Where To Buy Cheap Cds
Sun Herald
Sunday February 11, 1996
AT $30 a pop, compiling a CD collection to make your friends green with envy could end up leaving you strapped for cash.
But by shopping around, you'll discover a whole range of alternatives that you won't have to pay top price for.
Second hand shops can get new release CDs as soon as the day after they're released in the larger retail chains.
And you can expect to pay $18 to $20 for them.
While the numbers are limited, because new release CDs in second hand shops are unwanted gifts, or sold by people who bought them and didn't like them, if you're in the right place at the right time you could snare a bargain.
Leonie Crane, manager of Sydney's Red Eye Record Shop 2, said the store specialised in rare and collectable albums but also had a range of new releases.
"Rare albums are always more expensive - from $30 to a couple of hundred dollars," she said.
"But we get new releases in all the time and they only cost around $20."
Nick Cave's new album and CDs from bands such as Blur and Oasis and other Brit popsters sell for around $20.
But if you're after something a little rarer, such as an original Abba release or Nirvana's Hormoaning EP, expect to fork out considerably more.
The most expensive CD Red Eye has sold was Madonna's Erotica picture disc CD - one of only 50 produced - which went for nearly $2,000.
Lawson's Record Centre, also in the city, is a second hand music shop where you'll find country, pop, jazz, classical and blues CDs.
Manager Fred Pasqual, who receives new releases within a week of release, charges around $18 for a Top 40 CD.
"A lot of people come to us before heading off to pay $30 for a new CD because you never know what you'll find here," he said.
Ashwood, in Pitt Street, deals in cassettes, records and CDs in a range of music styles.
Manager James Loutas said his store attracted a lot of bargain hunters who would not pay full price for CDs.
Ashwood charges about $18 for new releases and $15 once the album has been around for a while. They also come with guarantees.
"People think, why pay $70 for two new CDs when you can come here and get a stack more for the same price," he said.
"We've been getting a lot of new releases in the last few months because people are selling or swapping unwanted Christmas gifts."
Ray's Records, Glebe, has a range of CDs and LPs from $5 to $18.
Second hand new releases go on sale anywhere from a day to a month after they're released and all stock is guaranteed.
Millennium CDs, Merrylands, has 5,500 CDs in stock. It specialises in 60s and 70s music and imports rare discs.
New chart releases, at around $20, are usually available within two weeks of release.
For those hooked up to the Internet- or with an Internet cafe close to home- savings can also be made buying CDs from US mail order companies.
While buying on the Internet hasn't taken off yet, it is reasonably easy to access on-line services like CD Now!, CDEurope and CDConnection, which offer up to 90,000 CDs and cassettes which can be airmailed internationally in less than a week.
Sydney company Immedia PR ordered nine widely available CDs at three US-based Internet stores last year.
THE cost worked out at between $226 to $266 compared with $280 to $290 in Australia, where music stores didn't even have all the CDs in stock.
Immedia's Matt Jeffries said for people or organisations buying more than one CD there were savings to be made by ordering over the Internet.
"The Internet is great to get CDs that are hard to find and albums that are never released in Australia," he said.
"Anyone can access these sites and if you happen to live in a remote area where there are no music stores, or just want to save money, buying on the Internet is a great alternative."
Finally, don't forget to check out your local weekend markets, where second hand CDs sellers abound.
You never know when someone else's trash may become your treasure.
© 1996 Sun Herald