Are you a hardcore fan of The Mars Volta, even more excited to purchase some of their vinyl after they’re back from hiatus?
Well, nothing can do the rock band’s powerful music justice more than playing their albums on your trustworthy turntable. But, the thing is, their vinyl is very pricey! Why is Mars Volta vinyl so expensive?
The main reason for the high price of the band’s vinyl records is that they’re in high demand. Plus, because vinyl records aren’t as popular as digital music, there are only a few manufacturers producing them, which significantly raises their price.
In this article, we’ll discuss the factors affecting Mars Volta vinyl records and other related topics in depth. So, let’s get to it!
5 Factors That Make Mars Volta Vinyl Price Expensive
Let’s face it; it’s much easier to get your favorite tracks on Apple Music or Spotify than as a vinyl record. Not only is it more convenient, but it’s much more affordable!
This applies to almost every band or musician out there, including The Mars Volta. So, what are the things that cause this to happen?
1. High Demand
More and more people are investing in turntables and buying vinyl records, trying to pay homage to the 60s and 70s. So, vinyl manufacturers were surprised by the sudden surge of Mars Volta vinyl demands, they simply weren’t ready!
Due to how limited the vinyl market is, it only makes sense to raise the price of each record. This always happens once a certain product faces a supply that’s lower than demand.
Besides nostalgia, another thing that led to the increased demand for Mars Volta vinyl is the fact that the band had a hiatus, broke up, then got back together. This made fans want to get their hands on anything that the band will throw at them, including vinyl!
2. Increased Prices for Online Buying
When the world was in quarantine during the 2020 pandemic, everyone just shifted their shopping to online venues. This tremendous worldwide demand led to an increased price for vinyl records.
If you get Mars Volta Vinyl from Amazon or other similar online stores, you’ll notice that it’s even much pricier than grabbing it at a physical music store. You’ll have shipping fees to think about, order collection fees, and the like.
Users also read: Do Thrift Stores Sell Vinyl Records?
3. Lack of Supplies and Labor
Beginning in 2019 and extending to today, there’s been a lack of supplies and manual labor in the vinyl industry.
Again, this came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People would get sick and leave their jobs or the factories were required to decrease the number of workers in the workplace.
During this period, it was also hard to acquire the needed materials to produce vinyl records in large numbers to match the market needs. This caused an unimaginable increase in the price of vinyl records, including Mars Volta albums.
4. Higher Shipping Fees
This is another thing that was affected by the pandemic, and it didn’t make things easier for the production and distribution of vinyl records.
In the last couple of years, the shipping industry’s importance dwarfed any other. Plus, because workers struggled to do their jobs in the middle of quarantine and the pandemic, companies had to pay more for their shipments.
This, in return, caused a huge climb in shipping fees, which had a tangible impact on Mars Volta vinyl prices.
5. Rarity
It’s not easy to find a store that sells Mars Volta vinyl records, nor are they always available online. The band, despite having their faithful fan base since day one, are still not as popular as other artists whom you can find their albums in vinyl form almost everywhere.
As a result of this scarcity, it only makes sense for their records to be pricey.
How to Get Your Favorite Mars Volta Vinyl Album at a Reduced Price
Thankfully, there’ll always be ways to get a Mars Volta vinyl record at a reduced price. It won’t be cheap, that’s for sure, but it’ll be at least more fitting for a medium-sized budget, which many audiophiles can deal with in exchange for the experience.
The first thing you could do is to try to find the records on eBay. You’ll likely come across someone, or several people, selling them at a more affordable price.
Still, there’s always the chance you’ll find people selling those at a much higher price than their original price simply because they’re in high demand. So, you’ll need to do some in-depth digging to get a good deal.
Another thing you can try is to visit Facebook groups dedicated to vinyl collecting. You might just stumble upon someone who’s ready to offer you their Mars Volta vinyl at a convenient price.
Lastly, you may want to wait until Mars Volta albums are repressed, which can be a far better option than paying a huge chunk of your paycheck for originals. So far, there haven’t been any repressions for those albums, and there isn’t any news about it happening in the future.
Still, it’s a possibility. Therefore, if you’re not too eager about getting one of those vinyl records, you may want to wait until you can get a copy.
Which Mars Volta Vinyl Records Are the Most Expensive?
Generally, all the vinyl records that the band has released are considered expensive for the average person. Still, their earlier albums are the priciest, and these are:
- De-Loused in the Comatorium
- Frances the Mute
- The Bedlam in Goliath
- Amputechture
Related: Why Is Luv Is Rage 2 Vinyl So Expensive?
What Are the Most Expensive Vinyl Records Today?
Despite being labeled expensive by fans, Mars Volta vinyl records aren’t that pricey compared to other, more popular records. This makes sense, though, because this band isn’t as legendary as The Beatles, for example!
Some of the vinyl records that are worth a fortune nowadays, and probably for many years to come, include:
- David Bowie — The Prettiest Star (1973)
- Nirvana — Bleach (1989)
- The Beatles — Abbey Road (1969)
- Misfits — Legacy of Brutality (1985)
- The White Stripes — Lafayette Blues (1998)