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FTD Price Increases In The UK

January 16, 2009 | Music

The original cover design for the album that never was, Standing Room OnlyFTD dealers in the UK recently received an email from Roger and Ernst,  dated January 8th 2009, informing them that the price of all FTD titles will increase immediately by 30% according to the Essential Elvis Editor's blog. This is due to the devaluation of the British pound. The price for the FTD CD has become one of the main topics on various Elvis message boards on the internet.

Our partner site ShopElvis.eu is still selling the FTDs for the same price we did when they started, almost 6 years ago: € 22,- and € 19.80 / € 18.70 - depending on the member discount.
 

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Lex wrote on January 16, 2009
To comfort the British fans: there are two Elvis fans glad with today's pound: my wife and me. Since the UK is our favourite holiday country we can spend a lot more euros during our next trip, or better do a lot more with the same amount. Besides that... it is normal behaviour to adjust prices after such a devaluation.
OtisBlue22 wrote on January 16, 2009
They are making it bloody difficult for themselves!! They were too damn expensive before.
FJE wrote on January 16, 2009
So far I have supported FTD all the way even though some releases left much to be desired and the price was never cheap to begin with. So now, with these new ridiculous prices I'm gonna get choosy on what I purchase. Soundboards/audience recordings are definitely out for me, never liked them bar a few exceptions (New Year's Eve to name one). The classic series attract me more but even those will be considered according to their merit.
John4126 wrote on January 16, 2009
Unless there is something very special , it's the end of the road for my FTD purchases.
loftmanuk wrote on January 17, 2009
Everybodys feeling the pinch with the recession hitting hard. Shops are cutting prices to shift stock as people are reigning in their spending. So what do FTD do, they put their prices up 30%. Now £20 for a single cd. As far as I'm concerned this just shows utter contempt for us by FTD. Sorry Im not playing and they can keep their CD's.
ttwiise wrote on January 17, 2009
They are already expensive and I fear this may kill the label.
Mofoca22 wrote on January 17, 2009
why thats rediculous. they were already too expensive for me.
davrid wrote on January 17, 2009
Sterling HAS NOT been devalued, it has suffered exchange depreciation, which is markedly different. The impact for the cost of FTD cds should have been in currency hedging, which is normal for any business which sells wholesale at a different price to how 'manufacturing' costs are measure. Assuming the same currency billing structure applies to all Sony BMG produced cds outside the UK, this has to be a Sony BMG wide, including other Elvis cds, and not just FTD issue. If not, then it appears the company is selectively targeting elements of its business, which it has the full right to do but therefore is not a direct consequence of exchange depreciation. Also have to remember this is the wholesale cost, not a 30% increase in the retail price of the cd, dealers can choose to pass on or absorb some or all of this increase - retail businesses are doing likewise everyday as wholesale prices increase (not just owing to exchange depreciation) with the retail price constant or even discounted.
davrid wrote on January 17, 2009
Sterling HAS NOT been devalued, it has suffered exchange depreciation, which is markedly different. The impact for the cost of FTD cds should have been mitigated in currency hedging, which is normal for any business which sells wholesale at a different price to how 'manufacturing' costs are measure. Assuming the same currency billing structure applies to all Sony BMG produced cds outside the UK, this has to be a Sony BMG wide, including other Elvis cds, and not just FTD issue. If not, then it appears the company is selectively targeting elements of its business, which it has the full right to do but therefore is not a direct consequence of exchange depreciation. Also have to remember this is the wholesale cost, not a 30% increase in the retail price of the cd, dealers can choose to pass on or absorb some or all of this increase - retail businesses are doing likewise everyday as wholesale prices increase (not just owing to exchange depreciation) with the retail price constant or even discounted.
Viva Las Chris! wrote on January 17, 2009
What are they up to? The market determines the price - and the hard CD market is collapsing! People are downloading more and more. RCA seem determined to devalue and ignore their longest serving and most succesful asset -AND they retain more profit per item following The Colonels' disastrous ( for Presley) song royalties sale back to the record company. The currency argument is both fatuous and irrelevant. RCA have stopped caring and do not listen or reply to their customers - us, the buying fans who will now be more inclined to not doing so. RCA ? - Raid Customers Again.
dunking wrote on January 17, 2009
I think this is fair for the 7" e.p. format which has 2 cd's and a booklet but the standard ftd's are over-priced (except for fame & fortune !)
Steve V wrote on January 17, 2009
Prices go up an Im done. Ive said it for over 40 years now. Elvis (or I should say the Colonel) signed with the wrong label. RCA was a terrible choice. They didnt understand his music back in the 50's and they still never understood how to market him from day 1.
emjel wrote on January 17, 2009
This is terrible news. As good as the 7" Classic Series is, all we are getting are a handful of unrelease outtakes and a booklet for our £16.99 / £20.00 whatever the new price will be. The ratio of new stuff to tracks already available elsewhere is pretty poor. We all know that the only unreleased stuff consists of outtakes, so FTD just need to give us more of the unreleased ones, and not tap into stuff that is already available on BMG or other FTD products. We've probably already got 60% of Blue Hawaii as an example, scattered across other releases - , I can bring all the bits and pieces/outtakes from other CD's together myself if I want to. I'm not sure I want to pay £20+ for a handful of unreleased takes. I think they've shot themselves in the foot here.
