With the advance in storage technologies, many concert recordings of Bruce Springsteen are now available from experienced traders. This page details how to start your own CD collection, and is geared to help those who wish to collect shows by The Boss.
P basically stands for Blanks and Postage. This arrangement allows a new trader who has a small or non-existent collection to acquire shows. In return for sending blank discs with return postage, one can end up with excellent shows on CD. It is important to note that shows are NEVER sold, and the practice of sending more blanks than the show requires is unusual. Some traders don't find this to be such a horrible practice, and it is not unusual to see this request. Remember, it is your choice to participate, and you can choose to avoid this arrangement if it bothers you.
An individual who has a show to offer will post an announcement in the Exchange Mart. You apply and are selected. Or you could post an appeal and garner a response. You send off the required number of blank CD-R discs, along with a return mailer with sufficient postage. The trader takes your blank discs and records the concert onto those discs, and then mails them back to you. The trader receives nothing in return for this service.
For trades that cross borders you can't send stamps to your branch. In that occassion you can send some extra blanks for the costs the branch makes when he mails the discs. But again: there should be no profit for the branch!
One way is to signup for a tree. The first step is participating in the mailinglist. Members get a message when a tree starts. Or you visit the Usenet newsgroup RMAS. This newsgroup has B&P notices from individuals frequently. (If you do not have access to newsgroups with a news reader, you can access them through Google Groups.)
One thing to check before you reply to an offer in RMAS is whether the original message has any replies. When a trader has filled his offer, he will usually reply to his original message and append the word "CLOSED" to the end of the subject. Check to make sure that the offer is still open before you reply. And if a deadline has passed, don't reply or grovel. Honor the trader's request and keep looking.
Once you've determined that a B&P offer is something you would like to have, you need to quickly respond to the offer. It is important that you do so in the manner indicated in the message. Here's a typical B&P posting:
For the first five newbies I have a copy of Shut-down Strangers And Hot-Rod Angels (Seattle June 25, 1978) to offer.
There are several things in this offer that are important. The first is the show being offered, June 25, 1978. Also note that you'll need 2 blank discs, and Sony 80 minute blanks are preferred. If you send other discs, such as cheap generic bulk discs, they may fail in the traders CD burner, and he will have made three handy coasters for you and you don't get the show.
Also, the time period is important. If a deadline was given and you can't make it in time, the trader will end up sending back your blank discs, and you will have prevented somebody who could have met the deadline from getting the show. Most traders keep shows on their hard drive to make copies, and don't want to keep the same shows on their hard drive forever. This is why they like to conclude the B&P as quickly as possible.
A very important part of the above offer is that the trader will accept the first 5 people who e-mail him. This means that you must get your message off quickly. Some traders pick random requests, and stop accepting requests at a certain time. And make sure you send your request in e-mail (which is usually the preferred method) and not post it to the newsgroup.
When you do reply, it helps to add some of your personality to the request. Even though some traders accept the first x number of people, it helps if you don't treat them as robots. Messages like "Sign me up for the B&P" don't help your cause at all. Here's how I would respond to the above fictitious offer;
"Hi There! Thanks for posting such a generous offer. I'm just starting to
get a collection and don't have anything yet. My first show was June 25, 1978,
so I'm gonna try and trade for that show if I can get in on your B&P. Thanks
again for the time you're taking to make the show available. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Have a nice day!"
You usually will hear back about the B&P in a day or so. If you don't hear back, that generally means that you didn't get in. Don't fret over it, just keep looking around until you get in somewhere - sometimes it takes a little bit.
When you do hear back, you'll receive an e-mail that includes instructions and an address. This message may look something like this;
"Congratulations, you made my Hot-ror Angel B&P. Please send 2 blank CD-R discs to me (most branded discs work fine, but generics have been known not to work). Please use my work address below, since I can't accept larger envelopes at my apartment. Be sure to include a SASE (bubble) mailer as well as proper return postage (attached) and a note telling me which show I am burning for you. Thanks,
Tom Joad
123 E Street
Lucky Town, NJ 12345 USA
Before you do anything else, reply to the message and tell the trader that you acknowledge your acceptance and are preparing the materials for immediate shipment. Let them know what your estimated timeframe is, and how you can be contacted. And be sure to WRITE DOWN and save the name and details of the B&P somewhere.
To participate in a B&P, you'll need several things. I purchased the following:
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1. 9x12
inch Tyvek Envelopes (#10 1/2) (Tyvek is the material FedEx envelopes are made from) 2. A box of 25 Manco Care Mail Self-Sealing Bubble Mailers, Size 0 (6x9 inch). 3. One package of Manco Care Mail address labels. These are optional. 4. Ten TDK CD-R blanks discs, about $15. They say "Certified Plus" and "All-Speed" on them. 5. CD Sleeves (Tyvek) or Clamshells (Plastic) 6. Standard index cards. These are optional. |
Bear in mind that these items may be available through other sources at better prices, but I like the one stop shop approach of an office supply store. Blank CD-Rs can be bought in bulk, often in spindles of 50. However, you need to remember that the discs you buy need to work in other people's burners. The people doing the B&P will let you know what discs work for them.
