History repeats, and with smelly results

It's no secret to regular perusers of our stacks that vinyl is back in a big way.  The number of new releases and, especially, reissues is steadily on the rise.  But scarcely a month into 2013 and I've been seeing things that make me scratch my head, wondering who is the target market for some of this stuff... or more accurately the "supposed market."

It's one thing to reissue the thirteen Beatles studio albums and offer them in the $23-$25 range.  That makes sense, no mystery or argument.  But then there are quite obscure things on tiny boutique labels... groups that had one hit in 1971 and now their album, that probably only sold a few thousand copies at the time, now back on shelves.  But even then, some research must've gone into the demand, therefore just because I don't know who the audience is, doesn't mean there ISN'T one.

What gets my headscratching hand primed and vibrating is when certain releases that had cultural impact, albeit limited and dubious, pop back into availability... at grossly inflated prices.  FOR EXAMPLE:

I'm currently looking over this week's offerings at one of our distributor and I note that The Bloodhound Gang's One Fierce Beer Coaster, an album from 1996 with such insightful tracks as "Kiss Me Where it Smells Funny," is now available once more.  Now, there may be a few men in their late mid-to-late 30s with overly developed nostalgia glands, acerbated by one too many tequila shots or barb wire tattoo infections, who might welcome a chance to own this slice of theirstory.  I can't argue with that.  With a $20 price tag, sure.  Maybe being ok with shelling out $25, I can see it.

But it's going for $45.98.  I mean... WHO?  Or am I wrong?