First CD Player
Someone on Facebook asked an interesting question. When did you buy your first CD player. I didn't think much of the question until I realized it was a 25 year anniversary that passed me buy.
The first CD player I bought was in the Summer of 1988. It was a Sony and I got it at Macy's (yes, they once sold electronics). My recollection on whether it was a single-disc or multi-disc player is kind of murky. I don't have the player anymore, having sold it long time ago. I'm guessing it was a single-disc. One thing I do know is that the last player I owned was a multi-one.
Anyway, when it came to moving up from records to CD's, I held out as long as I could. Eventually, stores were slowly moving out vinyl and moving in discs. It was all about supply and demand.
There was also the promise of what the CD could offer. I had gotten tired of buying records that were scratched, skipped or were warped. And a CD corrected all of that.
What I do remember is that none of this were cheap. Like buying your first laptop computer, CD players weren't that cheap at the start. At least Sony's weren't. And I was always a Sony fan.
Once I got the player, I had to buy some CD's. Near Macy's was a Wherehouse (you remember those?). Even in 1988 prices for discs were high. Over $12 for a catalog title. The first CD's I bought were an Elton John Greatest Hits title first released in 1974 and a Bobby McFerrin title. McFerrin had the #1 song at that time, and his CD was always getting good notices on how it sounded on CD players.
As the years went on I filled the coffers of the music industry pretty well. I basically re-bought my whole LP collection on CD. The first few years were tough to do because some vinyl titles took forever to get on CD.
There's going to come a time when we will feel nostalgia for our old CD's and units. Just like people do about vinyl. With streaming and digital about to eliminate CD's there will also be a market for them. I ended up getting rid of my vinyl collection due to space limitations. But my CD collection will go with me to my grave.
Well, maybe just a few Elvis Presley titles.
The first CD player I bought was in the Summer of 1988. It was a Sony and I got it at Macy's (yes, they once sold electronics). My recollection on whether it was a single-disc or multi-disc player is kind of murky. I don't have the player anymore, having sold it long time ago. I'm guessing it was a single-disc. One thing I do know is that the last player I owned was a multi-one.
Anyway, when it came to moving up from records to CD's, I held out as long as I could. Eventually, stores were slowly moving out vinyl and moving in discs. It was all about supply and demand.
There was also the promise of what the CD could offer. I had gotten tired of buying records that were scratched, skipped or were warped. And a CD corrected all of that.
What I do remember is that none of this were cheap. Like buying your first laptop computer, CD players weren't that cheap at the start. At least Sony's weren't. And I was always a Sony fan.
Once I got the player, I had to buy some CD's. Near Macy's was a Wherehouse (you remember those?). Even in 1988 prices for discs were high. Over $12 for a catalog title. The first CD's I bought were an Elton John Greatest Hits title first released in 1974 and a Bobby McFerrin title. McFerrin had the #1 song at that time, and his CD was always getting good notices on how it sounded on CD players.
As the years went on I filled the coffers of the music industry pretty well. I basically re-bought my whole LP collection on CD. The first few years were tough to do because some vinyl titles took forever to get on CD.
There's going to come a time when we will feel nostalgia for our old CD's and units. Just like people do about vinyl. With streaming and digital about to eliminate CD's there will also be a market for them. I ended up getting rid of my vinyl collection due to space limitations. But my CD collection will go with me to my grave.
Well, maybe just a few Elvis Presley titles.
posted by Tom Lane at 5:59 AM
