There is a poorly promoted $3.99 sale on kids music here,
The boy could use some new music. Unfortunately, that sale has only TV tie-ins and hits collections. Moreover, he's outgrown Laurie Berkner and almost ready to give up on TMBG's kids albums.
And that's the end of the great $2.99 and $3.99 sale. Kind of annoyed because I forgot to buy 2 things since I was having so many problems with the downloader. Oh well, not the end of the world.
What is it with me forgetting to press the post button? That comment was meant to go up this morning...
Anyway, normally I'd pass on children's albums like those, but the K does really love the Fresh Beat Band. To the point that my wife strong-armed me into spending more money on tickets to see them than I would for any concert for myself... le sigh.
I trust none will sleep until the midnight hour (Eastern Time) has struck and the Amazon Lightning Deal for Hello Kitty DJ Style Headphones has been revealed. How freaking awesome is that?
This Genesis Platinum best of collection from the $5 August albums would really tempt me, if I didn't hate Phil Collins so thoroughly. Is my hatred blinding me to something good? Obviously I have no Genesis in my collection.
On my 200th try I finally got it working with the help of a tech on their web chat. I would have switched to just grabbing the individual mp3s, but doing each one manually and having to tell it not to install the downloader was beyond obnoxious. This is why people give up purchasing mp3s and just go to pirate bay. I'd rather do that and then send a $5 check to Stephen Malkmus...
BigD: Up to Invisible Touch, Genesis was still good Prog Rock (though I never quite liked the trio albums to get them). At the very least, every song has awesome playing from Tony Banks.
Yikes! Neither MP3 nor deal, and certainly more than I want to spend, but this is the first I've seen of this soon to be released 6 CD monster Kinks at the BBC box set. Here's to hoping it becomes available in more affordable fashion.
Well, hello, Disc B of the regrettably out-of-print JSP box Ham Hocks and Cornbread - I think I got Disc A after a similar promo so maybe by the end of the year we'll have the box. It does pay to sign up for those Amazon Local e-mails.
@BT thanks! perfect timing! I just got a $5 credit for MP3s at amazon for buying books classified as "textbooks". With this that gives me a $8.99 album for $.99.
I am suddenly noticing that a bunch of MP3 albums that I am pretty sure used to be $7.99 are now $8.99 at Amazon. Is it just me or has there recently been a price increase?
Weird thing: I often find these free credits harder to spend than real money. Logically I ought to be able to say to myself: "you did not anticipate getting this album and effectively paid nothing for it - it does not matter which one you get or if you get one you would never have bought otherwise." But what really goes on in my head is more like "there are all these albums, many of which could be great, and many of which you'd like to get, and you can have one for free! But you can only pick one, so choose very carefully..." Then I start figuring out which Amazon album is the most expensive at emusic (i.e. saves me the most against getting it there), then I start wondering if I should buy an album I don't want to hear so desperately because it saves me more money and I was going to buy it later or one that I would like to hear now but it saves me less...then at some point I just make an impulse purchase and forget about it until the next coupon. All of which is actually crazy given that I could afford to buy any of these albums if I decided to spend the money. The weird psychology of MP3 coupon codes.
I'm considering Egress by The Green Kingdom (how did I not know that The Green Kingdom had a new album out in May???) but there are so many others....maybe that Icebreaker Apollo album, or I see Peter Broderick's I hear Now is on Amazon now....
I have a hard time too spending these free credits, too. Weirdly enough I somehow had $8 in MP3 credits with Amazon, $3 from the promotion and the rest maybe from "textbooks."
That's also been a problem with eMu to decide from my SFL and other wise what to get this month. I try not to overthink it so much anymore.
It can be done without overthinking? Clearly I've been doing it wrong. I think deep down I can't decide if a promotional coupon is:
- a get out of jail free card (I should buy an album I'm not sure about or unlikely to spend real money on and nothing is lost if I don't like it)
- a birthday present (I get to treat myself and it had better be something I like)
- a budget expansion mechanism (I get to squeeze more albums into my budget and so should get whatever saves me most)
Choosing the wrong album carries a significant opportunity cost - why, you might have to wait for the next coupon!
I am generally budget expansion - always trying to get the max music for min money. If I see a good price on something I think maybe I want, it becomes a definitely want.
It can be done without overthinking? Clearly I've been doing it wrong. I think deep down I can't decide if a promotional coupon is:
- a get out of jail free card (I should buy an album I'm not sure about or unlikely to spend real money on and nothing is lost if I don't like it)
- a birthday present (I get to treat myself and it had better be something I like)
- a budget expansion mechanism (I get to squeeze more albums into my budget and so should get whatever saves me most)
I could be accused of over-thinking every purchase, something that having more money only worsens. My own problem is deciding how to use any particular coupon in order to pay what I think should be the appropriate price for any particular album. Does the coupon at least get an album down to the magical price of $5.99? Does is make it less expensive than other outlets (particularly eMu)? What's the likelihood that the album will be on sale somewhere soon?
The >$5.99 qualification makes this coupon less appealing than others. $5.99-->$7.99 is almost a dead zone, and too many appealing albums are either on sale for less or above that range.
Isn't the over thinking part of what makes this whole music collecting hobby fun? It is for me. If I'm not overthinking, it's like grocery shopping instead of collecting.
I agree the $5.99 aspect does make it a lot less appealing of a deal. Getting something for $5.99 still isn't a great deal.
I've found a couple of classical things that look interesting though; both $7.99; one is the complete Sibelius symphonies and the other is a complete Wagner Ring Cycle.
