Best Buy to drop CDs this summer, Target may follow...

My 2017 Altima, and my wife's 2017 Rogue have them as well as my father's 2017 Maxima. Yeah, we're a Nissan family. My sister's 2016 Altima has a player and my recently traded in Maxima had a 6 disc in dash changer. Nissan really pushes the Sirius XM radio contract on ya though.

Looks like Best Buy is officially out of the CD selling business. CDs were already gone from stores, now if you look up "CDs" on their web site the only result you get is blank CD-Rs and CD players.

Under "Music" the only formats available are vinyl and Music DVDs.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Looks like Best Buy is officially out of the CD selling business. CDs were already gone from stores, now if you look up "CDs" on their web site the only result you get is blank CD-Rs and CD players.

Under "Music" the only formats available are vinyl and Music DVDs.

Even though I knew that time was coming, it still kinda stinks. I thought they might keep selling cds on-line for at least a little while longer. I had a nice deal going where I answer on-line surveys to earn reward bucks that I could cash in for Best Buy gift cards, which I'd spend on music. It worked out perfect for new releases.

Oh well. All good things must come to an end. Smell ya later, BB.

Wal-Mart seems to be doing the same.

We still have a few virgin megastores in my part of the world. I remember how in the early 2000s they used to have an amazing metal cd section with lots of rarities. Today they are also closing the cd section. Very sad. On the other hand, cds are making quite a comeback in other countries. I was in athens lately, and was happy to notice a large number of cd shops with a huge metal section. Apparently, business is good again for them, and most of their sales take place online.

Required Fields wrote:

Wal-Mart seems to be doing the same.

Yeah, they have almost no selection left other than $5 greatest hits or old back catalog stuff. To be honest, Walmart was never a destination for me to grab something on release day (or week) but they were always the cheapest when I did find something. I am a bit surprised that, given their buying power, Wally's didn't go full tilt on CD's and Vinyl and fill the vacuum created by the other retailers. I know it's hard to compete and beat the online prices for music (set by Amazon and other retailers on Ebay) but I really thought that they would be the ones to do it.

I am not surprised that Target and Best Buy dropped out of the race as their prices (for the most part) sucked. Whether you are an aging Metalhead (like me) or a teenager or soccer mom, you aren't going to pay $17.99 plus tax for the new "whatever" CD you want. It just wasn't going to happen.

the sentinel wrote:

Required Fields wrote:

Wal-Mart seems to be doing the same.

Yeah, they have almost no selection left other than $5 greatest hits or old back catalog stuff. To be honest, Walmart was never a destination for me to grab something on release day (or week) but they were always the cheapest when I did find something. I am a bit surprised that, given their buying power, Wally's didn't go full tilt on CD's and Vinyl and fill the vacuum created by the other retailers. I know it's hard to compete and beat the online prices for music (set by Amazon and other retailers on Ebay) but I really thought that they would be the ones to do it.

I am not surprised that Target and Best Buy dropped out of the race as their prices (for the most part) sucked. Whether you are an aging Metalhead (like me) or a teenager or soccer mom, you aren't going to pay $17.99 plus tax for the new "whatever" CD you want. It just wasn't going to happen.

Agreed, they Walmart always has the best prices and i have found a ton of deals there over the years. Even the $5 bins are gone now but they have them thrown on a shelf. I think I already picked all the good ones.

Was surprised Walmart dumped their MP3 service a few years ago. All downloads were 88 cents and I bought a ton from them when they had the service.

These days if I gotta have something on release day I just end up ordering from Amazon (CD's or vinyl).

I did purchase an album on Walmart.com last month (Hendrix Valleys of Neptune) and it shipped in store. I picked it up with no interaction from a human. I got a notification on my phone, clicked "On My Way" and went to a kiosk at the front door. I scanned a barcode and an elevator type device lowered my album. It was packaged in the same kind of box Amazon uses for vinyl.

I think the only CD I ever found on release day at Walmart was Stryper "Murder By Pride". but the music section at Walmart seems to be an afterthought these days although one of the new Walmarts in town has a vinyl section but only about 25 titles to choose from.

I was in Target today and while I can see their displays getting smaller, they still sell cds. I almost picked up the new Alice in Chains album but ended up putting it back on the shelf. I've read some real lack-luster reviews for it and $10.99 didn't seem worth it.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I was in Target today and while I can see their displays getting smaller, they still sell cds. I almost picked up the new Alice in Chains album but ended up putting it back on the shelf. I've read some real lack-luster reviews for it and $10.99 didn't seem worth it.

I always have this issue with Alice in Chains. I hold the cd in my hands then put it back and go for something really different .

So, the other day I was out with the wife and had a chance to go into a Best Buy since they dropped the CD's. It was weird, walking over to the rack where the CD's used to be and the $5 bin of greatest hits and back catalog stuff once stood, I kept feeling like "where did they move it to?" Odd feelings aside, I get why they did it, but I wonder why they still have DVD's? Are people still buying them? Or is that the next thing to go to make room for more appliances? I never was a movie buyer (almost every DVD I own is a concert) so I don't really know if this stuff sells or not.

