Deleted FTD Titles 2017

[Elvis2000]

Dixieland Delight is a piece of crap, should have been deleted years ago.

I wouldn't call Dixieland Delight crap, Dixieland Delight has a good pair of shows. But it is definitely weaker than what came a few weeks before in Mufreesboro and what came after in Dallas or Memphis.

I disagree. There is nothing "delightful" about Dixieland Delight. Elvis is clearly impaired and his vocal work is largely substandard. Very reminiscent of 1976 concerts. It has been years since I played this FTD title, but IIRC, there are not any redeeming performances. It may be the worst 1975 concert release to date.

While I agree with most of this, there are a few redeeming performances here. "I'm Leavin" is excellent, and I seem to remember that "For the Good Times" and "I Can't Stop Loving You" are pretty solid too. However, Elvis is clearly impaired in Huntsville. Although these shows are hyped up to be something else, they are probably the worst of the tour. Dixieland Delight is memorable for the crowd reaction and Elvis's great mood, sort of like the Atlanta twofer, except that Elvis put on much better shows in Atlanta.

I suspect that the Huntsville shows received praise years ago due to the above-average sound quality of the soundboard recordings, not the actual performance quality.

Can you prove your "suspicion"..?

I think the Huntsville shows are extra class good !!!

Extra class good? That is too much praise, I would say these shows are decent, but not as special or good as the Memphis show for example.

The June 9, 1975 Memphis concert is another significantly overrated show. Good sound, substandard set-list, average performance.

June 9? I though it was June 10 AS.

Anyway the Memphis show is good and I enjoy the performance with Fairytale being my highlight. But I used it as a comparison against the poorer Huntsville shows.

Correct, it was a typo. Nevertheless, I find the Memphis show to be quite underwhelming on a number of levels. The set-list is very substandard. Elvis goes through the motions and set-list is very pedestrian with way too much bloat.

I always thought highly of the 1975 Memphis show. Ironically, FTD ruined that illusion by pairing it with one of the vastly superior Memphis shows from the year before.

The 1975 show on its own it is well preformed. But the Hometown Shows set should of had another 1974 Memphis show.

[Deleted User 1099]

Johnny2523, I guess I remember wrong about "For the Good Times" then. Haven't played these shows in a long time.

Elvis2000, that was my actual suggestion to Ernst, to release a double date from Memphis, either both shows from the 16th or both shows from the 17th. Too bad that didn't happen. And, yes, I agree that the Memphis 1975 show is pretty good compared to a lot of other 1975 tour shows. However, when it's paired up with a far superior show, recorded a mere fifteen months earlier, the decline of Elvis Presley becomes almost unbearable. It would have been more sensible to pair it with the Memphis 1976 show (the band intros could have been carefully edited to make the concert fit on one CD).

[When In Rome]

Just seen on Elvis Shop London the FTD titles 'Las Vegas '74' & 'Elvis in Atlanta' are now apparently last copies/deleted. Is this the end times? Has the interest slowly faded? Are they now more they like they said they'd be at the start 'coming, here then gone'? Is the print run tiny these days?
https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33523

https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33663

[JEFF d]

I also was informed by Essential Elvis that Atlanta FTD cd is completely sold out... he was able to dispatch my LV '74 FTD tho as they got some copies of that in stock(finally) but it is also very limited

JEFF d
EP fan

[Johnny2523]

I also was informed by Essential Elvis that Atlanta FTD cd is completely sold out... he was able to dispatch my LV '74 FTD tho as they got some copies of that in stock(finally) but it is also very limited

JEFF d
EP fan

So that kind of means they just been selling well ?

[Mike C]

I also was informed by Essential Elvis that Atlanta FTD cd is completely sold out... he was able to dispatch my LV '74 FTD tho as they got some copies of that in stock(finally) but it is also very limited

JEFF d
EP fan

So that kind of means they just been selling well ?

Or production is down. Buy it now where you can find it.