After advanced statistical study, careful surveys, and spectrographic analysis I decided to go for a Tor Lundvall album that saves me money on emusic, is a slight risk because I have never bought one by him before, and that I wanted to listen to. Success.
You guys work too hard to spend $3 at Amazon. I simply went to the notable Classical Music release thread and picked out something I wanted. This time Robert Carl, Roundabout.
You could see it as working too hard, or as maximising the amount of amusing diversion to be had from a $3 credit. And I had $8 in credit, so it was REALLY serious.
Screw economics! I've invested three years in an ideological battle with Adam Stein, J Edward, Cathy NH, Wanderer, Ray23, and that bit player in the Transformer movies to prove that eMusic was wrong to take on the majors. Every discount is a chance to prove them wrong!
A 1987 released album of 1978 live recordings from Kinshasa including a 26 minute song by Konono No. 1! Thanks to tiny mix tapes for pointing out the existence of this!
Get $5.00 Amazon MP3 credit when you cash in $20.00 of coins at a Coinstar machine and opt to receive your 'payment' via Amazon Gift Code/Card.
MP3 credit expires end of October.
It apparently does stack so one can execute a number of $20.00 txns and get a $5 MP3 credit for each one. I stopped by a machine on my way to work (first time ever using a Coinstar machine). Only exchanged $20.75. Tomorrow I will bring the whole coffee can of coins and see how many $20 transactions that yields.
Watch out for those pre-1982 pennies - the amount of copper in them is worth about 2.4 cents now. Hoarders everywhere are waiting for the penny to be abolished so they can be legally melted down. Isn't that a grand excuse for keeping those 6 coffee cans full I've been moving around since like the 70's?
I've been doing the Coinstar thing lately - I find the penny jar does not fill up the way it used to! And of course once that credit's sitting there, it doesn't take long before I find something on which to spend it.
Followup to my earlier post. The $5.00 Amazon MP3 credit codes definitely do stack. I got another 5 codes this morning and with the code from yesterday now have $30 of MP3 credits w/Amazon.
Now Amazon just has to come up with an enticing sale or some killer deals between now and Halloween.
Comments
Anyway, normally I'd pass on children's albums like those, but the K does really love the Fresh Beat Band. To the point that my wife strong-armed me into spending more money on tickets to see them than I would for any concert for myself... le sigh.
This Genesis Platinum best of collection from the $5 August albums would really tempt me, if I didn't hate Phil Collins so thoroughly. Is my hatred blinding me to something good? Obviously I have no Genesis in my collection.
John Hollenbeck & Orchestra National de Jazz - Shut Up and Dance
Stream most of it at ONJ's site, and buy it at Amazon.
I am suddenly noticing that a bunch of MP3 albums that I am pretty sure used to be $7.99 are now $8.99 at Amazon. Is it just me or has there recently been a price increase?
Weird thing: I often find these free credits harder to spend than real money. Logically I ought to be able to say to myself: "you did not anticipate getting this album and effectively paid nothing for it - it does not matter which one you get or if you get one you would never have bought otherwise." But what really goes on in my head is more like "there are all these albums, many of which could be great, and many of which you'd like to get, and you can have one for free! But you can only pick one, so choose very carefully..." Then I start figuring out which Amazon album is the most expensive at emusic (i.e. saves me the most against getting it there), then I start wondering if I should buy an album I don't want to hear so desperately because it saves me more money and I was going to buy it later or one that I would like to hear now but it saves me less...then at some point I just make an impulse purchase and forget about it until the next coupon. All of which is actually crazy given that I could afford to buy any of these albums if I decided to spend the money. The weird psychology of MP3 coupon codes.
I'm considering Egress by The Green Kingdom (how did I not know that The Green Kingdom had a new album out in May???) but there are so many others....maybe that Icebreaker Apollo album, or I see Peter Broderick's I hear Now is on Amazon now....
That's also been a problem with eMu to decide from my SFL and other wise what to get this month. I try not to overthink it so much anymore.
- a get out of jail free card (I should buy an album I'm not sure about or unlikely to spend real money on and nothing is lost if I don't like it)
- a birthday present (I get to treat myself and it had better be something I like)
- a budget expansion mechanism (I get to squeeze more albums into my budget and so should get whatever saves me most)
I am generally budget expansion - always trying to get the max music for min money. If I see a good price on something I think maybe I want, it becomes a definitely want.
The >$5.99 qualification makes this coupon less appealing than others. $5.99-->$7.99 is almost a dead zone, and too many appealing albums are either on sale for less or above that range.
I agree the $5.99 aspect does make it a lot less appealing of a deal. Getting something for $5.99 still isn't a great deal.
I've found a couple of classical things that look interesting though; both $7.99; one is the complete Sibelius symphonies and the other is a complete Wagner Ring Cycle.
After advanced statistical study, careful surveys, and spectrographic analysis I decided to go for a Tor Lundvall album that saves me money on emusic, is a slight risk because I have never bought one by him before, and that I wanted to listen to. Success.
A 1987 released album of 1978 live recordings from Kinshasa including a 26 minute song by Konono No. 1! Thanks to tiny mix tapes for pointing out the existence of this!
MP3 credit expires end of October.
It apparently does stack so one can execute a number of $20.00 txns and get a $5 MP3 credit for each one. I stopped by a machine on my way to work (first time ever using a Coinstar machine). Only exchanged $20.75. Tomorrow I will bring the whole coffee can of coins and see how many $20 transactions that yields.
Heard about it here.
Now Amazon just has to come up with an enticing sale or some killer deals between now and Halloween.