# Where should I buy my music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470 "2000-04-28T00:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/1 "2000-04-28T00:16:00Z")
So I’m going out _this very night_ to buy some blues CD’s, and I was trying to decide between the Tower on Broadway and the Sam Goody’s right across 6th Ave. from my apartment. Then I looked up and saw the new banner ad. My decision is made. Tower it is. Yet another “support the advertisers” post from your friends at the Committee to Make Cecil a Buck Off This Site For a Change." ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/2 "2000-04-28T00:56:00Z")
manny, if you happen to run across a Dutch Mason, grab it. Hurtin’ music, and as bluesy as you can get. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/3 "2000-04-30T02:17:41Z")
Recently got a small bonus, from work, and decided to blow it on music. I checked out [http://www.ubl.com](http://www.ubl.com), looking for some Jimmie Dale Gilmore, couldn’t find anything I didn’t already have. So I decided to try the Tower site and wow! Maybe I just didn’t know how to search properly at UBL, but I found a ton of stuff at Tower in the Compilations section. The Search feature is exceptional – I typed in “Texas” and shoot, the bonus is all spent! Too bad I didn’t get there through here, but at the time, I couldn’t find here. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/4 "2000-04-30T02:23:42Z")
If you follow my theology of The First Church of the Lswotes I provide all music free in response to prayer. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/5 "2000-04-30T04:53:39Z")
Download it for free from Napster or Gnutella ---
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/6 "2000-04-30T10:11:21Z")
which cds did you get? want any recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/7 "2000-04-30T17:47:18Z")
Yeah, c’mon **manny,** whadja get? Anything hot? I was just in the downtown **TOWER** Tuesday night…that’s where I picked up my copy of _The Pizza Tapes,_ plus some Charles MacPherson, some Brew Moore, and this WILD recording of King Curtis (best known as the Coasters’ saxophone player) playing jazz with Nat Adderley. Golly, that **TOWER** is a great store! And I chose to shop there due to the **ABOVE BANNER ADVERTISMENT.** ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/8 "2000-04-30T17:54:03Z")
Did I mention that I spent a **WHOLE PASSEL OF MONEY** that night at at **TOWER RECORDS?** And it was well worth it, due to their **EXCELLENT SELECTION, FRIENDLY SALESPERSONS,** and **REASONABLE PRICES.** ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/9 "2000-04-30T18:05:11Z")
You should also check out Tower’s online selection of used CD’s–I bought a slew of them a few months ago, nearly filling out my Dylan collection, and not one of them was in less than perfect shape. (I think they’re mostly returns and those used in store listening stations.) It’s a great way to get some new music on the cheap and support our advertisers. Dr. J (PS: Although I hate to disparage our generous advertiser, remember–support your local, independent CD shop. After that, shop Tower.) ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/10 "2000-04-30T20:18:17Z")
I was going to suggest going to a locally owned record store…damn. Too little, too late. One of my favorite music stores just closed here, forced out by the new Borders. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-buy-my-music/16470/11 "2000-04-30T23:03:59Z")
I don’t know… I generally make my minor music purchases at Best Buy, simply because it’s the difference between a CD for $13.99 or the same CD for $16.99-18.99 at Tower/MusicLand/Joe’s Independant Music Shack or where ever else. I guess I could see supporting the local guy (and in most businesses I try to), but really I see supporting the local guy as a nice thing to do since he gives you the service and support you don’t get from the chain stores. But I don’t look for services and support from my CDs – I walk in knowing what I want, pick it up, maybe make an impulse buy, and I’m out of there. Perhaps unfair to him, but I don’t see the point in paying an extra three bucks per CD for services I never use. Music chain stores are even worse; if Borders and Barnes & Noble can drive out small bookstores by supplying books at 20% off and additional favors, why in the world are the giant music chainstores still gouging me on albums when I can buy them on the cheap from a department store? I don’t see the cheesy paperback book rack at Wal-Mart selling copies of V.C. Andrews novels for $2.50 below B&N’s pricing, so how come Best Buy constantly blows these music stores out of the water? It seems that if it’s just sales volume, MusicLand should be buying more CDs annually than Best Buy since they stock a greater range so they should be able to offer better pricing. I don’t really accept that BB is just using the CD sales as a loss leader for other sales, since no one goes in to pick up a CD and then buys a VCR, camcorder or wash machine on a whim. I dunno… I just feel gouged anytime I shop there.