How many remember the Columbia House mail-order record club?

[KJJ]

If you grew up in the pre-MP3 era, especially during the 70s, chances are you had at least one go-round as a member of Columbia House’s mail-order record club. Who could turn down the allure of 30 cassettes or 20 albums or however many it was for just one cent? It would be stupid not to join up! It appeared to be a great way to build your music collection. A few months of automatic shipments later, you probably ended up like a lot of kids, as a no-income 15-year-old who owed Columbia House a lot of money. Columbia House made billions luring us in. The catch was that Columbia House would send you all this music for one cent, but you had to buy X number of albums or cassettes at the regular price within a certain time frame and they weren’t cheap. It led to our first experience being in debt. I grew up in the 70s before CDs, so I had a choice between albums, cassettes or 8-track tapes. I chose cassettes, while my jughead brother opted for 8-track tapes, which were popular in the mid to late 70s, but faded by the early 80s. He had two go-rounds with Columbia House’s record club and got so in over his head the second time, my dad ended up having to help bail him out. My dad was PISSED! It took practically my entire allowance for several months to pay back Columbia House. It was a lesson learned.

 

[Runwildboys]

I joined when CDs came out. They often had special deals, even after you received the initial CDs for a penny, and those deals worked toward your commitment.

I have over 300 discs in my library, probably most of which came from Columbia House, and in my experience, it was well worth it.

Of course, I was an adult, with my own money to spend.

 

[KJJ]

I joined when CDs came out. They often had special deals, even after you received the initial CDs for a penny, and those deals worked toward your commitment.

I have over 300 discs in my library, probably most of which came from Columbia House, and in my experience, it was well worth it.

Of course, I was an adult, with my own money to spend.

It wasn’t worth it for me. I was a member of the club during the early 70s. You had to be sure to read the fine print very carefully or you would receive music you didn’t want and have to pay for it. You had to respond each month to the club selection notice or else you’d automatically receive the album of the month, and be charged for it. I got screwed once on that. I ended up with an album by the Cowsills.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

If you grew up in the pre-MP3 era, especially during the 70s, chances are you had at least one go-round as a member of Columbia House’s mail-order record club. Who could turn down the allure of 30 cassettes or 20 albums or however many it was for just one cent? It would be stupid not to join up! It appeared to be a great way to build your music collection. A few months of automatic shipments later, you probably ended up like a lot of kids, as a no-income 15-year-old who owed Columbia House a lot of money. Columbia House made billions luring us in. The catch was that Columbia House would send you all this music for one cent, but you had to buy X number of albums or cassettes at the regular price within a certain time frame and they weren’t cheap. It led to our first experience being in debt. I grew up in the 70s before CDs, so I had a choice between albums, cassettes or 8-track tapes. I chose cassettes, while my jughead brother opted for 8-track tapes, which were popular in the mid to late 70s, but faded by the early 80s. He had two go-rounds with Columbia House’s record club and got so in over his head the second time, my dad ended up having to help bail him out. My dad was PISSED! It took practically my entire allowance for several months to pay back Columbia House. It was a lesson learned.

Multiple different times with Columbia house first with tapes and cds.
Also BMG which was similar.

I liked how they made up for some money by charging individually for shipping and handling of each cd even if they were mailed out in one package.

 

[Runwildboys]

It wasn’t worth it for me. I was a member of the club during the early 70s. You had to be sure to read the fine print very carefully or you would receive music you didn’t want and have to pay for it. You had to respond each month to the club selection notice or else you’d automatically receive the album of the month, and be charged for it. I got screwed once on that. I ended up with an album by the Cowsills.

I was always vigilant about refusing the album of the month, when it was something I didn't want. They screwed up once in a while too. I once ordered 3 or 4 cds at once, and they double shipped all of them, so I gave them to friends, once I knew they weren't double billing me.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Here's an article of how it worked:

"It's called the "negative option" business model - after signing up, you have to end the service or else they keep sending and charging. Although many people gamed the system, enough people kept their subscriptions to create a business generating annual revenues over $1 billion.

