Quote:
Originally Posted by brooklyndust
The collector in me is a little miffed about all the coloured re-issues and just the general re-issues as of late. Especially the Root Down and In Sound and some Old Bullshit ones.
Although, I'm not really in it for the money, I wonder if the all these reissues drive down the value of the OG pressings.
It took me years to get my og copies of Root Down Blue vinyl, In Sound Gold and Some Old Bullshit 10"
I guess I can sleep easy knowing that my numbered In Sound is a numbered release, but the Root Down blue vinyl doesn't feel that rare to me anymore.
At the end of the day you gotta collect for what makes you happy and not for the money or the prestige. And for me the hunt is probably the most thrilling part. But I would be lying if I said that all these re-issues didn't annoy me just a little bit.
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Glad I'm not the only one thinking about this...
I personally like reissues when the secondary market has become ridiculous. Before the 2017 reissue of To The 5 Boroughs, a vinyl copy was easily over a hundred bucks on Discogs. Anyone who wanted that record had to pay a ton for it, which is ridiculous because this isn't some rare art pieces - just a rap record. So when they reissued it I was happy because now people can get a copy for a fair price. For me, my 1st edition will always be valuable because I believe it to be so, and some people would pay more for a first edition.
The colored Root Downs are the same way. I have an original blue and a new blue, and they are in fact different shades of blue and different weights, but otherwise yeah... I guess it's not as rare to own a blue copy now. But still, to me the original blue isn't diluted by the new blue because there never will be more original blues. The hunt to get one, the thrill at actually getting it, etc. will always be the same.
The only thing that irks me a little about reissues - and about vinyl records in general these days - is the emphasis on color. I'm not knocking anyone for trying to make a quick buck by having fancy colored records (I admit to buying one of each of the new Root Down colors), but I feel like we're reaching a point where every new vinyl release or reissue has to be on colored vinyl. I'd rather save the money and avoid the quality issues that often come with colored vinyl (although not in my experience with Beastie Boys records) and just get a solid black copy. Colored vinyl used to be a special thing like some of you guys have mentioned, and that made them extra cool. Having a green Ill Communication was SO DOPE. But now I have a silver one.... eh, I guess I don't really care, but it's just getting a little kitschy now. Some artists release an album exclusively on on colored vinyl with like 10 different variations. That's cool... I guess. It's just a different fan experience.
Oh and lastly Def Jam can get fucked with their reissues. I bought that clear "Walmart only" reissue (I should have known better...) and it's just super apparent that Def Jam has no desire to do anything productive with that record. Even the cover quality is shit. How is the clarity on the 1986 release great and the 2019 release looks like someone photocopied it at a Staples?