Insurgentes special edition repress?
Posted on Steven Wilson’s MySpace Blog:
OK, I’m actually considering this, because of the ABSURD prices people are paying for the deluxe editions on eBay. My intention was never to create such a chasm between supply / demand such that people could take such advantage of the situation like this. You might justifiably say, well why did you make such a small number if you didn’t want this to happen? Hindsight is a fine thing – the simple answer to that is that they were so expensive to make that I had to err somewhere between caution and what I thought I could sell if things went fantastically well. Despite the fact there was hardly any mark up (although people *still* complained about the price, which frankly at the time I found astonishing given what was being offered) it was an expensive piece so I thought that I’d be doing well to sell 4,000 from one single point of mail order in these recessionary times. Guess I was wrong, and it seems that now people are prepared to pay more than 10 times my original price to get a copy. That’s extreme, so I have to now seriously consider going back on my word of maintaining the announced limitation, to try to take the market away from the eBayers. So what do you think? I welcome your thoughts on this. It makes very little difference to me personally, but it pisses me off that fans who clearly want to own this beautiful edition didn’t get a copy because people who obviously never wanted it in the first place (or somehow managed to get multiple copies) snapped them up, and are now selling them at crazy prices. And I guess I’m the only one that can fix that with a second edition.
By the way my friend Charles from Crazy Diamond is going to auction off about 20 copies over the next few weeks, and the money will go to charity. This is with my approval, in an attempt to mitigate some of the bidding going on (the theory being that the more copies on sale the more the bidding will be spread out). So if you do feel you have to have a copy and will pay anything for it, please bid for one of these copies. Thanks.
SW
PS – I hope you like the album!
PSS – Just to clarify, there will be an easily available and unlimited 2 disc release of the album in stereo/5.1 sound coming in Feb, so it’s not like I only intended 4,000 people to ever be able to own Insurgentes. It’s specifically the special edition book we are talking about here (and the bonus CD which is exclusive to that release). Just wanted to be absolutely clear about that – no-one has to buy the deluxe edition to get the album itself.
I think you can’t really handle the problem. There will always be people buying special albums for selling them at ebay. And you can’t sell so much expensive Albums to limit this problem.
A second edition would be cool for some fans who didn’t get a copy. But what is about the fans who have got one, thinking it was really limited?
I hope the February-Editon is fine and will do good for the mass of the fans/people. Me included…
>> But what is about the fans who have got one, thinking it was really limited?
If they got it just to stand out and not for the extra material in itself, who cares, really? I certainly didn't get mine just so that I could tell people "I have it and you don't".
Still haven’t received mine, so if it doesn’t show up soon I’d love to get a second chance. Even if it means paying twice for one copy.
“A second edition would be cool for some fans who didn’t get a copy. But what is about the fans who have got one, thinking it was really limited? ”
If I read your intentions correct, Steven, the limited edition was not released to be a collectors item, but more from an artistic view.
Go ahead and take orders within a set date and print a second edition in accordance wit number of orders received at that date.
At first sorry for my english.
I’d no problem with an second edition. I’d buy it for the music only and not for making money with it.
I presume some people bought the special edition (or are willing to spend a fortune for it on eBay) just to have early access to this fantastic album. In hindsight, it might have been a better move to release the regular edition at the same time as the special edition. Perhaps there is a way to expedite the regular release in order to curb the demand for the special edition and to make it less attractive for people to post pirated copies on the net? I agree with the sentiment that a “limited edition” should indeed be a limited edition for die-hard fans.
My only other suggestion is that you consider releasing the “special edition only” bonus tracks in some other fashion, e.g., as FLAC-format digital copies. Collecting Space, in particular, is a fabulous track (it’s my favorite on the album so far along with Harmony Korine).
I would say that I’m a fairly die hard fan (of all SW’s groups, except Bass Commuion and in PT’s case since the mid 90′s) and I missed out on this edition – because I was hoping to hold out ’til the end of that month. I didn’t think that it would sell out so quickly (ten days I think for the CD). So obviously please, please, put out another edition. A second edition is not the same as a first (or original) edition for collectors, and doesn’t have the same value. I’ve already asked a few times and I’m really crossing my fingers as I really would like the book and the extra CD.
I dont think there should be a new edition for this….then wats the point of it being a collectors item.
And i feel that even if you issue a new edition,after it is sold out…there will still be ppl who didnt get it and want it.[which they will get it on e-bay again]
Just like S.Wilson said on the DVD, i too spent my time/energy/money on this special edition and heard it for days decoding it,finding some meaning in it.
After this if i hear that there are more editions being released…..i think i will feel bad about it.
As far as the album,i feel its really good.Felt like there should be more stuff on the DVD….when it comes to SW/PT i can never get enough.
Having been lucky enough to get one of the limited editions I think it is a beautiful piece of art, and I would love to see all those who missed out have a chance to own a copy without having to pay 10x the cost on eBay. Releasing some more copies so that more fans can own one makes perfect sense, and I for one won’t feel cheated. I paid my money to own this piece of art, not because it was limited edition. But you need to act fast or those that are currently paying way over the odds on eBay will feel even more cheated. As it would be really hard to guess how many extra copies are needed I would announce a second run now, and give say 4 weeks for people to pre-order to gauge demand. How about more of the vinyl edition as well, as I might even by a copy.
Hello Steven, personally I would be pissed if you issued the special edition again. I needed the money at the time, but made a sacrifice to own it. If you were to re-issue it, it would affect the value of something alot of die hard fans like myself own already and bought on the premise it was limited to 3000. The standard edition should be the only reissue in my book.
I have seen the incredible prices being paid for this on Ebay and imagine the people who paid these prices would really regret having shelled out so much for their copies if it was reissued. I hope you will let it go and maybe just put it down to a lesson learnt and when you press special editons for your next albums, that you state that it will be a limited edition of up to maybe 10,000 depending on how high demand is. If the release isn’t so limited though, many people might just hold out for standard editions. Maybe you could use a computer program to cross check addresses, so purchasers only get the on copy for future releases if the reselling really bothers you.
Part of the value of the special editions of Insurgentes is their rarity. I love the music and the art in and of themselves, but I also appreciate the fact that not everyone can be lucky enough to own a copy. I am very thankful that I was one of the fortunate individuals to recieve one and completely understand the frustration and disappointment of those who didn’t. Having said that, I would like to see the limited edition stay that way.
If it is decided that Insurgentes will be repressed, it should at least be made different from the first issue – perhaps shortening the excerpt from the film or removing one or two tracks from the second disc or with a different cover and artwork.
Hi Steven .I am sure that the way to go here would be to release the standard version and also say a deluxe version with maybe some of the art work from the limited run
As one of those people who would absolutely LOVE to have the bonus tracks in the special edition but not as committed to the book and packaging, I would personally applaud a “repress” edition that somehow incorporated the bonus tracks w/o the additional media.
As beautiful as I’m positive it is, I am here first and foremost for the music — and yes, I have to be sensible with the music budget too.
Cheers to Steven for his measured and pragmatic approach to things. He is a rare fellow in this day and age.
How do I access the bonus tracks?
dear stephen,
you buy a copy of the deluxe limited edition on e bay or you e mail SW at the headphone dust email address and see if there are any of the “spare bonus ” discs left- see seperate article above.this i doubt very much now.
to be honest you are a little late in the day now to be asking this question- the train left 8 months ago so to speak where have you been since then ?
I know that there are a lot of collectors out there that buy this type of thing up quickly but personally I am in it for the music and would love to be able to buy the additional music that is not on the standard release. I would also love to see Recordings re-released as they are asking some ridiculous prices for this release as well.