By acquiring the master tapes and pressing their own copies (cutting the Labels out of the chain), the clubs got CD costs to a low $1.50 each. And there was this gray area where instead of having written licenses for music, they sent checks to publishers for 75% of copyright royalties. When the publishers cashed the checks, it implied license agreement. The clubs distributed as much as 15% of all annual CD sales which made them powerful enough that if a publisher complained, the club could/would drop them.

Back then, retail stores made at most a $6.50 margin per CD sold. Thanks to their markup and low cost, if the clubs sold just 1 of every 3, they made $7.20 per CD sold. There was also other revenue such as customer address list sales. These practices kept them going for years in spite of high marketing and advertising costs.

But, times change. Columbia House revenues went from $1.4 billion in 1996 to $17 million in 2014 (even though switching to a DVD-only club in 2010). Much M&A throughout the 90s and early 2000s led to a combined BMG Columbia House company and then last year, Columbia House filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy."

 

[SlammedZero]

Wow!!! Haven't thought about that in years!!!! Yeah, me and my friends did it a couple different times. It definitely added to my CD collection.

I actually sold my CD collection like 5 years ago. I actually regret it. Sometimes miss grabbing a CD and having it in your hand, looking at the CD, and booklet.

Speaking of which, I was at Barnes & Nobles a couple of weeks ago and browsed their CD section, just for fun. It looks like a lot of CDs are now coming in just a cardboard sleeve. While I realize that's probably cheaper on manufacturing and better for the environment with less plastic, it just takes away the CD lure from back in the day (IMO).

 

[Flamma]

If you grew up in the pre-MP3 era, especially during the 70s, chances are you had at least one go-round as a member of Columbia House’s mail-order record club. Who could turn down the allure of 30 cassettes or 20 albums or however many it was for just one cent? It would be stupid not to join up! It appeared to be a great way to build your music collection. A few months of automatic shipments later, you probably ended up like a lot of kids, as a no-income 15-year-old who owed Columbia House a lot of money. Columbia House made billions luring us in. The catch was that Columbia House would send you all this music for one cent, but you had to buy X number of albums or cassettes at the regular price within a certain time frame and they weren’t cheap. It led to our first experience being in debt. I grew up in the 70s before CDs, so I had a choice between albums, cassettes or 8-track tapes. I chose cassettes, while my jughead brother opted for 8-track tapes, which were popular in the mid to late 70s, but faded by the early 80s. He had two go-rounds with Columbia House’s record club and got so in over his head the second time, my dad ended up having to help bail him out. My dad was PISSED! It took practically my entire allowance for several months to pay back Columbia House. It was a lesson learned.

I do remember this, but I was too young to participate. But not by much. I never knew their angle until reading your post. But now I can see how they made money.

I'm curious about one thing. How much did they require you to buy? Because we all bought music anyway, right? It's hard for me to imagine that I'm being forced to buy crap I wouldn't have bought anyway.

On a side note. I grew up during the cassette era. But my first hand me down car had an 8 track. This was 1984, so you can imagine how demoralizing that was. Me and my friends foraged and found two 8 track cassettes, Isaac Hayes, and Black Sabbath. The Paranoid album. Oh well, better than nothing. Oh and, Isaac Hayes can grow on you. Later on we got something that converted 8 track to cassette and we were good.

 

[Runwildboys]

Wow!!! Haven't thought about that in years!!!! Yeah, me and my friends did it a couple different times. It definitely added to my CD collection.

I actually sold my CD collection like 5 years ago. I actually regret it. Sometimes miss grabbing a CD and having it in your hand, looking at the CD, and booklet.

Speaking of which, I was at Barnes & Nobles a couple of weeks ago and browsed their CD section, just for fun. It looks like a lot of CDs are now coming in just a cardboard sleeve. While I realize that's probably cheaper on manufacturing and better for the environment with less plastic, it just takes away the CD lure from back in the day (IMO).

I remember getting a few CDs packaged that way from Columbia House.

 

[Runwildboys]

I do remember this, but I was too young to participate. But not by much. I never knew their angle until reading your post. But now I can see how they made money.

