With $21.5 Grand, you could buy yourself...

...a whole lot of really collectible gold CDs and other rare CD-shaped audio discs. Consider that if you will; in this day and age, where some of us are wondering where our next paycheck is going to come from, when the goodship Economy is gonna right itself, and even if we don't have such dire concerns in the here and now, how are we gonna eventually pay for our kids' college tuition. But hey, if you are so inclined, $21,499.99 will buy you 135 of some of the rarest, most desirable CDs in the world. Hell, why haven't you fled this site to go check it out yourself right now???!?!

A lot of backstory, and I'll try not to make it boring. The CDs in question are indeed made of a microthin layer of gold between the standard slices of poly bicarbonate strata. Most were made between the mid-80s and the late '90s by (primarily) two companies: MFSL and DCC. Both of these California-based companies, when they started making their CDs, made an important discovery. Some people out there weren't satisfied with the sound of the standard-issue compact disc of their favorite albums. Furthermore, a subset of this group of people were willing to pay $30 per CD (instead of the typical $15 per CD) for the chance to have a version of this CD that sounds better. Thus, a niche was born, and these two companies (both since defunct, although MFSL has been relaunched within the past 4 years or so) had the market down cold. And for those of us who purchased said gold CDs (this writer included), we usually were happy with the results. Since 99% of these gold CDs cannot be purchased for anything near the original $30 per disc that they cost back in the day, it makes for a wonderful opportunity for someone who had the foresight to buy the discs in some quantity while they could.

Enter MyMusicFix. This is a lone-dude eBay seller based out of Lake Forest (Illinois? I'm not sure...) who knows the value of hype, collector's cred, and an attempt to use hyperbole to market these discs to whoever is willing to pay his collector-with-ca$h-to-burn prices. Don't get me wrong; this in no way is meant as a slam against the man. He is more than entitled to make a good living selling music collectibles. (And if he's based out of Lake Forest, IL, he's doing just fine, I promise you.)

I guess I'm just astounded that someone out there in the world (in this economic climate might be willing to close this transaction. I know it isn't me, but if you look at the dollars and cents of it, this $21,499.99 investment (in a wildly speculative, if-the-planets-align-just-right best case scenario) might make sense. Let me break it down: one of the SEALED items he has in this offer is the MFSL gold CD version of Pink Floyd's The Wall, a wonderful mastering of this album in deluxe packaging. I own it myself, and can attest to its excellent sound quality. But I purchased mine used way back in the early '90s, when it was still relatively available, for $30. I look at people selling (or attempting to sell) this set in similar condition for $100+. That's a hell of a return on my original $30 investment!! Now don't get any ideas, I don't have any real intent of selling my copy. But on your lowest days, you do occasionally look at the trinkets you've amassed, and wonder how liquid some would be if you had your back against the wall. Now using the MFSL gold The Wall as one example, and keeping in mind how we know that eventually, the economy will right itself... is that $21,499.99 investment the deal of the century, after all?

By the way, happy new year, everyone!!!


Images borrowed without permission from MyMusicFix and another eBay seller aamuuzme; my simultaneous gratitude and apologies to both.