[Johnny2523]

I also was informed by Essential Elvis that Atlanta FTD cd is completely sold out... he was able to dispatch my LV '74 FTD tho as they got some copies of that in stock(finally) but it is also very limited

JEFF d
EP fan

So that kind of means they just been selling well ?

Of production is down. Buy it now where you can find it.

I have both so i'm save

[JEFF d]

I'm just guessing these titles are selling out and wont be remanufactured?

JEFF d
EP fan

[dougkapp]

Just seen on Elvis Shop London the FTD titles 'Las Vegas '74' & 'Elvis in Atlanta' are now apparently last copies/deleted. Is this the end times? Has the interest slowly faded? Are they now more they like they said they'd be at the start 'coming, here then gone'? Is the print run tiny these days?
https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33523

https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33663

Hello there, is there any information about the new FTD deletions?

I found on Ebay a seller, who claims the following titles are now deleted:

Elvis Presley - ELVIS: Las Vegas '74 - FTD 148 - New & Sealed - Deleted - £39.99
Elvis Presley - Elvis In Atlanta - 2 x FTD CD Set - New & Sealed - Deleted - £39.99

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/elvisstudiob/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

The seller is:
elvisstudiob
chris giles

Yes... as I wrote on 28.august....

[When In Rome]

Just seen on Elvis Shop London the FTD titles 'Las Vegas '74' & 'Elvis in Atlanta' are now apparently last copies/deleted. Is this the end times? Has the interest slowly faded? Are they now more they like they said they'd be at the start 'coming, here then gone'? Is the print run tiny these days?
https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33523

https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=33663

Hello there, is there any information about the new FTD deletions?

I found on Ebay a seller, who claims the following titles are now deleted:

Elvis Presley - ELVIS: Las Vegas '74 - FTD 148 - New & Sealed - Deleted - £39.99
Elvis Presley - Elvis In Atlanta - 2 x FTD CD Set - New & Sealed - Deleted - £39.99

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/elvisstudiob/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

The seller is:
elvisstudiob
chris giles

Yes... as I wrote on 28.august....

At that time though, the Elvis Shop London's website still had those titles as in stock, not deleted nor with an inflated price.

[chop983]

Bumping the price up from £22 to £50 is quite simply profiteering.

[Drutt monsoon]

I must admit,I'm puzzled as to why these have become so scarce so quickly.
Any ideas anyone?

[dougkapp]

I believe FTD has a new policy for soundboard pressing, maybe the production of those stuff be smaller now. Printing only what sells, stock long for a limited time. Once sold out, is sold out.

[nicod98]

But... and the new fans? The new FTD customers? If FTD would deleted all soundboard few months after release, those titles would be rare, expensive. Sometimes I think about the new fans, how many of them are buying FTD. With 18 years of existence FTD probably has new customers every year. Maybe not so much as we would like...

I don't think FTD sales are that high that they can afford to keep all items in stock. Once sold out, I suppose most/some (don't have numbers) are not reprinted, because it is just not worth it financially.

I like FTD, I like what Ernst & co have done in the past few decades. Yes, there are some decisions, mistakes that I don't like, but in general they did a hell of a job, and instead of complaining we should be happy with what we have available.

Perhaps streaming or iTunes (& co) would be an option for "deleted titles", but only if it is a financially possible, which I doubt. I have a friend that has a "print-on-demand" book for sale with Amazon, and it costs money just to keep it on the website. If he doesn't sell X number of books each year, he has to pay Amazon to keep it in their catalog. So if they would do the same with FTD, it might still not be financially possible.
So, I suppose (and I think I remember that "policy" from back when FTD started) they use the following business model "it's coming, it's here, it's gone". NO company keeps everything they release in stock, why should FTD?

