Instagram as marketplace

Started by accidental, January 30, 2022, 04:41:44 PM

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accidental

Was listening to the Vinyl Guide podcast episode with Thurston Moore the other day. Two thoughts about it. I knew he had a big collection. The guy apparently has "a few hundred thousand records". How many noise rarities does this guy have on his shelves back in the states?

I don't have or use Instagram, but it seems like it's common for people to move used records and cassette on this platform nowadays? It's not the first i've ever heard of it, but it made me wonder. How much am i missing? I know some stores use instagram but they often upload their stuff on their own webpage or discogs as well. Current labels/musicians use it. But i'm not very interested in newly released stuff. I'm thinking more about second hand stuff and rarities.

How much have you bought on Instagram, Facebook and whatever else people are using?

FreakAnimalFinland

I do have facebook, but use it in selected way. Not really accepting "friends", as I don't post anything on my own profile, so there is nothing to follow. I don't follow labels, bands or... almost anything really. Just couple of groups where discussion (hopefully) happens. Besides that I do post mostly in Finnish at my fb pages of my physical record store (Sarvilevyt).
I do write about records or whatever on that page, but never include links how to actually buy it. People may know where to buy it (from me, or somewhere else, don't really care). Store is not there to "business" as much as it attempts to just cultivate underground culture.

It is almost surprising, when the thing is called SOCIAL media, how... antisocial it actually is? I would rather see underground based on communication and ideas, and rest follows, and idea of sitting in front of IG feed waiting ads for stuff that sells out in blink of an eye, is pretty much antithesis what I hope underground to be. So IG marketplace noise - I  will miss that stuff most likely, but it is choise not to be more involved in "social media", and minimizing active participation in how it changes the nature of art (noise or something else).

E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

absurdexposition

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on January 30, 2022, 05:08:25 PM
idea of sitting in front of IG feed waiting ads for stuff that sells out in blink of an eye, is pretty much antithesis what I hope underground to be. So IG marketplace noise - I  will miss that stuff most likely, but it is choise not to be more involved in "social media", and minimizing active participation in how it changes the nature of art (noise or something else).

That's exactly it. I'm not entirely into labels using Instagram as their sole means of operation. Manufacturing rarity after generating hype. Instant "sold out" status and instant validation. But at the same time I'm not sure how much it really matters. Missing out on a couple of releases from certain artists now and again, sure, but is it necessary to worry about owning those items when new releases are always just around the corner (probably even from the same artists)? And how much does it impact the actual noise "market" of distros, shops, and labels that still sell via their own websites? Probably not very much at all.
Primitive Isolation Tactics
Scream & Writhe distro and Absurd Exposition label
Montreal, QC
https://www.screamandwrithe.com

WCN

Seems like OP is mainly wondering about the second hand market, and yes, I see lots of people who post on IG selling second hand noise goods. (Often times in the "story" function, so the post only lasts 24 hours). I guess you DM them then and follow up on the deal. Seems fairly common, and I see a lot of rarer and more obscure releases popping up around there, and I suspect they aren't being posted anywhere else.
Harsh Noise label and EU based distro of American Imports
https://whitecentipedenoise.com/

WCN

Just make an account and start following people with mediocre collage work, b/w photos of themselves posing in ruins, Throbbing Gristle memes, etc... soon you'll find yourself in the Instagram Industrial Milieu where everyone has something to sell! (You don't even need anyone to follow you, but if you start posting such stuff, you'll have them lining up in no time.)
Harsh Noise label and EU based distro of American Imports
https://whitecentipedenoise.com/

absurdexposition

Quote from: WCN on January 30, 2022, 10:56:11 PM
Just make an account and start following people with mediocre collage work, b/w photos of themselves posing in ruins, Throbbing Gristle memes, etc... soon you'll find yourself in the Instagram Industrial Milieu where everyone has something to sell! (You don't even need anyone to follow you, but if you start posting such stuff, you'll have them lining up in no time.)

Great post!

