Thread: Great Deal?

Hey all. If there's any format for Classical that I prefer, it's vinyl. My appreciation for Classical is still pretty elementary, but any great records I can find locally or online I make sure to pick up. Recently, I purchased two box sets through ebay:

Brahms' 4 Symphonies (with Tragic Overture and Variations on a Theme by Haydn) by Arturo Toscanini (RCA Red Label) for $5.95

and Beethoven's Complete Symphonies by Arturo Toscanini (RCA Red Label) for $7.95

The seller had both listed at primo / excellent condition, which makes me wonder why they would sell both sets for so cheap. So I was wondering: Does anybody have either of these particular recordings, and if so, how's the quality?


Thanks!

Both sets are very commonly available.

I don't know what 'primo' signifies here; in the standard LP grading system, 'excellent' indicates a condition below both 'mint' and 'near-mint'. When I was buying LPs I avoided that grade, because it usually indicated surface defects I didn't want to spend the time cleaning up in the transfer process.

Yeah, the "primo" indication had me confused. Well, I'll know when it comes in!

I would suggest you check your local Good Will or consignment stores. Sometimes you will find pristine copy of classical LP records at incredible price ($1 for even a box set!).

i have bought copies on eBay, and it is true that most of them are in very nice condition. But unless you buy a big set (such as the 85-LP Beethoven bicentennial set), you won't find better deal than local stores. Of course if you are looking for some special issues, that will be a different story.

Toscanini on vinyl isn't as good as on CD. There's a box set of everything AT did for RCA that just came out, and the sound quality is miles ahead of the dry boxy sound of the LPs. Classical vinyl is pretty easy to get, even for free. Record dealers don't want to deal with it because of the limited demand and low prices. If you follow your local classifieds, you can find ads for classical collections all the time. Just call the seller and tell them you'll haul away any records they can't sell. You'll fill your house with fantastic records in no time flat and it won't cost you a dime. Anything you don't want, just give to the Goodwill.

I got a complete DGG Beethoven centennial set, and the black box Mozart given to me for free.

The only records I'd pay for are the Franklin Mint 100 Greatest Recordings of All Time series. The performances are consistently top notch, and the pressings are immaculate on audiophile grade red vinyl. Fantastic books too. I usually get those for ten to fifteen a set.