[When In Rome]

More deletions with last copies remaining according to the Elvis Shop London (£49.99)...
'Loving You'
https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=1597
'Paradise, Hawaiian Style'
https://www.theelvisshoplondon.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=1603

[A Long Time Fan]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

[When In Rome]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

[A Long Time Fan]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

[The Pirate]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

It's simple economics, it's governed by "the law of supply and demand." If there are loads available, enough to meet demand, the price remains steady. If availability goes down, and demand remains high or at least constant, the price goes up. In a free market, this has always been and will always be the case. The answer is simple, if you want to own something then buy it when it comes out. If you can't afford to buy it when it comes out then you have to take your chances later on. You look at your income, you look at your expenditure, and you juggle things around. If you have the choice between buying an Elvis CD or buying food, then you buy food. If the choice is getting Elvis CD which has just been released and which might cost more in the future, against buying something by another artist which if anything is likely to be cheaper as time goes on, then buy the Elvis CD. Even if it's an Elvis CD which is nowhere near as good as the other one.

What it comes down to, as we say over and over again, is that none of this comes under the heading of "essentials". It's all luxury goods. We can complain about the cost, but we don't have a right to any of it. We aren't talking about shelter and clean water, we're talking about shiny plastic discs that make a noise when you stick them under a laser.

[When In Rome]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

It's simple economics, it's governed by "the law of supply and demand." If there are loads available, enough to meet demand, the price remains steady. If availability goes down, and demand remains high or at least constant, the price goes up. In a free market, this has always been and will always be the case. The answer is simple, if you want to own something then buy it when it comes out. If you can't afford to buy it when it comes out then you have to take your chances later on. You look at your income, you look at your expenditure, and you juggle things around. If you have the choice between buying an Elvis CD or buying food, then you buy food. If the choice is getting Elvis CD which has just been released and which might cost more in the future, against buying something by another artist which if anything is likely to be cheaper as time goes on, then buy the Elvis CD. Even if it's an Elvis CD which is nowhere near as good as the other one.

What it comes down to, as we say over and over again, is that none of this comes under the heading of "essentials". It's all luxury goods. We can complain about the cost, but we don't have a right to any of it. We aren't talking about shelter and clean water, we're talking about shiny plastic discs that make a noise when you stick them under a laser.

Well, I'm sure we know all that but if we can't gripe about the price of some Elvis CD's here, where in earth can we gripe about it?
I'm still undecided about the Madison Square Book but the law of Supply and Demand is scaring me to buy it...

[A Long Time Fan]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

It's simple economics, it's governed by "the law of supply and demand." If there are loads available, enough to meet demand, the price remains steady. If availability goes down, and demand remains high or at least constant, the price goes up. In a free market, this has always been and will always be the case. The answer is simple, if you want to own something then buy it when it comes out. If you can't afford to buy it when it comes out then you have to take your chances later on. You look at your income, you look at your expenditure, and you juggle things around. If you have the choice between buying an Elvis CD or buying food, then you buy food. If the choice is getting Elvis CD which has just been released and which might cost more in the future, against buying something by another artist which if anything is likely to be cheaper as time goes on, then buy the Elvis CD. Even if it's an Elvis CD which is nowhere near as good as the other one.

What it comes down to, as we say over and over again, is that none of this comes under the heading of "essentials". It's all luxury goods. We can complain about the cost, but we don't have a right to any of it. We aren't talking about shelter and clean water, we're talking about shiny plastic discs that make a noise when you stick them under a laser.

I’m aware aware of the "law of supply and demand" and I get what you are saying about "a need" versus "a want". And I do not have a problem with dealers adjusting their prices, after all, they have to make a profit and a living to make. And I can understand the risk of not buying something that has been available for many years - how long are you prepared to leave it before you buy it. I think in this case, some fans have been caught off guard because there has been no indication that recent releases have seen a reduction in supplies. Had they been marketed as "limited" or had the label seen fit to somehow get the message across that they were reducing output, then we would have reacted accordingly Had we not bought the record within a reasonable time after knowing the situation, then we would indeed only have ourselves to blame. And correct me if I am wrong, but one of these releases in question is only six months old with another only four months old so I think it is reasonable, based on other previous factors, to expect these release to be available for the standard price for a little longer than four-six months.

