Sitting on a gold mine?

[Pianorak]

I don't think I've ever wondered about the value of any of the CDs I have. But recently I came across two sets which are on offer at Amazon at outrageous prices. One is the Copland/Britten piano concertos on Chandos (£76.32) and the other David Russel playing the complete Tárrega works (from £276.56 to 394.10 plus p&p). Why the pennies and p&p at those prices? What is the thinking behind it? Is it simply supply and demand? Are we all sitting on a gold mine?

[MrGongGong]

I don't think I've ever wondered about the value of any of the CDs I have. But recently I came across two sets which are on offer at Amazon at outrageous prices. One is the Copland/Britten piano concertos on Chandos (£76.32) and the other David Russel playing the complete Tárrega works (from £276.56 to 394.10 plus p&p). Why the pennies and p&p at those prices? What is the thinking behind it? Is it simply supply and demand? Are we all sitting on a gold mine?

Not really
There are lots of things listed on Amazon for stupid prices that bear little relation to how much you would get for them.

[Petrushka]

Not really
There are lots of things listed on Amazon for stupid prices that bear little relation to how much you would get for them.

True, but does anyone buy them at the ludicrously inflated prices? If they do then that's what they are worth. As with many other collectables there is always someone who will pay for those elusive items so some rare CD boxes could be worth more than you think.

I have the NYPO Mahler Broadcasts 12 CD set I bought in 1996 from Tower Records for, I think, £95. The highest Amazon price I can find is a whopping £781.60! Similarly, the Bernard Haitink Radio Recordings box which I bought in 2004 for £70 now fetches £154.10.

Unfortunately, your ordinary run-of-the-mill CDs are practically worthless.

[gradus]

Lucky the owner whose pic I was interested in at auction last week. Catalogued at £20-£30 it went for £4,000 plus buyers comm., closer in total to £5k. Perhaps not a gold mine but not bad.

[french frank]

Not really
There are lots of things listed on Amazon for stupid prices that bear little relation to how much you would get for them.

There have been endless discussions about it on the internet, and many suggestions. The most likely seems to be the use of pricing software/algorithmic pricing, with the story of two sellers who were offering the same book which ended in a loop - and a price of $23,698,655.93. The explanation satisfies me, anyway.

[Anastasius]

I had an LP - part of a very limited run - of the Bird Curtis Quintet. It was also autographed by the band. It went via eBay to a Japanese buyer for nearly £900.

So I guess the answer to your question is ''Yes - sometimes"