here in ON and in BC) by the time she flies back on the 26th. We are supposed to get hit with the winter equivalent of a 2x4 Thursday or Friday. We are supposed to get rain, snow and ice storm all with a temperature drop from +6 to -10 happening over about 6hours. Thank god I have a freezer full of soups and stews and a fully stocked beer fridge.
 
Anyone seeing some crazy-ass prices hitting stores around the area?

We're talking about $60-70 for 2LPs now. Definitely helpful in curbing spending habits.

Some examples I just found:

Also, same store got in restocks on Gish that appear to now be sold out at $60 a pop. Admittedly I snagged it as I was waiting on that one, but these purchases will be very few and far in between.

EDIT (some more examples):
(LP) Wilco - Cruel Country (Indie: Red & White) 2LP (reg price $60 but looks like Dead Dog is putting some records on "sale" to ease the pain)
 
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Looks like Encore is still operating on older prices. Kops is usually the same pricing so that's kind of disappointing they're starting to jack up prices that much. Not surprising since we know it's coming next month, but disappointing they're doing it well in advance.


Dead Dog is all over the place usually.
 
Anyway, these price increases make me wonder just what's going to survive, especially when you couple it with insane rent increases.

I can see places like Sonic Boom, Kops and Rotate This sticking around purely because of the traffic, but smaller shops like Dead Dog I think are going to have a hard time if the price increases affect sales (which most certainly they will).

I also think that this may be the final nail in the coffin of Sunrise. I know one of the only 2 in Waterloo region closed during the pandemic, I believe Conestoga Mall's is hanging on by a thread.
 
Anyone seeing some crazy-ass prices hitting stores around the area?

We're talking about $60-70 for 2LPs now. Definitely helpful in curbing spending habits.

Some examples I just found:

Also, same store got in restocks on Gish that appear to now be sold out at $60 a pop. Admittedly I snagged it as I was waiting on that one, but these purchases will be very few and far in between.

EDIT (some more examples):
(LP) Wilco - Cruel Country (Indie: Red & White) 2LP (reg price $60 but looks like Dead Dog is putting some records on "sale" to ease the pain)
For sure, and it definitely helps to curb impulse buying. Seeing basic 1LP GZ pressings for $40+ is sobering.

FWIW I bought the new Wilco at Rotate yesterday for $45. Still a lot for a 2LP — it's a very nice package and I've always been impressed with their pressings. There are very few artists or labels I'd be willing to spend that on an album, though. In recent years poor QC and rising prices have frustrated me so much that I barely buy vinyl anymore, and almost never take chances on things without reviews from here or Discogs first. The industry certainly doesn't seem very sustainable right now.
 
For sure, and it definitely helps to curb impulse buying. Seeing basic 1LP GZ pressings for $40+ is sobering.

FWIW I bought the new Wilco at Rotate yesterday for $45. Still a lot for a 2LP — it's a very nice package and I've always been impressed with their pressings. There are very few artists or labels I'd be willing to spend that on an album, though. In recent years poor QC and rising prices have frustrated me so much that I barely buy vinyl anymore, and almost never take chances on things without reviews from here or Discogs first. The industry certainly doesn't seem very sustainable right now.
I really wish Rotate would invest in a decent website so I can judge if it's worth the 15 minute walk in winter for something. I love the store, but it's 2023 guys...
 
Somewhat related, but when you go to sell from your collection, where are you doing it? Feels like it's impossible to be competitive on Discogs as domestic shipping is the same as shipping from the US.
 
Somewhat related, but when you go to sell from your collection, where are you doing it? Feels like it's impossible to be competitive on Discogs as domestic shipping is the same as shipping from the US.
Honestly, I've held on to most of my collection, only selling a few dupes here and there on discogs.

I honestly don't know where's going to offer competitive prices, I would naturally assume Sonic Boom since they're selling some used records at absolutely batshit prices, but I know that's a lie, and they'll offer you pennies on the dollar and sell at the highest discogs price.
 
I really wish Rotate would invest in a decent website so I can judge if it's worth the 15 minute walk in winter for something. I love the store, but it's 2023 guys...
Heh, absolutely. I was planning on picking it up from Dead Dog, which is walkable for me, but as mentioned, their prices are really all over the place. Glad I made the trip on a whim.
 
Heh, absolutely. I was planning on picking it up from Dead Dog, which is walkable for me, but as mentioned, their prices are really all over the place. Glad I made the trip on a whim.
Yeah, I want to like Dead Dog. It's a really quaint store. Their prices are just that much extra though that I'm going to just order the few things that I can't get elsewhere and get it shipped (since it's less than the uber trip there and back), and do the bulk of my purchases at Kops or Rotate.
 
A large part of me does enjoy the fact that their website is exactly the same as it was when I bought my first record from them back in 2005.
You do have to admire their refusal to enter the e-commerce market when most barriers have long since been removed. Everyone's on shopify now, while they're spending their money on what has to be some absolutely absurd Ossington rent.
 
You do have to admire their refusal to enter the e-commerce market when most barriers have long since been removed. Everyone's on shopify now, while they're spending their money on what has to be some absolutely absurd Ossington rent.

Rent on Ossington has to still be better than when they were on Queen Street! I'm glad they refuse to step out of the 90's and get in the e-commerce market, saves me a fortune! I'm not sure what their used section is like now but I used to pull heat out of there and always less than $20....of course that was like 5-6 years ago
 
Rent on Ossington has to still be better than when they were on Queen Street! I'm glad they refuse to step out of the 90's and get in the e-commerce market, saves me a fortune! I'm not sure what their used section is like now but I used to pull heat out of there and always less than $20....of course that was like 5-6 years ago
Their used section is still definitely worth a look. Pretty sure I found a copy of The Predator there a couple of weeks ago I now regret not spending the $80 on.

I'm honestly not sure where of the two has the highest rent now tbh. Ossington seems to have branded itself as an boutique alternative to Yorkville.
 
Only been back to Rotate This a few times since 2020. I still like their used selection and prices are usually pretty good. But I have seen a few things that new were only $1-2 more than a used copy. Heading down to TO in a couple of weeks and hope to get over to RT.

Hey @BjorgenFjorgen where do you general look for cds at in TO?
 
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