Actually a rare records cost a lot, a typical value for a rare Soul 45s is $100-300 each and it is only a middle price, some cost way over thousands for a single 7 inch. Some of them were $1-5 in the 90’s set sale lists, but with the internet auctions prices for rare stuff only goes up every year. Since the majority of them pressed only in small quantities on independent labels in the 60s/70s they are hard to find indeed. And the records that only exists in a handful of copies cost many thousand dollars. Sales statistic available for everyone on popsike.com for all genres of music.
Top quality vintage audio gear also not getting cheaper, but the price for a nice cartridges and stuff is pretty much like a price for a single rare record.
Anyway there are still plenty of cheap gear and cheap records.
The price for a record depends on it’s rarity. Record collectors are ready to pay over $1k for a record than for audio equipment and they don’t believe they are able to hear a difference between the cheap and expensive cartridges. But the rare record (original press only) is a collectible item and music is universal language.
A price for a very rare record does not affected even if there is a re-issue available for $20, collector does not care about re-issues at all, only originals. Just like art, nobody cares about digital re-prints, original can cost a million dollars.
Top quality vintage audio gear also not getting cheaper, but the price for a nice cartridges and stuff is pretty much like a price for a single rare record.
Anyway there are still plenty of cheap gear and cheap records.
The price for a record depends on it’s rarity. Record collectors are ready to pay over $1k for a record than for audio equipment and they don’t believe they are able to hear a difference between the cheap and expensive cartridges. But the rare record (original press only) is a collectible item and music is universal language.
A price for a very rare record does not affected even if there is a re-issue available for $20, collector does not care about re-issues at all, only originals. Just like art, nobody cares about digital re-prints, original can cost a million dollars.