A day to go down in history. Sandbox Automatic, one of the original online retailers of indendent hiphop records, has decided to almost entirely discontinue sales of vinyl. Although we have not formally inquired about the decision we know margins on vinyl are infamously low, especially when compared to CD sales. If cost pressure was a primary basis for this decision, what this means for independent artists and vinyl releases is an interesting subject for debate and speculation. An online organization, although theoretically exposed to less overhead costs because of the lack of a store front, still has to be extremely concerned with expense management. Of course, I am just putting this theory out there. It could be they just don’t like vinyl anymore (although I don’t see how that is possible). Or maybe they’ll just concentrate on a certain sub-genre of vinyl records. Who knows. Whatever the reason, I’m sure other retailers will be keeping a close eye on their progress. As an aside, as a special bonus Sandbox Automatic has decided to give away a copy of our Grandmaster Caz and Dj Signifiy 7inch with the first 100 orders of $25 or more. Although not originally intended as a promotional item it is nice to know that vinyl enthusiasts from across the globe will get a chance to get their hands on this project. Link

March 11, 2007: VINYL IS DYING…LONG LIVE VINYL. Sandbox is making the business decision to no longer sell vinyl records (at least in the way that we currently do) on or before March 31st. Since last month we have slowly slashed prices dramatically on over 500 12-inch singles (about 1 out of every 6 we carry in our catalog), many as much as 90% off and costs as low as 25 cents! This final clearance list is now pretty much complete, so browse our always-popular “Back In Stock” page (which is now more like a “last time in stock ever”) for super bargains that may never be seen again. We’ll be dropping some prices on Vinyl LP’s and breakbeats in the next day or so as well…but the majority of sales are already posted. Please also note that many regularly-priced records will be returned to labels and distributors before Friday, March 16th. If you want ANY vinyl titles currently listed in our inventory regardless of price, it is recommended that you put your requests in sometime this week.

To make this offer an even better value, the first 100 DJ’s and collectors who order at least $25 worth of vinyl (before shipping) can also receive TWO FREE bonus items – 1) a limited edition 7-inch of Grandmaster Caz and DJ Signify, courtesy of Grand Good, and 2) a full-size gold and black Technics sticker for the side of your turntable, or anywhere else you want to represent the wax. Be sure to use the checkboxes below in our “Free Stuff” section to qualify for these goodies. You can order CD’s and other stuff in your package as well, but the VINYL portion of your order must be at least $25 or more.