Record Collecting In China

I notice we have some members here who live in China, so I'm curious if any of you have any observations on what seems to be an emerging market for record collecting. I started selling records part-time in the 1970s and went full time in the early 1990s. Japan has always been the biggest market in Asia for US pressings, followed by South Korea, for many genres, but mostly rock, soul and jazz. Classical has been the main choice for customers in other East Asian countries. A market for classical lps has already been alive in China for the past ten years, but now we're seeing inquiries for rock and jazz. I also have a mysterious bulk buyer who seems to be shipping a lot of 70s-80s rock lps to China. So, are you aware of any record sellers in China? Do you see them at the flea markets? Have you noticed a trend toward collecting records by Chinese citizens?

 

This is just my observations from visiting Guangzhou, China.

There are record sellers in that city and they tend to concentrate into certain areas. You can walk into a "mall" and there will be a bunch of small shops that sells nothing but vinyl records. Most of the vinyl records are either of Western classical or 70s/80s Hong Kong-produced pop. There are relatively few Western pop/rock titles from what I've seen.

On the whole, records is still kind of esoteric....I would bet most people in their 30s or 40s over there probably haven't ever listened to a record before. However, from what I have read in Hong Kong newspapers and on HK audiophile websites, there's very strong interest in vinyl records amongst the newly "up and coming".

Here're some photos from the owner of the website vinylparadise.com chronicling his search for vinyl records in Guangzhou and Shenzhen....

Shenzhen record stores

Guangzhou record stores 1

Guangzhou record stores 2

 

Great photos, lots of familiar gear. Thanks.

 

Some new photos from records shops in Guangzhou, China.....

http://www.vinylparadise.com/LPCollec/LPShop/lpschn04/lpschn04.htm

 

I live in Beijing most of the year. There are a few small (illegal) shops that sell vinyl but I have never (generally) seen any 70's/80's rock LPs. Most of them are classical LPs from Europe. I did go to a shop that once had Japanese white label promo LPs, some were red vinyl and some Rolling Stones Japanese LPs from the 60's. I bought most of them but he was "shut down" by the local police soon after.
Where does your Bulk buyer have the stuff sent, Northern or Southern China?

I think there are many people in China who would like to get into vinyl but the cost makes it difficult. I never met any young people who were interested in vinyl.

I think there is an emerging market in China for high quality audio equipment. Mainly because it is domestic product and much cheaper for them to buy it.

I have had sellers ask me if I would buy boxes of cheap lps in the US and they would buy them from me. But they won't offer me enough $$ to bother. I mean they want to pay me only $4.00 tops for each record. That is including shipping costs. No way!

inperson

 

I looked at the pictures of Guangzhou's markets. I was there about 3 years ago. Many of the western artist's they had was old stuff from Hong Kong, which is just across the border, not too interesting. Nothing that great and over priced on most stuff. They need a good supply of good stuff. But if we send them our stuff then we won't have it anymore

inperson

 

Vinyl is a relative "new" music medium in China. When the Communist took over, most of China's music companies moved to Hong Kong. Don't forget the country didn't really opened up until the late 70s. Currently, a turntable is a "chic" item to have....signifying culture and class. To the general masses, it has always been the cassette, then the CD, as the main music carrier.

US$4.00 is a lot of money to the typical Chinese citizen.

 

I don't know, he's rather mum on the whole deal, but I've picked up some information from other people (non-dealers) he's talked to. My guess would be the Hong Kong/Shenzhen area, where people have more money.

 

He doesn't believe or understand that I have to transport the records from the US to China at a cost. He sells his reords at 80 yuan each, that's $10.00. I told him he needs to find a cheap way to get them sent to China. He also told me he will look through the LPs I bring to him and pick which ones he wants. He is not using me as a transporter. Some of these guys think that we need to do them a favor by bringing them the records. He has to spend money to make it. There are plenty of Chinese in the big cities that have money to spend. Few people there pay taxes and if they do it is low. Yes you are right the typical Chinese citizen doesn't have much cash but if we are talking about records then we are not talking about the typical Chinese citizen.

inperson

 

It is interesting, I know a guy in Beijing whos buys hundreds of (legit) European/Japanese overstock and promo, cutout cds that are sent to China to be recycled. He then takes those cds and sells them to a cd dealer in the US, who then sells them on ebay. Sometimes there are some gems in those cds and he makes a nice profit.

inperson

 

That's a lot of demands from your Chinese buyer

 

Any idea where I can find pre-recorded Chinese cassettes?

Dave

 

Try Wal-Mart.

 

That looks like Flushing NY. Are you sure it's China

 

I was interested to see the Chinese fascination with Deutsche Grammaphon - whole walls of those LPs. And the boxes of Mercury and RCA titles...I wonder how much those are/were going for.

Given the quality of tubed hi-fi coming from China, its only a matter of time before vinyl becomes established as a solid niche product in China.

 

Came across some new vinyl releases from ABC Records of China. Probably of most interest to this forum is the Nat "King" Cole LP....



All of the titles are pressed in Germany and credit Mark Levinson (yes, THAT Mark Levinson) as engineer....



Of course, as to be expected, some of you may be skeptical. So I e-mailed Mr. Levinson via his Red Rose Music "Contact Us" webpage....and I got a confirmation e-mail directly from the man himself.

A little more digging revealed these aren't cheap vinyl titles....about US$40.00 per title!! And I was thinking vinyl could be much cheaper over there.

 

Pre-recorded cassettes of Western artists from China?

 

Man, that's some really impressive gear in some of those shops. I wish we had shops like that around here, that had vintage gear in that condition just sitting out waiting to be bought.

 

Slightly off-topic....

If you ever come up to the Bay Area, check out San Jose's The Analog Room.

 

Hi I have a lot of chinese LPs 33rpm and some 78s all lables are in Chinese writing is there any way of researching them

 

Any photos of these?

 

Hey! Beatles Price Break Mono Box!
You won't believe this price:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NEW-...imited-Edition-Factory-Sealed/1543456630.html

all is well in china
the beave

 

Thngs have changed a lot since this thread began.

For me I rarely go to any of the few cd shops around Beijing. Taobao is a huge online selling website in China. I've gotten many old used Japanese CD's for a nice price. Right now I am buying old Japanese pressed Chicago CD's and LP's. I got a Japanese Pink Floyd "One of these Days" 45single a few days ago. About a year ago I got a Japanese Beatles Mono box set for $50 and it is a real one! The outer box had some damage but the cd's and sleeves were perfect, it was shipped to China as trash.

 

So what exactly is legal and illegal music to sell in China?