Format Follies

In response to reader Crane Jackson’s Feb. 26 letter: Record stores are not the villains behind “Vanishing Vinyl.” It’s the consumers who chose compact discs.

Jackson shows his ignorance in stating that CDs sell for twice the price of LPs and that retailers can fit more CDs per square foot. Fact: In the space it takes for us to carry 50 LPs, we can only accommodate 38 CDs.

For every 50 LPs sold, the profit would be $179--based on a $9.98 retail/$6.40 cost. For every 38 CDs sold, the profit would be about $104--based on a $13.98 retail/$11.25 cost. Thus, records earn us about $75 more profit than CDs per square foot.

For every 100 CDs sold, we can sell only two or three new LPs.

Next time, Mr. Jackson, blame infinite life span, programmability, random access and other compact-disc amenities.

MIKE LEFEBVRE

VIN VANIAN

Pepperland Records

Anaheim