Advice for buying Stockhausen Online
(I am not a professional LP trader so anyone who requires expert valuations and guidance should seek it elsewhere. On this page I am sharing my own experience).
Why buy Stockhausen LPs?
Stockhausen vinyl is quite collectable. Serious collectors appreciate its rarity, since some pressings numbered only a few thousand copies. The cover artwork is often comparable with the iconic rock album covers of the 1960s and 1970s. Stockhausen also has held a strong cross-over appeal within several musical genres (e.g world music, jazz, rock, classical) so his recordings have been desirable by a wide range of listeners. Browsing through the Contemporary, Electronic or Avant Garde shelves in a second-hand record shop will often reveal the higher prices asked for Stockhausen LPs.
The musical reasons for listening to the LPs are also compelling. While many recordings have now been transferred to CD (and can be obtained through mail-order) other wonderful performances seem unlikely to reappear. Even where a beautifully remastered CD exists, the lesser dynamic range of the LP format can be more than made up for by the brilliance of the experimental stereo mixing, which rewards and astonishes even today.
We might imagine the excitement of the original listener sharing the birth of this new music. Carefully lowering the stylus on to the vulnerable vinyl while adjusting the amplifier, we somehow connect with the risk-taking and audacity of the composer and his musicians.
Auction Sites
No second-hand record store could possibly compete with the variety and availablity of Stockhausen recordings being sold on internet auction sites. Since eBay is the largest, this is a good place to look. An online payment service such as PayPal is available for most purchases so set this up before you start to bid.
Once you have an account at eBay it is useful to use a bookmark/favourite link to your Search for Stockhausen such as eBay: Stockhausen so you can check back quickly at anytime. Try it now to see what is currently on offer!
As you can see, there is a variety of relevant music in the list.. Watch out for other music that has been cunningly cross-indexed to make it appear in a Stockhausen search. Ignore the Stockhausen brand Soap Dispensers!
There are also localised eBay sites worth searching separately (ebay.de, ebay.fr etc). Few sellers will not deliver the items worldwide but one regular German dealer will not even allow items to cross the borders of his country!
Prices
Nothing is predictable in an online auction, so eBay gives advice to buyers on how to bid sensibly and effectively. In addition you should be aware of a few things.
1. Just because an item is marked "rare" doesn't mean it is comparatively hard to find. Most sellers are honest, but many record dealers have little knowledge of the music they are selling. Check the item using websites such as this one for more accurate descriptions.
2. You can assume there are bidders out there who will recognise the most "valuable" items and know how much they are "worth". Bargains are to be had, but certain items will nearly always reach high prices. here are some examples of the very high prices (approx) that have been paid in recent months for a few sought after items. Most Stockhausen is available for far less than these though. Check the delivery (shipping) amount before bidding. These guide prices are American dollars.
Spiral/Japan/Wach 2LP $80
Opus 1970 $40
Aus Den Sieben Tagen 7LP box $170
Spiral / Heinz Holliger: Siebengesang $110
Most Stockhausen LPs seem to sell for between $5 and $20.
3. For the rarer items, bids will usually arrive towards the end of the auction. Bidders willing to pay a lot, but only if necessary, do not want any bidding battle to start too soon. eBay's advice is to bid your maximum early on, but many prefer to hide their intentions until the last few minutes or seconds!
4. Before bidding for CDs check the list price from with Stockhausen-Verlag (mail-order) or Amazon.com. Stockhausen Complete Edition CDs have been selling second-hand for rather more than a new copy from Germany, mainly due to the convenience of credit card purchasing on eBay. Stockhausen-Verlag take note!
5. Some Stockhausen recordings are offered with reserve prices, high starting bids, or even Buy It Now! prices. When these items are excessively priced they frequently remain unsold.