Grateful Dead

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That's more than double the cost for what it is being advertised at in the US. Are you sure it's not just your local shop's pricing? I'm in Canada and have seen big differences in pricing from one shop to another in terms of RSD releases. Same thing with Dead stuff. It's tough enough getting decent pricing here on regular vinyl. Is that usually the pricing in the UK for Dead vinyl?

I know you can vote with your feet and not buy - and was not going to comment until this morning when I saw the UK price for the RSD 2016 4lp Box Set of 25 April 77 posted on my local shops RSD List. It is listed at £112.99!!!!!! that is close to $160. The Doors RSD 3lp set is £31.99 by comparison ( which is similar in price to the Yes 3lp set culled from the "72 concerts, the recent FMac Live album etc) and then you campare to the TMR Vault subscription series delivered to your door (a much better idea btw) As a buyer of both Grateful Dead subscriptions and most big issues I still prefer vinyl and am pretty aware of relative prices of 180gm re-issues and consequently think the UK price is just plain unfair and appears to me to be very hard to justify - I feel as though we are being taken for a ride.

I was going to buy it, but you convinced me... That and I haven't played vinyl in close to ten years.

Quite a bit of anger with regards to pricing of GD music. While I understand the disappointment regarding the pricing of certain items, especially LPs, people need to remember that while the physical product of Grateful Dead music costs $$s, most of what is for sale is also available for free, both videos and music. It might not be legal to obtain a copy of something remixed and produced via the band itself, but the music is out there and in varied levels of quality. Soundboards, audience copies etc. In fact, GD music dominates all free streaming formats when compared to other bands. Also,if you are so inclined, GD music at lossless rates is easily found on the many different file sharing search sites. Oh, and of course, we can all remember, if old enough, how the Dead have literally gone out of their way to allow us access to all their shows FOR FREE. The high costs of LPs is not solely a Dead thing, nor is it strictly isolated to Rhino records. The music industry as a whole is trying to maximize as much $s as they can for a product they still believe no longer has the potential for high volume sales. I've seen some comparisons here of different releases, one band's pricing vs another. Truth is, pricing of vinyl is all over the place and at times is definitely priced based on it's possible desirability or "cache?". Reissues climb in price because of their popularity and the term "limited release" is used quite frequently now just to justify the increased rate for a title. It's too bad but that's how things are. Talking to local record shop owners and seeing the ever increase in pricing, it sounds like there will be a full on campaign by the record companies to see exactly how much they can get from the public for new vinyl. Only way you can have a voice is by not buying it at certain prices. I for one am patient and persistent in waiting for price drops, sales and clearances. I managed to get Brookvales dp 4 release for under $50, the Hampton RSD release for under $30 and picked up One from the Vault for $25...all Brand new! Thankfully, especially with GD music, the music is still available FOR FREE! Let me repeat that last sentence for those that want to call the Dead sell outs because of their product pricing. All their music is and always has been available for free whether its in cassette, dat, or reel to reel format or, in a variety of downloading and streaming formats. This is fact BECAUSE of the bands itself and its music is even MORE available now because of today's technology.

Does Dead.net have any gift cards that can be purchased or something? Got one of those $50 pre-paid visa card things as a birthday present, and as a cash strapped graduate student splitting this between a gift card and my own cash makes it hell of a lot more affordable. When I go to the checkout there doesn't appear an option to split between two cards and in a cursory look I can't seem to find any dead.net gift cards that I could convert things into and apply to combine for this.

Thanks for the clarification :)

some hot stuff in there I would like an 83 on the DaP after 7/17/76

I think I'll do the chronological program and listen to each Spring 1990 show on it's anniversary date starting with 3/14/90 (can't thank everyone who contributed enough for the miracle box!!! It gets a lot of mileage). I was listening to the 30 Trips box chronologically and made it through the '92 show so far this time around. I've been happy overall with what has been released, with the Dave's Picks series being the only area where the variety factor has been a sticking point with me. Hopefully volume 19 will mark the beginning a much needed change in direction for varieties sake.

I rarely post comments on Dead.net but felt compelled after reading several comments in this and other sections of the website. It saddens me a great deal to read the many posts which are critical of the Dead organization in regard to the selection of vault releases and subsequent packaging and pricing involved. Many years ago, unless you were connected to a brother or sister who was a tape trader, there were precious few live/vault releases to be had. I remember a time when listening to live Dead music meant a choice between a handful of albums (Europe '72, Live/Dead, the Skull/Roses album, etc.) which were great but few in number. Over the past 20 years we have been blessed with having 36 Dick's Picks volumes, the Vault series, Dave's Picks, the Road Trips series, the multi-volume sets from '69, '72, '77, plus the multitrack series (e.g., the recent spring '90 release "Eyes of the World"), and many many more. I for one feel thankful that the band and the organization has taken the time to organize, preserve, and gradually release so much great music. To be frank, they aren't obligated to release anything. I think to be quibbling over packaging and pricing details among other similar issues is looking a gift horse in the mouth... Thank you Phil, Bobby, Billy, Mickey, and the Dead organization for allowing all of this great music to be released. Many of us have many great memories and vibes associated with this music, and the naysayers will not detract from that. I'm heading off now to the stereo room to listen to Dave's Picks 17, and I'm sure whatever comes out next will be great!

From what was recently said it looks like the price is being placed higher than other album releases from the same label (Rhino). But to be upfront I am not an expert on different types of albums 180 grams etc... My main beef if the limited edition cd set and then through language release single shows as albums. I feel that is underhanded/bad business because we can all agree this music is special to us and as a collector its really difficult to walk away when you know that there will not be a single or era selection from the big box. I guess I have been on both sides where I gave up the money for E72 and then individual shows were released. And then could not justify the money in this economy for the big box and now it looks like shows will not be released. Hey they have the right to do what they want, I understand that- but I think we should still call them out for being the pimps they are with music that means so much to us. Hell its not even the price because I can eventually save to get it over time- but its the get it now garbage that is just sad. Yeah I know they didn't charge the card till months later, but it takes more than a year for some to get the budget to justify. End Rant - thanks for the vent.