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Author Topic: Remember Columbia House  (Read 1828 times)

TechMan

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Remember Columbia House
« on: July 30, 2011, 12:56:43 PM »
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/91126

Article about how Columbia House and BMG music clubs operated in the day. 
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

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HeroHog

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2011, 01:51:45 PM »
I built my CD collection using those two by being VERY careful to send back the cards and by being proactive and doing it over the internet where possible. Just as soon as possible, I closed the account, waited a month and started again! I saved a TON of money overall and have a real nice collection of well over 400 CDs now.
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AJ Dual

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2011, 01:56:35 PM »
I can't find it, but there was some article about a guy who got a summer job with them doing the data entry on the orders, and he'd get all his friends to sign up for the penny, and once their CD's had shipped, would wipe their names out of the system so they could do it again.  [tinfoil]
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Ben

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2011, 02:17:10 PM »
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A few months of automatic shipments later, you probably ended up like a lot of members did: as a no-income 14-year-old who owed Columbia House $47 for unwanted Sir Mix-a-Lot CDs

Holy crap thanks for bringing back the bad memories from Junior High School (except Sir Mix-a-lot wasn't around back then).
 :laugh:
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TechMan

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2011, 04:17:32 PM »
Quote from: Ben on July 30, 2011, 02:17:10 PM
Holy crap thanks for bringing back the bad memories from Junior High School (except Sir Mix-a-lot wasn't around back then).
 :laugh:

Ben, I am glad to be of service.   =)  I wonder how many parents got pissed at Columbia House and BMG?
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

Bacon and Eggs - A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a pig.
Stupidity will always be its own reward.
Bad decisions make good stories.

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Viking - The problem with the modern world is that there aren't really any predators eating stupid people.

geronimotwo

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2011, 05:38:58 PM »
Quote from: HeroHog on July 30, 2011, 01:51:45 PM
I built my CD collection using those two by being VERY careful to send back the cards and by being proactive and doing it over the internet where possible. Just as soon as possible, I closed the account, waited a month and started again! I saved a TON of money overall and have a real nice collection of well over 400 CDs now.

WTH is a cd?
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HeroHog

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2011, 06:44:44 PM »
Back-ups of the 60+gig of MP3/s on my 1.5tb file server!
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rcnixon

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2011, 08:43:52 PM »
I knew a guy decades ago who made extra money in college by using the frat houses as mail drops and fake names.  He would then sell the records on campus cheap.  I belonged to an organization (the Amateur Fencers League of America) that used Columbia House to do their mailing.  Columbia house would send the publications and a postcard questionnair about arrival dates and service.  If the postcard was returned, CH would send a voucher for a couple of free records.

Russ
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Scout26

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2011, 03:57:29 PM »
Quote from: adively on July 30, 2011, 04:17:32 PM
Ben, I am glad to be of service.   =)  I wonder how many parents got pissed at Columbia House and BMG?

[Raises Hand]

More pissed at me, then at CH.......

One of the first times I learned TANSTAAFL.....
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HeroHog

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2011, 04:32:40 PM »
What did we get in todays mail? Why a "Welcome back to Colombia House" letter!
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TechMan

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #10 on: August 05, 2011, 11:23:42 PM »
Quote from: HeroHog on August 05, 2011, 04:32:40 PM
What did we get in todays mail? Why a "Welcome back to Colombia House" letter!

No way!
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

Bacon and Eggs - A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a pig.
Stupidity will always be its own reward.
Bad decisions make good stories.

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Viking - The problem with the modern world is that there aren't really any predators eating stupid people.

HeroHog

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2011, 11:51:37 PM »
3 DVDs for a buck each + .99 S&H each + must buy 3 more at regular club price (MINIMUM 19.95 ea + ? S&H each) in the following year. You CAN knock that back to 2 at those rates buy buying one now at 9.95 + S&H with order. JUST DVDs, no Blu-Rays and NO, we didn't join!
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sanglant

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2011, 12:27:33 PM »
they have a few blurays. just not listed in the mailer. last time i was in, there were 1 or 2 you could get free. and 5-15 you could buy to get out. =) after running it once, and then the math. well i decided amazon was cheaper. or deepdiscountdvd, etc. =D

there's a subforum over on HTF where Mike posts this thread each week. normally that's the cheapest you can get it, until it's been out for 12-18 months. it's how i got most of my dvds. bluray, i've been waiting till it hits the amazon goldbox. most of mine have been 10bucks or less. :laugh:
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HeroHog

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Re: Remember Columbia House
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2011, 12:31:17 PM »
I'm just not one to watch a movie over and over. I own VERY few DVDs and most of them are concert movies of live bands. I DO have "Heavy Metal the motion picture" and "Monty Python's the Holy Grail" of course!
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