[The Pirate]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

It's simple economics, it's governed by "the law of supply and demand." If there are loads available, enough to meet demand, the price remains steady. If availability goes down, and demand remains high or at least constant, the price goes up. In a free market, this has always been and will always be the case. The answer is simple, if you want to own something then buy it when it comes out. If you can't afford to buy it when it comes out then you have to take your chances later on. You look at your income, you look at your expenditure, and you juggle things around. If you have the choice between buying an Elvis CD or buying food, then you buy food. If the choice is getting Elvis CD which has just been released and which might cost more in the future, against buying something by another artist which if anything is likely to be cheaper as time goes on, then buy the Elvis CD. Even if it's an Elvis CD which is nowhere near as good as the other one.

What it comes down to, as we say over and over again, is that none of this comes under the heading of "essentials". It's all luxury goods. We can complain about the cost, but we don't have a right to any of it. We aren't talking about shelter and clean water, we're talking about shiny plastic discs that make a noise when you stick them under a laser.

Well, I'm sure we know all that but if we can't gripe about the price of some Elvis CD's here, where in earth can we gripe about it?
I'm still undecided about the Madison Square Book but the law of Supply and Demand is scaring me to buy it...

I didn't pretend I was saying anything new, but I do think it needs pointing out every now and then. Gripe about the retail price of FTDs, but there's no point in griping about the price of deleted FTDs. You might as well complain about the cost of buying an original Picasso.

I have a background in finance, and I used to work in lending and bad debts, so this goes against everything that I believe in - however there is a solution to all this. Get a credit card and use it exclusively for buying FTDs. Over the course of a typical year we get asked if we'd like to pay out a few hundred quid on product - and the amount depends a lot on whether you want the books and the vinyl - and the main problem is that they come out in clumps. One month they may release a book and a couple of albums, a total of about £115. That's a lot. But if, at the start of the year, you begin putting everything on a card and then allocating a set monthly payment - let's say £40, and you can even allow cards to go into a credit balance, which some people don't realise - then at the end of the year you have all your FTDs and nothing owing. What it costs in interest charges will be worth it if you consider the premium you may have had to pay on buying rare or deleted titles. You may even have some credit to carry forward.

It does take some willpower to do this and not start buying other stuff. "Ooh, a box of bootlegs, and it's only £200!!" It's something to consider very carefully.

[Magicelvisdel]

I hope they re-release the ‘Tickle Me’ FTD. I have every ‘Classic album’ on FTD except 11 of the 60’s soundtrack albums. All of those are still available and I will be buying two a month. The only one not available is ‘Tickle Me’. Originally, I decided I wasnt interested in the 60’s soundtrack FTD’s. I have all of them as regular CD’s two or three times over anyway, and decided that I would concentrate my efforts on all the other ‘Classic Albums’ (calling the 60’s soundtracks ‘Classic Albums’ is a bit of a stretch in my opinion though Lol) As time went on, I found myself buying quite a few, so decided only recently that I will complete the ‘Classic Album’ series. I missed out on ‘Tickle Me’ though, when it was available. Now, I know it wasnt an actual album at the time, but just like ‘Love Me Tender’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ (and a few others), now it is. I have seen it on ebay recently, but it goes for astronomical prices, even for an FTD. Saw one seller yesterday who wanted £150 for it.

[Mike C]

I’m glad I have those then. I try and buy all of these Follow That Dream discs, and hoped to get a complete collection over time but sometimes, it is difficult to afford them when they come out. There are a few that I wanted to buy as a Christmas present to myself this year Elvis Vegas '74 and Atlanta which have not been out very long and as Wnen In Rome has noted, the price of some of them have gone up very much, so I will not be able to afford them at all now. £100 is a lot of money for two releases. Very disappointing when this happens. Do normal record shops raise their prices when a record is deleted.