Also, if you can find a smaller envelope than the 9x12 Tyvek for shipping there, that the bubble mailer will fit into, use it. Some traders have a hard time getting the large envelope delivered to their residence. And many people find that manila envelopes will work just fine, but some prefer the strength of the Tyvek envelopes.
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Try to avoid
buying the mailers that are padded with paper fiber. They're usually brown
and say "To Open, Pull Tab". The Care Mail KPE-2, which says "Jiffy Padded"
and "Contains over 60% Recycled Fibers" is an example of a mailer to avoid.
Some traders feel that these can contaminate the CDs with small particles, especially since the packages seem to easily get statically charged and can rip when opening. |
Now, here's what to do with the assembled materials:
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1. Jewel Cases will usually not survive the shipping, and add significantly to the postage costs. So take the required number of discs and place them into either clamshells or Tyvek sleeves. |
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2. Put an address label on the bubble mailer, to reflect that it will be coming FROM the trader TO you. Be sure to use a return address where this mailer can be delivered to you. You can write directly on the envelope if you prefer. |
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3. Put the discs into the Bubble Mailer. |
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4. Write a short note explaining the B&P deal you've arranged, including the show you are getting and your e-mail address. Be sure to mention how happy you are that this kind person is willing to do this for you. |
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5. Put this note into the bubble mailer with the CDs. Do NOT seal the Bubble Mailer. |
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6. Take a large Tyvek envelope and put an address label on it FROM you TO the trader. If possible, put the show date on the envelope somewhere, or next to/under the trader's name. You can also write the information directly on the envelope, if you prefer.
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7. Put the UNSEALED Bubble Mailer into the Tyvek envelope. |
Take these envelope to your local post office, or proceed as listed below if you already know postage rates.
 Metered Postage BAD |
Mailing the Package
Please be sure to follow these special instructions for the Bubble Mailer carefully, or you may not get it back. The larger Tyvek envelope that you'll send out can use any manner of postage. At the post office, have them weigh the bubble mailer, with the CDs and note inside, and tell you what first class postage would be for it. Do NOT get metered postage for this package, as it may not work for the return trip. Postal regulations require that metered postage be used on the date issued, and only for traffic from the originating city. In other words, they are only valid from that post office, on that date! Metered Postage is the strip of white adhesive paper that has the post office name, date and amount of postage on it.(See Picture) Should the post office decline to accept the metered postage, the package will be returned to the SHIPPER, and in this case that would be the Trader. He would then have to either pay postage himself or contact you to resolve the problem. And this is a headache you can easily help them avoid. Just tell the clerk that you need to put return postage stamps on the package. Put the needed postage on the Bubble Mailer IN STAMPS. Then put the bubble mailer UNSEALED into the larger Tyvek envelope and SEAL the Tyvek. Put the required first class postage on it (metered postage is OK here) and off it goes.
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Going International? Be aware that your local postage can not be used to
return the package to you from another country. There are several solutions to
this dilemma, the key being to work out the situation with the trader in
advance. You can always convert small amounts of currency and send that along.
And some traders welcome additional blanks instead of postage. Just be sure to
ask the trader how they prefer to handle international postage.
If it took you longer than 3-5 days to get the package out, you should send a
notice off to the trader that you've got the package in the mail, and remind him
of the deal. Then all you have to do is sit back and wait for the bubble mailer
to come home!
It will normally take 2-3 weeks for your show to arrive, sometimes longer, sometimes faster. Understand that traders live normal, full lives like the rest of us. And dubbing a show for you can tie up their entire computer. So, be patient and keep checking that mailbox. If you don't hear anything and a month goes by, feel free to inquire about the status of your B&P. Use your own judgment here.
When your show arrives, inside you will find your original CD-Rs, only now they contain the show you requested. (Note that some traders will send you back the show on different blanks.) Also, the show may come back with no notation on what show it is. You'll need your note from when you sent the package out (you DID write it down, didn't you?) to figure out what show it is. Most traders will write small numbers on the inside ring of the CD to indicate the disc number (1,2,3).
If You have any problems with the show at all, contact the trader immediately to see if your CDs reflect his masters, or if you got a bad copy. Let him know specifically what you're hearing and where, and what you think it might be. If you treat the trader as a friend who is helping you out, you'll get a much better response than treating him unkindly.
I hope the information I've included here helps you get started with B&Ps. Remember, B&Ps are aimed at getting you started. Once you've got some shows and the ability to burn copies, you can graduate to trading shows. And don't forget to offer up a B&P occasionally to the new guys!
"Greatfull" thanks to McNichol.com for the source.
