The Rise and Fall of the Columbia House Records Club

bort · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 6:55 pm

I never was a member (my brother was at one point), but I definitely remember the catalog and the ads in music mags with "Get 12 CDs for just one penny!"

Interesting history and take on the whole thing, talking about how it was a precursor to "interactive" music shopping, and people's attitudes about getting music for free.

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/1297 ... TOPCONTENT

Danny Don't Rapp · **Joined:** Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:20 pm **Posts:** 1530

I did BMG about a thousand times using every relative I've ever had's name (and probably some I never had, too). Shit was a great deal if you kept signing up for new accounts and never bought anything outside of what was required.

discostu · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:07 pm

will read

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:35 pm

Danny Don't Rapp Wrote:

I did BMG about a thousand times using every relative I've ever had's name (and probably some I never had, too). Shit was a great deal if you kept signing up for new accounts and never bought anything outside of what was required.

I did the same with Columbia House and BMG. I even remember getting things like Metallica albums on vinyl back in the 80's.

discostu · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:40 pm

Yail Bloor Wrote:

Danny Don't Rapp Wrote:

I did BMG about a thousand times using every relative I've ever had's name (and probably some I never had, too). Shit was a great deal if you kept signing up for new accounts and never bought anything outside of what was required.

I did the same with Columbia House and BMG. I even remember getting things like Metallica albums on vinyl back in the 80's.

Quote:

The patron saint of the records-club schemers would probably be Joseph Parvin. In 2000, the 60-year-old was prosecuted for having received, between 1993 and 1998, nearly 27,000 CDs, using over 2000 fake accounts and 16 P.O. boxes. All told, he bilked Columbia House (and rival BMG) out of $425,000 of product, selling them at flea markets. For anyone who was paying attention when his arrest made headlines at the time, it was kind of like finding out that Paul Bunyan is real — someone actually was able to cheat the system the way everyone dreams of.

Lrr · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:56 pm

I'm not sure the guy who was arrested successfully "cheated the system".

seafoam · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:40 am

Yail Bloor Wrote:

Danny Don't Rapp Wrote:

I did BMG about a thousand times using every relative I've ever had's name (and probably some I never had, too). Shit was a great deal if you kept signing up for new accounts and never bought anything outside of what was required.

I did the same with Columbia House and BMG. I even remember getting things like Metallica albums on vinyl back in the 80's.

I rememeber my brother getting ACDC, Cars, Some Comp with a Springsteen song and other top 40 stuff, Journey, he was all excited but never ended liking most of the choices

toots · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:49 am

i remember it being super easy to have multiple accounts. i had like three, because there are a couple different ways to spell my name. i think i did it on accident even, but i kept getting these offers so i kept signing up for the deal.

bort · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:09 am

Lrr Wrote:

I'm not sure I guy who was arrested successfully "cheated the system".

yeah i don't think the arrest is part of most people's dreams.

According to the article Columbia itself was doing a bit of a system cheat as well, since bands were not paid royalties on the CDs they gave away to lure in customers (they shoveled 3 million units of that Hootie & The Blowfish album out the door, and called them "promotional copies").

timmyjoe42 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:10 am

I'd liked to see this movie if it gets finished:

All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

Stone · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:27 am **Posts:** 1562

I will read this. I did vinyl, tapes, and CDs through Columbia House.

Lrr · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:28 pm

It's a decent article. I actually would like to see something more in-depth on how this affected Terre Haute as a community through the various business cycles.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

yeah, i was super excited to read the article but felt it was a little thin.

I did BMG with many names.

mutty · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:28 pm

I must have been one of the few who actually fulfilled their membership obligations. I'd invariably quit soon afterwards, and they'd call me with offers of more free albums to re-up.

Thee Incident · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:06 pm

I was a legit BMG member for 15 years. If you timed the sales right and bought big, you get get CDs for an average of $5 each. Super easy way to load up on classic/catalog stuff and select newer titles. I was legit bummed when it closed up for good, but I dropped close to $150 on boxed sets (Motown, Jackson 5, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Marvin Gaye) and other stuff.

mutty · **Posted:** Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:37 am

Must be that Michigan moral minority.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

mutty Wrote:

I must have been one of the few who actually fulfilled their membership obligations. I'd invariably quit soon afterwards, and they'd call me with offers of more free albums to re-up.

i always fulfilled my fake names as well as my legal names.

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:11 pm

Lrr Wrote:

It's a decent article. I actually would like to see something more in-depth on how this affected Terre Haute as a community through the various business cycles.

They'll always have Tommy John.

The Rise and Fall of the Columbia House Records Club

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