It would be nice if somehow we could get an advanced warning of what titles are to be deleted then maybe we could focus on obtaining those before it's too late or we are effectively 'priced out' of ever owning them. I was lucky, I must've ordered 'Atlanta' only a couple of weeks ago from the Elvis Shop London and now the price has doubled. Mind you, I seem to recall several other titles being clearly labelled as deleted with an inflated price (2013's Sold Out!) and then they were repressed and the price dropped again.

It looks like I am destined not to have a complete collection after all. Putting a 10% increase is one thing but 100% increase seems very unfair when being sold by an Elvis fan for Elvis fans I thought the idea behind the Follow That Dream Label was to give fans collectible stuff at selected outlets at reasonably affordable prices. I wonder if the label sells the remaining stock to the dealers at higher prices. I agree that the label should advise us fans the situation on deletions. Why would we think that releases that came out so recently would get deleted so quickly when there are discs that are much older still available. The label must be working to a very limited pressing on the five inch ones.

It's simple economics, it's governed by "the law of supply and demand." If there are loads available, enough to meet demand, the price remains steady. If availability goes down, and demand remains high or at least constant, the price goes up. In a free market, this has always been and will always be the case. The answer is simple, if you want to own something then buy it when it comes out. If you can't afford to buy it when it comes out then you have to take your chances later on. You look at your income, you look at your expenditure, and you juggle things around. If you have the choice between buying an Elvis CD or buying food, then you buy food. If the choice is getting Elvis CD which has just been released and which might cost more in the future, against buying something by another artist which if anything is likely to be cheaper as time goes on, then buy the Elvis CD. Even if it's an Elvis CD which is nowhere near as good as the other one.

What it comes down to, as we say over and over again, is that none of this comes under the heading of "essentials". It's all luxury goods. We can complain about the cost, but we don't have a right to any of it. We aren't talking about shelter and clean water, we're talking about shiny plastic discs that make a noise when you stick them under a laser.

Well, I'm sure we know all that but if we can't gripe about the price of some Elvis CD's here, where in earth can we gripe about it?
I'm still undecided about the Madison Square Book but the law of Supply and Demand is scaring me to buy it...

I didn't pretend I was saying anything new, but I do think it needs pointing out every now and then. Gripe about the retail price of FTDs, but there's no point in griping about the price of deleted FTDs. You might as well complain about the cost of buying an original Picasso.

I have a background in finance, and I used to work in lending and bad debts, so this goes against everything that I believe in - however there is a solution to all this. Get a credit card and use it exclusively for buying FTDs. Over the course of a typical year we get asked if we'd like to pay out a few hundred quid on product - and the amount depends a lot on whether you want the books and the vinyl - and the main problem is that they come out in clumps. One month they may release a book and a couple of albums, a total of about £115. That's a lot. But if, at the start of the year, you begin putting everything on a card and then allocating a set monthly payment - let's say £40, and you can even allow cards to go into a credit balance, which some people don't realise - then at the end of the year you have all your FTDs and nothing owing. What it costs in interest charges will be worth it if you consider the premium you may have had to pay on buying rare or deleted titles. You may even have some credit to carry forward.

It does take some willpower to do this and not start buying other stuff. "Ooh, a box of bootlegs, and it's only £200!!" It's something to consider very carefully.

Good point, Pirate. I have ever release so far (including the books and vinyl) except for the google.com Vinyl released last month. I am not really interested in this release (as I have never opened the cd version) but I will try to get it before the end of the year so my collection is complete. Just waiting for a sale.

[dougkapp]

I would very much like to own all the FTDs. If the FTD had maintained its initial policy of 4 releases per year or up to 8, it would have been possible. However, with an average of 11 annual releases, including books and vinyls that are very expensive, it was very difficult to obtain all them. The basic problem are the shipping charges, which add up to almost 50% of the regular price, it is even more expensive. Only for example, I bought the FTD/Today vinyl this past month, I paid 50 pounds! A classic album costs to be delivered in Brazil 30 pounds and a book, only the shipping charges come to cost almost 40 pounds. Unfortunately I have to choose what to buy and some comes to sold out before I can buy them