the most high-end cd shop in HK!
i am currently holidaying in HK. i will be visiting most of the hi-fi shop in HK in the next few days.
as i was roaming in time square mall, causeway bay, i chanced upon this cd shop. not suspecting anything special, i stepped into the shop just to browse with no intention to buy. i saw plenty of audiophile cds with tags like "limited edition", "virgin press". curious, i turned the cd around to check the price tag, hold your breath - HKD2000 a piece! holy cow, i was stunned! speechless! it took me only 2 minutes to finish my browsing before i made my exit.
outside the shop, i studied some of the posters pasted on the shopfront. apparently, sam, the proprietor, has been selling virgin-pressed japanese-pressed cd since 1987. they are so bloody expensive because virgin pressing coupled with japanese pressing is supposedly the best recording ever. it offers the best sonic quality. these cds are all considered as NOS, new old stock, just like vacuum tubes. so, once they are sold, there won't be anymore left.
what an eye-opener. this is the first time i heard a cd costing more than RM200.
if you open a shop like this in kl, you are bound to close shop within months.
as i was roaming in time square mall, causeway bay, i chanced upon this cd shop. not suspecting anything special, i stepped into the shop just to browse with no intention to buy. i saw plenty of audiophile cds with tags like "limited edition", "virgin press". curious, i turned the cd around to check the price tag, hold your breath - HKD2000 a piece! holy cow, i was stunned! speechless! it took me only 2 minutes to finish my browsing before i made my exit.
outside the shop, i studied some of the posters pasted on the shopfront. apparently, sam, the proprietor, has been selling virgin-pressed japanese-pressed cd since 1987. they are so bloody expensive because virgin pressing coupled with japanese pressing is supposedly the best recording ever. it offers the best sonic quality. these cds are all considered as NOS, new old stock, just like vacuum tubes. so, once they are sold, there won't be anymore left.
what an eye-opener. this is the first time i heard a cd costing more than RM200.
if you open a shop like this in kl, you are bound to close shop within months.
3 comments:
Anything with the word "Virgin" means big bucks. For example. A "virgin" audiphile will pay big bucks for something that may not sound good. "Virgin" olive oil. You get the picture.
good one, tourist.
we all treasure virgins in all things.
if the business sustains itself, it says much for the person who has spotted this sustainable niche. i doubt m'sians will find a big enough market for something like this. our priorities are rooted in more mundane needs than higher pursuits like 'virgin material'.
u can turn this into a global niche business by taking order online and shipping to anyone in the world. This is like the idea of selling limited edition watches online to the global watch fraternity. The retailer/trader is providing a valuable and sustainable position in the value chain because you are aggregating demand in a way that no brick & mortar business can.
The customer pool are:
a) people who are very learned in the product/trade - they know specifically what they want. You don't really need to educate them on the product anymore. However, u need to reassure them that you are a reliable merchant, of the highest standard & provide guarantees, referals from past cuystomers etc..
b) product uncertainty is minimal because a 1998 pressing of label A, NOS etc.. is a very specific item, like a book's ISBN code. No one is not sure of what they are buying.
c) express shipping costs is small compared to purchase price so either no objection to shipping costs or you set the price such that you can absorb the shipping cost
d) people who can appreciate these limited pressings will have the DESIRE/LUST to own them. This is a high emotional sell business which is good.
I think there is potential for a online business to be built around this but you really need to secure your supplier(s) and find out who your customers really are and whether they have more convenient/cheaper/reliable supplier than you once you set up your online business.
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