Ok, coming from a retail store owner's point of view.....
First off, alot of customers want the import version of the cd, thats a given.
If a cd will be coming out domestically, it usually will be an EXPENSIVE
cd for the store (like the aphex, metalheadz, daft punk, etc)to buy. This
will discourage us from selling it and you from buying it, insuring that
you will buy their copy. The prices will even go up closer to the time of
domestic release. Alot of customers dont care, and will pay for it. When
the cd comes out here and we have import copies left we mark them down to
cost to sell them at a fair price and hopefully wont lose too much money
doing this. We keep the imports around untill the day it is available
domestically to make sure it is always in stock.
If you see an import in stock at domestic prices it just means the store
has decided to cut their losses and blow out what is left rather than
sitting on it. Distributors also do this and will sell imports at the
domestic price to get rid of them.Thats why import versions of "I care..."
are cheaper than the domestic ones now. Its really hard to sell an import
aphex cd for $25 when the shopping mall stores are selling it for $11.99 in
their newspaper ads. Thats all, no mix up, no secret coded message that
only you can read, or no plot to help/hurt the pro/negative amp forces
fighting for freedom/superiority.
Now depending on the title, artist, and label stores dont always mark down
the imports. We have quite a few customers that want the import (Due to
slightly different artwork, printing, track order, or hell, just to have
EVERY version of every Warp ever record released I dont know) If we get
enough requests for the import version of a record I'll stock the import.
Some people just prefer imports, and are willing to pay for them even if
they are available as a used sale cd in their local rock and roll shop. We
dont want to rip you off its just that some people after buying the new
Autechre double domestic cd became so obsessed that they had to have
everything from cavity job to the rough trade version of amber and didnt
care what it took.
(or we are just jealous of your kosmik kommando t-shirt and want to make
you feel bad to make our lives better and we know that $20 copy of SAW vol
2 is just the thing to do it)
The other reason you will see imports at domestic prices is that alot of times
people like Astralwerks will just purchace a large quantity of the import from
their foreign counterparts,rather than pressing up copies here, put a
sticker over the barcode. and sell it to the stores at domestic prices.
(How this works Ill never know mabye ill bring it up on the techno industry
workers mailing list and tell you) I dont ever really remember seeing a
different domestic version..just the cheap import, but then again I didnt
really pay much attention to the art on th u-ziq cd there were was that spy
satelite 12" and a couple others that were a bit more important to me than
the new mike p record.
Technically, we cant sell an import if a domestic version is out or is even
coming out.If the import has a better package, more tracks, etc....the
label really wont let it into the country because they know you will pay
the extra money for it and not for theirs. It generally is not a law
enforced on stores
but on importers and distributors, causing records to be held up in customs
for a few days while they look for import U2 singles.
As for astralwerks singles prices.....Why were you pricing chemical
brothers singles anyway? There has to be better records to spend your money
on, even at tower.....(rumor has it they are stocking the japanese version
of the Aphex singles comp, and they still stock that Philosopy comp in the
new age secton...)
collinstrange
on now: cybertron live at St.Andrews Hall bootleg tape
the strange organization
445 e. 9th st
ny.ny.10009
212.505.3025