Ally wrote on January 17, 2009
I have bought every FTD to date, but no more. No one likes to get ripped off.
par1704 wrote on January 17, 2009
It hasn't taken some dealers too long to increase their prices (on stock that was acquired before the price hike was publicised???) by as much as £10. Nice to see that the 'Snowman's League of America' is still going strong despite it's founding member not being with us... I notice also that Amazon.co.uk has very few of the FTD titles in stock. Does anyone know if they've decided to stop supplying them?
bojod1 wrote on January 17, 2009
Well thats it as far as I am concerned, as other members have said the pound has not been devalued!!! However it is the RCA rip off margin that has decreased. Does this mean that when the pound picks back up again that the FTD series will be reduced? Another point that comes to mind is how come we were still paying original price when the pound was 2 dollars to the pound. It is obvious that this increase is aimed at the hard nosed fan Fan who will pay whatever for anything of the man that has a different cover. Well not for this hard nosed fan… it is a shame but this will probably kill FTD in the UK.
Harvey Alexander wrote on January 17, 2009
To par1704: FTD never supplied Amazon, another dealer did. That dealer has now had his FTD account closed for dodgy dealings, so Amazon won't be selling any more FTDs. Which is the way it should be. Support the proper Elvis dealers (fan clubs, magazines etc.) - not the fat cat big boys like Amazon. Mind you, the new price hike is a bit of a kick in the pods.
Polk Salad Robert wrote on January 19, 2009
Yes it is expensive-but Elvis FTD is worth every cent of it and I would buy it even if I couldnt afford to buy something to eat anymore after that purchase. I am just happy this label makes him seem to be still around bringin out new records much more often then he did when he was alive back then... Elvis lebt !
ImmerElvis wrote on January 19, 2009
Sollution for English fans and FTD buyers is to become a member of EMattersFClub and ONLY pay 18 Euros or British Pounds for an FTD release and then you do not overspend like some do buying the CDs in UK even US and pay 25 or 30 bucks...no way Ernst. By the way, I totally agree with some of the constructive criticism that fans have re the sales & marketing strategy of FTD and its decison makers. Personnall, I hate Ernst's surprises and Roger's floppy art work. We expect better quality work from them, don't we. Linda, Snowman, Ally and Otis are right while Steve, Greg and others always complain; but never come up with positive suggestions or recommendations that they want to share with those decison makers and with us, loyal EP fans that almost always buy lots of Elvis product. I, for one, picked up 12 new CDs, just on Friday alone, but feel that E & R should have released first those more important and also much more interesting outtakes of sessions that still need to be released as well as those remaining movie outtakes. In order to make some fans' collection of movie digipacks "complete" we therefore need such unreleased so far movies (and yes, why not JRock and KCreole; all songs on one digipack. Then of course G I Blues complete outtakes....or was that sold to others ?
dgirl wrote on January 19, 2009
'I would buy it even if I couldnt afford to buy something to eat anymore after that purchase'. I am new to this site but if this is the normal reaction for the sort of fan that visits, I may soon leave. No wonder the Elvis world gets ridiculed. How can anyone engage in a worthy 2-way dialogue with someone who says this? FTD over food? Then again, the name Polk Salad Robert kind of says it all.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on January 19, 2009
dgirl your just not devoted enough lol,im kidding of course,sadly it is normal it seems,its about quanity and not quality,i dont think that will ever change,and your right it is why Elvis is viewed the way he is,just like when he was still here,nothing has changed really!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on January 19, 2009
InnerElvis i have a suggestion ,get someone to make real artwork and also make it readable,and oh i know this is crazy but since its a collectors label put a freakin booklet in every release! thanks you and goodnight!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on January 19, 2009
Soory meant ImmerElvis,And oh yea Ftd Were is Elvis On Tour,now for that i would not eat,ok not really but thought id be dramatic!
POLKfreak wrote on January 28, 2009
More bad news for us, especially in these troubled times of crisis. Unfair for all loyal FTD and BMG buyers we are for years....Believe those prices should actually be lowered by 25 or 30%, not increased. We seemed to be blamed for the crisis or the exchange carousel that goes up and down every day (almost seems like the price of rugs that changes every day in those pakistani stores here). Don't like to be taken for a ride by FTD people who think our purses are loaded with cash. Not anymore dear. If Sony doesn't want us to buy more bootlegs, then they got to give us affordable prices for future FTD releases. Agree with many in the UK, we want to buy those remaining outtakes that are not yet released. As Elvis said it once, hurry the hell up, we're in the middle of a...crisis buddy ! When are they ready to release those ?
GottaKnowNow wrote on January 30, 2009
Points well-taken. Fully agree with most of you. Unacceptable to raise prices for future FTD releases in the UK and in Europe. This will only create more success for other labels....with better product.