Spintricity - Buying Used Music

Buying Used Music – Over The Internet
In the last article, I explored how to buy used music locally and showcased Denver as an example. The other side to buying used music is to not get in a car and find a store but to explore and purchase product over the Internet. Previously, I stated used music is everywhere. When it comes to the Internet this is both figuratively and literally true. You can explore some genres of music that will take you around the world to buy product. You can purchase from these global music shops or from dedicated individual collectors through E-Bay and other sites that allow an individual to post their wares.

I am far from being an expert in this area of buying music and could probably learn a thing or two from many of you. In spite of my lack of diverse knowledge, I\'ll give some examples that I have used and share my experiences.

Buying used over the Internet requires you to find the sites or situations that allow you to look for the music you are interested in buying. The easiest for me has been to use Amazon and explore their merchants who have both new and used product. I have also used E-Bay and found music that wasn\'t available on Amazon. For a more comprehensive approach to buying used over the Internet, check out www.musicbuyingfr... This site will detail a number of shops and options available for you to explore.

E-Bay
You can use E-Bay and search for a particular artist or album title. I have used E-Bay with good affect over the years. I have found people have been honest and accurate about their descriptions of the used product condition. I\'ll use a real example to showcase my experience with E-Bay and it\'s supporters.

I was looking for a CD by Michael O\'Martian for two of his early career solo works, White Horse (1974) & Adam Again (1975). I have both albums in vinyl but have never been able to find the CD. I have looked around for years and never had the fortune of discovering a clean used copy or maybe a hidden new copy. Both albums were put onto one CD as part of The Contemporary Christian Classics by Myrrh records, a division of Word, Inc. I knew this probably had very limited distribution that came and went in a flash. Michael\'s early solo work was small in numbers and his early career exposure was even smaller.

A quick note on Michael O\'Martian is in order. Michael Omartian (born November 26, 1945 in Evanston, Illinois) is an Armenian-American songwriter, Grammy Award-winning keyboardist, and music producer. He has produced albums for several pop artists including Christopher Cross, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston, the Jacksons, Rod Stewart, Trisha Yearwood, Clint Black, Donna Summer, Peter Cetera, Benny Hester, Steve Camp, The Imperials, Amy Grant, and Steely Dan. In 1985, Michael Omartian along with Quincy Jones, co-produced the # 1 hit "We Are the World" by a super group of popular musicians billed as USA for Africa. Omartian is one of the few producers in recording history to have number one records in three consecutive decades – the seventies, eighties and nineties.

In one year alone, he was nominated for ten Grammy Awards, three of which he won for his work on Christopher Cross\' debut album:

1981 Grammy Award for Record of the Year - "Sailing" (with Christopher Cross)
1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year - Christopher Cross
1981 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) – "Sailing"

As you can see, Mr. O\'Martian is a talented producer and musician. I found the CD I had been looking for on E-Bay from an Ohio shop. The CD was in excellent shape and I won the bid with a low bid of $10.00. At one time, I found the CD for $90.00 and didn\'t win the bid. The good thing vs the bad thing about E-Bay and their bidding system is that you may or may not win the product. It is a great way to find rare music but it does not guarantee you will get the product in your hands. I\'m sure there is a method that produces better results but I just rely on sometimes getting lucky and sometimes not.

Amazon, Etc.
I won\'t spend a lot of time here other than to say that Amazon showcases a number of used dealers and provides a way for you to see a person\'s comments about their reliability over a period of time, usually a year, as well as their lifetime rating doing business through Amazon. They clearly state the price of the CD as well as any shipping charges and what they will be. I have bought many used CDs through Amazon and never had a problem. Vendors such as Caiman and Second Spin sell through Amazon and have proven to be reliable and true to their word on product condition description and on following through quickly. This is a quick and convenient way to explore many used products. It follows the proven Amazon format and does a reasonable job of providing diversity of genres and products.

Overall, buying used music over the Internet is relatively easy and painless. My experiences have been positive and worthwhile. While this approach has proven useful, such as with the Michael O\'Martian CD, it really isn\'t the same as talking to a real person with a real personality and developing a relationship to explore new or used music. Maybe you have found an Internet based buying experience that has bridged this gap. I encourage you to share your experiences, both positive and negative, with the rest of the community so we can all learn and profit from your Internet buying experiences.

Good Exploring & Listening!
Brian

by Brian Boehler