But yeah, you just have to be following people who happen to be selling their shit. I don't think this is necessarily a "bad" aspect of Instagram, because a private seller is going to make a private listing somewhere, and people outside of their social media circle wouldn't necessarily be aware of it anyways- so the fact that it's on Instagram is kind of a moot point. Maybe they would post it here otherwise, maybe not.
Primitive Isolation Tactics
Scream & Writhe distro and Absurd Exposition label
Montreal, QC
https://www.screamandwrithe.com

anomalie

I hate "social media" so much, that I don't use any of it.
No accounts on Facebook/Instagram or whatever.

tiny_tove

I use instagram a lot @anticitizen, more visually, but the same way I used my old blog retaliation.

I sell most my releases and used gear on that and it works fine to me.
CALIGULA031 - WERTHAM - FORESTA DI FERRO
instagram: @ANTICITIZEN
http://elettronicaradicale.bandcamp.com
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Stipsi

#8
No problem to use Instagram or Facebook to selling stuff.
It's quite easier and more faster.
Buy and sell.
And you haven't to pay the % to discogs.
Of course i try to check also the sites that i use the most (stoic strength, nh, etc...).
It's an instrument like another one.
North Central
Mademoiselle Bistouri
Cytokine Storm
Fistfun
Bleeding Cosmos
Daddy's Entertainment.
PERVERT AND PROUD.

dse666@yahoo.com

[MBD]

I use Instagram at this point for sending messages to people and maybe checking a couple gear hashtags. Using it exclusively to sell merch is both difficult due to the nature of the platform (IG wants you to stay on their site as long as possible and isn't a fan of people saying "link in bio". The result of this can be lowered visibility in the algorithm it uses). Also, it's becoming a rat race for mediocre labels to get stuff out as quick as possible, people want their cybernetic dopamine rushes more than a conversation nowadays.
Material Body Dysfunction & Flickering Coward. Cincinnati OH USA.

https://linktr.ee/materialbodydysfunction

HONOR_IS_KING!

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on January 30, 2022, 05:08:25 PM
antisocial it actually is?

Like anything in life its up to YOU how you want to play the game/interact on IG. Its just as easy to be sociable and grow just as it is to keep everyone away and uninterested in what you are doing. Just like approaching ones art, its the same.

As for everyone talking about sold out this and sold out that, I feel thats been a topic thats been going on for a long time. Here's a good question, before Hospital, were there labels that sold as quickly/worked as fast?
KOUFAR x TERROR CELL UNIT
https://soundcloud.com/crimesofthecrown

PSALM 109

Bloated Slutbag

Still it's interesting how "missing out" will inform the tastes, at least where I stand. My first reaction, every time, is "fuck this shit".

Much as I'd love to engage the wider world, the last thing I need is more stress. AKA "Fuck this shit".
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

Bloated Slutbag

Just to curtail the fighting words a bit. Let met say. A first reaction and a final determination may very possibly diverge at some juncture. But that that first (and undeniably emotion-laden) reaction would be only indiscriminately undervalued.
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

HONOR_IS_KING!

Quote from: Bloated Slutbag on January 31, 2022, 05:18:04 PM
Still it's interesting how "missing out" will inform the tastes, at least where I stand.

What tastes are you referring to?
KOUFAR x TERROR CELL UNIT
https://soundcloud.com/crimesofthecrown

PSALM 109

FreakAnimalFinland

Quote from: HONOR_IS_KING! on January 31, 2022, 04:53:51 PM
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on January 30, 2022, 05:08:25 PM
antisocial it actually is?

Like anything in life its up to YOU how you want to play the game/interact on IG. Its just as easy to be sociable and grow just as it is to keep everyone away and uninterested in what you are doing. Just like approaching ones art, its the same.

For me, social interaction would be things like actual talk, actual discussion. It could be done, sure. I just don't see that much of it is happening in social media. I am sure there is, but for example IG being predominantly picture oriented, and it has certain ways people like to use it, it is not really platform that would be ideal for discussion. For posting pics, promoting releases, etc, it might be best way to reach viewers? That's fine, but it's not the social networking in ways I see ideal.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net