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What to do with CDs?

Elephantears

Elephantears

Trunkated Aesthete
I've stopped using them, but realised I don't like relying purely on streaming. I miss having a digital library. So I'm ripping the CDs that are hard to find on Qobuz, a modest selection of favourites, and early CDs that are more likely to be a flat transfer.

But what to do with all these CDs? Maybe 1200ish? I don't have space for them, I can't list them all on Discogs, and selling them individually would be torture.

Even finding out which ones are worth anything involves a lot of tedious trawling. Can anyone recommend any valuation shortcuts?

And what about selling collections? I'm a bit stuck. I'll probably put them all in family storage until I decide, but I need a plan. Any advice appreciated/
 
I would keep em. You never know when you might fancy using physical media and ditching computers and smart phones. Also you may want to read the slip covers at some point. Life has got so transactional, keep the cds for the potential for the love of ownership of physical media to be rekindled in you again
 
I was glad to have some CDs still in the living room when the NAS was being monopolized by a major (safety) copy operation.

I've started using office supply archive boxes to store CDs. The bigger size takes two rows so about 60cm of shelf space freed per box. Si far all the compilation discs are in such boxes.
 
I recently had the same thoughts.

Some record stores that offer s/h CD's and LP's offer cash money for your CD's.
(probably won't be much though, as s/h CD's already sell for very little money)

I replaced the jewel cases from all my CD's (appr. 650) years ago, for soft, plastic sleeves. Saves a lot of storage space!
 
Recently, I have experienced that it is much more satisfying to listen to a CD than a streaming file.

At least there's a cover to read and look at and a display to check.

The phone interfaces of the streaming devices aren't great.

And then there is the feeling of possession.

Last but not least, the labels of the latest generations of CDs resemble vinyl labels and are pleasant to handle.

However, I only kept my favorites (around 500, same as for vinyl), using streaming for everything else.

You can donate the less interesting ones to a charity.
 
You can sell them individually or collectively, you'll have to work for the former or take less money for the latter. Music Magpie is a relatively quick way. Or as others have said, donate them to PFM.
 
Music Magpie have an app that will scan the barcode and give you an instant buy price. They're obviously going to give you pennies on the pound but it's quick and easy and you don't have to mess around listing stuff and waiting for a buyer.

Do a hundred or so once a week and you'll have hacked them back in no time.

Depends on how much you want to get back for them really. As Johnny Depp's book dealer character says in The Nine Gates... more hurry, less money.
 
per flemming said:
Don't sell them, prices are lowest peanuts now.
The revival are slowly beginning, let talk again in 2030-2032.
Storage can be problematic, I believe in Alco's method described above.
Click to expand...
Though @Tony L has been warning us for some time that the original jewel case forms part of the value of a rare CD.

(FWIW I have most of my CDs in spacesaver sleeves too - I wouldn't be able to store them in the flat otherwise)
 
I went the server hd route, biggest regret I ever made. I was still spending considerable sum on cd's, ripping them and not playing them. I want back to a cd player, actually two and than myself very lucky I continued to keep my cd's and carry on buying them. Now I'm enjoying all my music again and at times can easily play the same album several times over!

A server personally was just a big distraction for me with updates, crashes, metadata etc and endless track hopping. I really wanted to like it as I'm fairly competent wgeh it comes to anything computer based.

Now I take a cd from the shelf and press play and just relax safe in the knowledge im playing the version of that album I want to hear.😌

Although I understand it's not for everyone.

You may have some very sort of albums in your collection so well worth checking.

Also, if something goes wrong and you lose your collection on hard drive or backup then what?
 
paulfromcamden said:
Though @Tony L has been warning us for some time that the original jewel case forms part of the value of a rare CD.
Click to expand...

Yes, losing the cases on collectable early CDs is quite a big issue. People collecting ‘targets’, early Japanese or West German pressings know exactly what case it should be in (number and type of tabs, shape/style of stoppers, smooth-case vs. ribbed sides, patent pending marks etc etc). To put it another way if someone is disposing of this kind of early case from early-80s Japanese or West German CDs please send them to me! A lot of rare old CDs have become orphaned from their correct cases.
 
Tony L said:
Yes, losing the cases on collectable early CDs is quite a big issue. People collecting ‘targets’, early Japanese or West German pressings know exactly what case it should be in (number and type of tabs, shape/style of stoppers, smooth-case vs. ribbed sides, patent pending marks etc etc). To put it another way if someone is disposing of this kind of early case from early-80s Japanese or West German CDs please send them to me! A lot of rare old CDs have become orphaned from their correct cases.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Always excited when a smooth edge case comes through the letter box, or even the Warner brother stamped cases!
 
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