Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BY SUSAN STEVENS Of The Gamecock staff According to a recent survey of top sellinf albums, the Campus Book Store's prices tend tA run about a dollar above the prices of nearby competitors. Record stores included in the survey were Budget Tapes and Records at 919 Sumter Street (across from the Horseshoe), Tunes and Things at 933 South Main Street, and Music City at 2400 Millwood Avenue. While the prices at the Campus Book Store are competitive with the prices at Music City, they are invariably higher than the prices at Budget Tapes and Records or Tunes and Things. Ben Swanson, Director of the Campus Book Store, attributed the lower prices at other record stores to their high volume of sales. He also pointed out that he had seen several budget priced record stores come and go and felt that their inability to remain in business for an ex tended length of time was because of the fact that they did not allow a large enough gross profit. According to Swanson, the albums sold at the Campus Book Store are completely subject to the services of the jobber, the wholesale distributor from whom they buy. The store does not buy directly from the record companies. The albums are pre-priced and pre-ticketed by the jobber. "We look at it (the record department) as a secondary department for the convenience of the students. It is the bread and butter of the other stores," Swanson said. "One of the problems I feel is that to run a good record department in a college book store you need knowledgeable persons to sell the records," said Swanson. He said that it was not possible for a college book store to have knowledgeable sales personnel in each and every department. Swanson expressed dubious feelings regarding the proposal for a large record departgnent in the planned new book store. He said he did not know if the store could compete with the lower prices of the budget record shops and he felt that perhaps the space could be better utilized by other departments. The Campus Book Store has a smaller turnover in records than the record shops and therefore cannot buy in higher volume at lower prices. Swanson admitted, however, that perhaps with a larger department and lower prices a higher turnover might follow. Campus Shop Album CAMPUS B1 SHOP A Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - Elton John .......$5.97 Welcome to my Nightmare - Alice Cooper..................5.97 Straight Shooter - Bad Company ................... .......597 Tommy - Soundtrack-.................................... 7. 97 Spirit of America - Beach Boys ..........................597 An Evening With - John Denver ...........................9.97 Stampede - The Doobie Brothers ....... ---- . --....5.97 Blow by Blow - Jeff Beck........................ ....... 5.97 Chicago VIII - Chicago ....................- - ........- 5.97 Physical Graffitti - Led Zeppelin .........----------...... 8.97 Nuthin Fancy - Lynard Skynard --------------------- ..597 Have you Never Been Mellow - Olivia Newton John -.- - - ...... . 5.97 Funny Lady - Soundtrack .......................-....... 6.97 Just Another Way to Say I Love You - Barry White - - - - - - - - - - ... 5.97 Playing Possom - Carley Simon .... ----- ............... 5.97 Fire - Ohio Players ................ -..-.............. 5.97 Rock & Roll - John Lennon ........ - .......--...... ..... 5.98 Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt .................. 5.97 Al Green Explores Your Mind - Al Green ..............-.. 5.97 Another Time - Earth, Wind, & Fire ............... .. 9.98 Tunes & Things was having a sale at the time of this survey. TI reduction of regular prices. The terrify motion pict from the terr No.1 best se Q-.. SOE AT. L AYNO : PN OWEMTRA A SEO S~2:00-4: 30-7d Prices Higher JDGET TAPES ND RECORDS TUNES & THINGS MUSIC CITY $4.99 $4.79 *5.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 6.99 7.49 8.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 8.99 9.39 * 8.98 4.99 4.79 .* 5.98 4.99 4.79 *. 5.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 7.99 8.49 8.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 5.99 4.79 * 5.98 5.79 * 6.98 4,99 4.79 * 5.98 4.99 4.79 *- 5.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 3.99 3.79 * 4.98 4.99 4.79 * 5.98 4.97 4.79 * 5.98 6.99 7.49 8.98 e * prices indicate a 20 cent ing ure fying fler. rkr U100 _H N 06m Olmn INS 10-9:30