Suggestions for selling CDs--ALL OF THEM

Well, fellas, times are a changing and it looks like I'm gonna have to sell off my CD collection. I'd rather not indulge as to why, but I can say I feel comfortable going forward with it. Thanks to Spotify, Google Play, YouTube Red, Amazon Dot, etc (yeah yeah, preach to me all you want), I haven't spun a CD in MONTHS. The only time I approach my bookshelf they're loaded on is to dust. It's a very modest collection of 600 albums--a far cry from what most everyone around here has--and I'll be hanging onto the more noteworthy titles that I suspect may go out of print at some point or are just rare (Metal Church, Fear Not).

That said, what's my best way of getting this done quickly? I've noticed a couple of bulk buying websites where you scan the individual barcodes in and they give you a quote--sounds laborious--anyone know if that's legit? I could list them all off here as individual copies like DB did a while back. Does eBay have any promise? And how much does FYE take them for these days?

Any help is appreciated.

Do what you will, but first post your collection here

Lari wrote:

Do what you will, but first post your collection here

Even my Richard Marx?

Yeah I'm sure you could get rid of a lot of your collection through here. I think what was remaining I'd try ebay. I'm not sure how FYE works but I just sold off a couple of old country cds that were my mother-inlaws to the CD Warehouse and only got like $9.00 in store credit (or if I chose ,$6.00 cash).

I sold my collection off mainly on ebay and it worked out fine, If you list items the same time every week it's pretty likely that you will build a following from previous buyers/watchers. I listed each CD individually for a starting price usually a dollar or two less then any buy it now listings already on the site. Some stuff I got top dollar for, other stuff didn't go for as much as I had hoped, changing times and what not I guess. However, I did sell everything. The only tips I have are make items end in a general evening time, most folks are home and able to bid then. Also week ends are better then week days. Ship CD's as media because its much cheaper and more enticing for potential bidders.

I saw someone recently on ebay sell their whole collection by listing all the titles in one post with a buy it now option for any 10 cds at a set price. Maybe that is an option for you if you want to get rid of everything quick.

Got any stuff I want?

Stender wrote:

I sold my collection off mainly on ebay and it worked out fine, If you list items the same time every week it's pretty likely that you will build a following from previous buyers/watchers. I listed each CD individually for a starting price usually a dollar or two less then any buy it now listings already on the site. Some stuff I got top dollar for, other stuff didn't go for as much as I had hoped, changing times and what not I guess. However, I did sell everything. The only tips I have are make items end in a general evening time, most folks are home and able to bid then. Also week ends are better then week days. Ship CD's as media because its much cheaper and more enticing for potential bidders.

I saw someone recently on ebay sell their whole collection by listing all the titles in one post with a buy it now option for any 10 cds at a set price. Maybe that is an option for you if you want to get rid of everything quick.

That's pretty good advice, if you're gonna go the ebay route. Yea, it can be allot of work, but in the end, you'll probably do better $$$-wise then selling it off in one big chunk. I've been thinning out my collection quite a bit that way and I've been pretty happy with the return I've gotten. Start 'em low and let bidders fight it out. Some you'll win, some you'll lose.

If you want to get rid of things in one lump sum, you can also try Craigslist. It doesn't cost anything to list, but you might have to haggle a bit on the final cost or deal with creepy people. What I've found mostly though in my dealings with both selling and buying on Craigslist is that the "quoted" price is rarely the "sold" price. People on there are looking for bargains. Then again, there is no middle man taking a piece of your action (ie. ebay and Paypal). When I sold things on Craigslist, I always listed a higher price, knowing that I'd probably go lower. And I never had a problem asking a seller "You want $50? I'll give you $40 right now".

I don't know of any brick-and-mortar stores that will take whole collections anymore. Maybe pawn shops, but they'll give you pennies on the dollar. And f**k FYE on principal.

And last but not least, don't forget your metal brethren here at the HoM. We can be quite generous. Sometimes.

i have been pondering selling off my cds as well but not sure i would really get what i would want.

Show us what you got!

its not quite up to date but http://exact3.tripod.com/pmcdlist.html

Y'all have given me a good amount to chew on, thank you. Most likely I'll list them off here and grapple with ebay thereafter. Next question is how much to list them for. eBay seems more viable with the bidding deal, but I definitely don't want to overprice them here (btw HoM members will get a slight discount )

And Witchie, there's a good chance you pretty much own everything I'm selling

I've also been thinking about selling a bunch of my CDs.

