I know what you are talking about. Sometimes I get those same questions too, maybe "they" send the same question to all people with a particular title in their public collection. Sometimes I don't mind it if the person is really interested and a genuine collector, and if it is about a score that is almost impossible to find for a reasonable price (I know I'm neglecting copyright issues completely here). I myself used to swap copies of hard to find titles with fellow-collectors too ("blush"), but in the end I still wanted the real thing. Absolutely no MP3, no CD-copy with "static tics" or a disruption of the continuous music-flow from track to track, ánd I wanted the complete booklet too! The fact that a lot of my early home-made copies (appr.5 yrs old) were no longer playable helped too I'm afraid.... (bad cd-burner or bad cd-r's?) But the thing that annoyes me the most about the "please" questons, is when the requested title is still available at Amazon or another outlet for a normal price.
By the way Hammon, I see that you have some very interesting titles in your collection, I hardly dare to ask.... (insert your own laugh here... ;-))
Wim

WimArnhem, July 18, 2005; 2:32 AM

Everything in the life and especially everything on the anonymous place like internet comes with this rule: many people are taking and only few are giving. I also do receive such emails. Sometimes I don't respond to them (the case when the writer cannot even spell correctly..!). Of course when we're speaking about a rare title with a person who's apparently highly interested in that and has no other choice, I am then willing to help. Though I cannot imagine myself ever asking someone for this without being it offered first....

Still I think the worst we can do is to hide our collections. It saves from few emails but negates (from my point of view) the reason why the collection list was originally created.

42zaphod, July 18, 2005; 12:51 AM

I too, don't mind the sincere inquires. Some things are impossible to find and I don't mind help from time to time, but it's the "freeloaders" I am tired of. I had several in one day and it just pushed me over the edge. One of the latest was...would I make a copy of the newly released KING KONG from FSM!!!

Collecting "anything" requires the some output from the person wanting something...

Thanks for the replies!

hammon, July 18, 2005; 1:06 AM

I had to make my collection "private" for the exact same reason.

American.Nightmare, July 18, 2005; 3:18 AM

I share hammon's frustration as I myself have reveived various point-blank and poorly written e-mails ASKING for free copies and/or mp3's of scores in my collection.

Strange !!!!

delerue, July 18, 2005; 3:23 AM

BESIDES REALLY APPRECIATING THE FILM MUSIC GENRE FOR WHAT IT IS AND BEING AN AVID LISTENER, I ALSO DO COLLECT SOUNDTRACKS... ONE, OUT OF THE MANY REASONS A FILM SOUNDTRACK BECOMES A VALUED COLLECTABLE IS BECAUSE OF IT'S AVAILABILITY... HOW CAN I MAKE CD-R's OR MP3's FOR SOMEONE ELSE AFTER I'VE SEARCHED MY BUT OFF TO ACQUIRE A SPECIFIC FILM SOUNDTRACK AND LITERALLY HAVE DRAINED $FUNDS$ FROM MY BANK ACCOUNT?... ARE YOU KIDDING FREELOADER SIR/MS.?!... BUY THE REAL THING BUDDY!... I DON'T WANT MY FILM MUSIC COLLECTION TO BE COPIED AND HAVE ITS VALUE DEPRECIATE... ON THE CONTRARY, I WANT IT TO BE RARE ( BLOODY RARE!... HANDS OFF!! ) AND HAVE ITS VALUE APPRECIATE THROUGHOUT TIME... IT'S AAALL MINE!... MINE!, MINE!, MINE!... IF I START MAKING FAVORS, OR EVEN SELLING COPIES, WHICH OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW IS ILLEGAL, WHAT'S THE POINT OF IT ALL?... WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING LIMITED RELEASES AND COLLECTIBLES? ( WE ALL DARRRLINGS OF COURSE KNOW THAT THIS IS A MARKETING PLOY )... I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A BITCH ( WHICH... I AM! ), BUT COLLECTORS CAN BE QUITE SELFISH WHEN IT COMES TO SHARING THEIR FILM MUSIC AND ALSO QUITE SECRETIVE... YES IT'S TRUE, SOME DO FLOAT AROUND WITH A VEIL OF MYSTERY, NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR BIG THEIR FILM MUSIC COLLECTION IS... I KNOW I CAN... I DO BELIEVE EXHIBITING FILM SOUNDTRACK COLLECTIONS ON THE INTERNET, FORGIVE MY SAYING SO, IS "SOMEWHAT" SHOWING OFF... UNLESS YOU ARE SELLING... NOW THAT IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT MATTER... THIS PARTICULAR WEBSITE IS WONDERFUL... IT IS QUITE INFORMATIVE AND FRIENDLY AND HAS HELPED ME PUT MY "FILM MUSIC LIFE" IN SOME SORT OF ORDER, BUT TO EXHIBIT MY FILM MUSIC?... NO!... BESIDES, IT MIGHT CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF A STIR... ( 00PS!... JUST SHOWING OFF!!... ) ;-)