I'm curious about one thing. How much did they require you to buy? Because we all bought music anyway, right? It's hard for me to imagine that I'm being forced to buy crap I wouldn't have bought anyway.

On a side note. I grew up during the cassette era. But my first hand me down car had an 8 track. This was 1984, so you can imagine how demoralizing that was. Me and my friends foraged and found two 8 track cassettes, Isaac Hayes, and Black Sabbath. The Paranoid album. Oh well, better than nothing. Oh and, Isaac Hayes can grow on you. Later on we got something that converted 8 track to cassette and we were good.

If you were driving in '84, you weren't too young to join Columbia House. I think I joined around '89 or '90.

 

[Flamma]

If you were driving in '84, you weren't too young to join Columbia House. I think I joined around '89 or '90.

Not when it first came out. I was too young. I do remember it being a thing, but back then things weren't like today. Today everything is at a click of the mouse. Back then you had to actually sign up for stuff. Anything you wanted was some type of mail order. I had little interest in any of it. Crap you wanted came on the back of a magazine you had to fill out. Then 2-4 months later you'd receive it. It was just a PITA.

 

[DanteEXT]

By acquiring the master tapes and pressing their own copies (cutting the Labels out of the chain), the clubs got CD costs to a low $1.50 each. And there was this gray area where instead of having written licenses for music, they sent checks to publishers for 75% of copyright royalties. When the publishers cashed the checks, it implied license agreement. The clubs distributed as much as 15% of all annual CD sales which made them powerful enough that if a publisher complained, the club could/would drop them.

This might explain something. I bought and returned a band's CD from multiple stores. Because each copy skipped like crazy in the car stereo. The first one I thought maybe it was just a bad disc but it kept happening, so I figured it was my player. I eventually bought one from Columbia House and had zero issues playing it in my car.

 

[big dog cowboy]

BMG was my addiction. I got A TON of music from them. Gamed the system best I could and saved some money.

 

[SlammedZero]

I remember getting a few CDs packaged that way from Columbia House.

Interesting. All I ever remember growing up was the good ole' plastic jewel case.

 

[Runwildboys]

Interesting. All I ever remember growing up was the good ole' plastic jewel case.

I actually bought a bunch of jewel cases to put those CDs in. The cardboard ones are flimsy, and the discs are sometimes hard to get out of them.

 

[KJJ]

I'm curious about one thing. How much did they require you to buy? Because we all bought music anyway, right? It's hard for me to imagine that I'm being forced to buy crap I wouldn't have bought anyway.

I forgot exactly how many they required you to buy, but it was quite a few and they were priced higher than the examples they gave of their regular fees for members. Their shipping prices suggested their warehouse was located on Jupiter. But the most devious part of this hustle, the reason Columbia House called themselves a “club” is that each month they’d send you a cassette or album you hadn’t asked for, unless you mailed them back a card within 10 days or so saying you didn’t want it, which, let’s face it, requires some foresight and organization that is well outside the wheelhouse of an average middle school teenager.

 

[Flamma]

I forgot exactly how many they required you to buy, but it was quite a few and they were priced higher than the examples they gave of their regular fees for members. Their shipping prices suggested their warehouse was located on Jupiter. But the most devious part of this hustle, the reason Columbia House called themselves a “club” is that each month they’d send you a cassette or album you hadn’t asked for, unless you mailed them back a card within 10 days or so saying you didn’t want it, which, let’s face it, requires some foresight and organization that is well outside the wheelhouse of an average middle school teenager.

Someone I knew must have done this, because I do remember something about being sent the album of the month every month. Or whatever it was called. That alone would make them a lot of money.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I totally remember the Columbia ads in magazines. I also remember being very young and still thinking it was too good to be true.

 

[Runwildboys]

I totally remember the Columbia ads in magazines. I also remember being very young and still thinking it was too good to be true.

It wasn't, as long as you stayed on top of it. They often had deals, the details of which I don't recall, but you could still fulfill your commitment while paying less for albums than you would in a store.

 

[Jammer]

I used them a few times. Used them for 8-tracks, cassettes, and CDs. I always stayed on top of requirements and felt as if I got a good deal. Sometimes I would get an album I wouldn't have otherwise.