But take my advice, before you even offer them up here, look around on Ebay and Amazon and see what they're going for because you might be surprised. I've found CD's I'd have sold for about $5 for 5 to 20 times that amount. Several years ago I was burned by promising to sell some Running Wild CDs to an HoM member for cheap before I knew what they were worth. Since I already gave my word on the price I followed thru with the sale but I won't ever make that mistake again.

I'd sell my collection if it wouldn't be such a nightmare.

It does seem like a major nightmare.

I think I'll just hang on to them until I get to the point where I have to sell them.

corplhicks wrote:

And Witchie, there's a good chance you pretty much own everything I'm selling

Since my father passed last year I have sold about 200-250 CDs to keep myself in beer and ganja.

I have since stopped selling any but I just needed the crutches at the time.

I sold all of them to a local independent Record and CD store and considering the current market for CDs I got some good coin for them.

corp - I hope you get a good bit of cash for them and don't sell cheap.

exact33 wrote:

its not quite up to date but http://exact3.tripod.com/pmcdlist.html

Not you, silly, corprlhicks!

But I'll look at yours, too.


I hate ebay!! Between ebay and paypal they gouge the "F" out of you, but I also know no other way of having such a wide market to sell things...it just hurts to know that 10%+ is gone right off the bat. Grrr....

This guy seems interested!

Any way you slice it it will be a hassle.

Dependent upon the quantity the best option is to find someone to take the lot. Sure you may not get top dollar for that unknown rarity but you will also be able to offload the ones no one cares about (those Britney Spears discs that you can't give away).

On another board some of us peruse, Heavy Harmonies, we discuss this topic regularly and there are WAAAAYYYY to many Ebay horror stories with fees and paypal scams and just dishonest people to be a huge concern and burden.

As for any used stores, dependent upon your locale you will lose big especially if yo bring in a gaggle. You will be lucky to get pennies for them and then see them on the shelf a week later for real money.

Just my 2cents do with it what you will.

Best of luck, again make a list and a bundle value and go from there would be my advice.

martinsane wrote:

As for any used stores, dependent upon your locale you will lose big especially if yo bring in a gaggle. You will be lucky to get pennies for them and then see them on the shelf a week later for real money.

But those CDs might sit on the shelf for like 2-10 years. The actual margin of profit for shops like that isn't that great. You have to pay rent, salary, and some of the stuff they buy might not ever sell.

Lari wrote:

martinsane wrote:

As for any used stores, dependent upon your locale you will lose big especially if yo bring in a gaggle. You will be lucky to get pennies for them and then see them on the shelf a week later for real money.

But those CDs might sit on the shelf for like 2-10 years. The actual margin of profit for shops like that isn't that great. You have to pay rent, salary, and some of the stuff they buy might not ever sell.

Meh, if you pay a quarter for a disc and then ask $20 you are asking for inventory.

If you pay a quarter and ask a dollar you will move more product, get more customers in the store and in turn make more $$$. Simple economics.

My buddy and I used to collect VHS tapes WAAAAY back in the late 80's and there was a shop we would go to cause it always had a lot of tapes. However the guy would place ridiculous values on what he considered "rare".

As the story goes the guy had 2 copies of Evil Dead, you know in the big cardboard clam shell, that he had priced at $80 bucks a piece and these 2 videos sat high on a shelf in this store for over 2 years!!!! Every week we would go in the store and my buddy would offer him $50 bucks for a copy and every time the guy would say no. Long story long the store closed with both copies still on the shelf.

Moral of the story is the guy could have sold the tape bought more inventory sold more tapes and came out way ahead. BUy fair sell fair turn more product and make good $$$ doing it.

CDs don't move as fast as they used to.

Lari wrote:

CDs don't move as fast as they used to.

I dunno if I agree. They just don't move at the prices they once did. Metal collectors still want CD and vinyl, even cassette.

Stender wrote:

Lari wrote:

CDs don't move as fast as they used to.

I dunno if I agree. They just don't move at the prices they once did. Metal collectors still want CD and vinyl, even cassette.

Agreed. You have have to know WHAT you're selling and WHO your target audience is.

Ive also considered it as I use mp3s now a days though some stuff id hold on too, like all my Bowie, and other favorite bands. Id just assume rip them all to mp3 and throw them on an external and then make a backup