sushislash, July 18, 2005; 3:43 PM

sushislash,

FYI, as Erwin (site administrator) pointed out not too long ago, writing in all capital letters is hard on the reader's eyes and is considered poor internet etiquette. The use of CAPS should be reserved for when you are YELLING AT SOMEONE. Otherwise is just seems lazy and rude.



American.Nightmare, July 18, 2005; 5:11 AM

I am still not sure if making the collection private and not displaying the email address is the final solution. I believe I am not the only one whose email address and the musical taste implied from his collection were the means of getting into permament contacts with some friendly mates sharing the same interests. Not speaking about some (very few, but really WORTH) direct offers of items from my wish list.
Also I am sure those few soundtrack requests are not the *only* unsolicited messages we are getting.

But I also belive I am not receving so many requests with my small collection as for example Mark H. with his 4200+ titles.

42zaphod, July 18, 2005; 5:27 AM

I DON’T THINK I’M A BITCH BUT I AGREE WITH SUSHISLASH : COLLECTORS CAN BE QUITE SELFISH AND… Oh! Sorry! I’m calming down… Those mp3 seekers, where do they come from anyway? And what are they thinking? I won’t loose my time making copies for perferct strangers from Who Knows Where! And what are they gonna do, sell it as cheap bootlegs on eBay? I don’t have a huge collection, but it’s precious to me. I only make copies for my close friends.

vodka_kayou, July 18, 2005; 7:00 AM

Why do you have your collection public anyways???

To brag possibly... if you find people on the internet too bothersome just make it private and keep your collection to youself... the inquiry emails will go away.

I agree with you on the freeloaders... I am not giving up anything for free but I do not horde... for me it is about the music.. I love soundtracks, and some are just too hard to get... so trading something for something works for me.

I honestly think a CD-R is not going to effect the price of an original CD..because in the end it is still a CD-R and true collectors just do not want it. (You have to watch out for the rereleases if you are playing the collectors market game)

hallmark221, July 18, 2005; 7:27 AM

Making a collection public does allow for people to ask questions. I don't mind being asked how did you acquire this, or can you tell me about a specific title etc. I don't even mind people suggesting trades (not that I'm looking to trade anything). These people are not freeloaders. It is the ones who think because they asked they are entitled.

The interesting thing is that someone approached me to make them MP3s of a rare CD. I asked why should I do this, and was told because I have it. Sure, I opened up myself by even replying but I really wonder what makes some people tick. I was accused of being a jerk. I'm the bad guy because I paid a lot for a CD and then did not want to make MP3s of it for someone who asked.

In response of CDr not ruining the value of a CD. I have to disagree. The value of out of print CDs has dropped over the years because of copies. People will settle for a copy if they can not get an original. Before, there wasn't a choice. If you wanted a title you either paid the price or you didn't own it. Sure there are real collectors who want an original but those are few and far between.

hammon, July 18, 2005; 9:31 AM

*Etiquette*: prescribed behavior by social convention or authority. Hmm... It's sooo boring! Well... American Nightmare perhaps you right... it never occurred to me... my apologies. My apologies to all the reader's whose eyes I've strained. It was unintentional ( was it? ). I just wanted to EMPHASIZE my personal opinion. Though capitalizing did trigger your attention ( perhaps to shoot me!? ). And YES!... I WAS YELLING!!... DAMN FREELOADERS!!! Boy I forgot to take my vasodilators again... Bye! ;-)

sushislash, July 18, 2005; 2:36 PM

It's no big deal. That's what the DELETE button on your email is used for. You should see the amount of requests I get for a CD copy of UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE or IN COLD BLOOD. Even when they offer to pay, who has the time to stand in line at the post office?

filmfactsman, July 21, 2005; 9:03 AM