As for Target, they need to have better prices or just drop the discs and records altogether. And Walmart, the prices are great, but the selection is so spotty. The one closest to my house is awful while the one near my sister ( she and her family live about an hour away) is pretty good, but I won't drive an hour to save $2-3 on a new release they may or may not have.

Actually, the local Wal-Mart has started to carry music again. Sure, their selection is limited, but they did have the most recent Behemoth album there.

Yeah, I have been checking the local Wall's for new releases when the family is food shopping, but there's been nothing. No Metal new releases at all. I figured after a while I would find the deluxe Guns 'N Roses, or Anthrax or Whitesnake Live sets pretty cheap (I grabbed the re release of Garage Days last month for $6.99 at the one near my sister's house a few weeks ago) but nothing. Maybe there were a few copies and they got sold? But I feel like more than likely, they didn't have any. It's becoming a sad/ disturbing trend of "selection varying by location" especially when it's a music store like Newbury Comics. I inquired recently about the new Impellitteri album and one store in the chain of 25 had it. And it was at a store an hour and a half away, I ended up buying on line and for $7 cheaper than if my local store had it. Too bad. I really want to support the "brick and mortar" places but it's becoming almost impossible to do so.

While holiday shopping, I poked my head into the local FYE and boy, what a disappointment that was. They've always been overpriced and crappy, but it's like they don't even give a sh*t about the music section anymore. The aisles are way smaller and everything is just in disarray. CDs are all over the place, barely in alphabetical order. If it isn't a new release, good luck finding anything.

They are clearly shifting their sales base to be more like Spencer's or Hot Topic, with more pop culture tchotchkes and t-shirts. Meanwhile, Spencer's is becoming more of a sex/head shop.

I noticed 2 of our Walmart stores have dropped CDs. They have one end cap with new releases. All the $5 CDs are completely gone. I think I have a larger selection at my house! The other Walmart is the same except they had a larger selection of vinyl than CDs! They had some new titles on vinyl bit not CD. So I grabbed Pink Floyd Animals on vinyl instead of the Greta Van Fleet CD because they didn't have a copy of it.

At least I was able to buy Ace Frehley's Spaceman CD at Target. And I don't even go to Target or Wal-Mart for my music shopping.

Does anyone really want to buy CDs anymore?

Personally, I only buy the physical CD when it's significantly cheaper than the digital version.  And even then, the first thing I do is rip it so I can save it to one of many flash drives that I keep in my car.

For me CDs are like vinyl records and Tyrannosaurus Rex - fossils of the past.

Now if someone wants to make some money, figure out a way to label what's on each flash drive.  There should be a way to label what bands/songs are on a flash drive so I don't plug in drive A only to find out the band I want to hear is on drive B.

tohostudios wrote:

Does anyone really want to buy CDs anymore?

You can have my CDs when you pry them from my cold dead fingers! MY COLD! DEAD! FINGERS! (shakes fist)

Fat Freddy wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

Does anyone really want to buy CDs anymore?

You can have my CDs when you pry them from my cold dead fingers! MY COLD! DEAD! FINGERS! (shakes fist)

Yeah I have over 3000 of them rotting in my basement.  I NEVER listen to ANY of them.  Any of the ones I really like I've already ripped.

Geez, I sound like a "millennial" (gulp!)

tohostudios wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

Does anyone really want to buy CDs anymore?

You can have my CDs when you pry them from my cold dead fingers! MY COLD! DEAD! FINGERS! (shakes fist)

Yeah I have over 3000 of them rotting in my basement.  I NEVER listen to ANY of them.  Any of the ones I really like I've already ripped.

Geez, I sound like a "millennial" (gulp!)

I'm with Fat Freddy - still love them, still want them. You should sell yours!

You know...you're right!  I should sell them while they're still worth something.

But good grief, compiling the list would take forever.  I DO have most of them catalogued in a spreadsheet that I was keeping years ago but it's probably missing about 200-300.  But still...I wonder what I could get for my collection?  I know I have about 50 CDs that regularly go for at least $25 on eBay.



EDIT:...Or...I could wait until all CDs go the way of the dodo and then ANY crap I have on CD will be worth much more...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!  It will be like owning a basement full of Smithsonian fossils...(cue more evil laughter...)

Quote :

I'm with Fat Freddy - still love them, still want them. You should sell yours!

I figure, if the vinyl hipsters can cling to THEIR outdated physical media format, I'm entitled to do the same with mine!

Always CDs over digital files. Sure I have digital files but CDs are the way to go. You get tired of em, trade them in or sell them. Digital files? Well I have yet to find a digital store to trade in used digital garbage! A few years ago I wanted to hear something old so I download a Sha-Na-Na album on iTunes. It was only after I downloaded it that I discovered they were re-recorded tunes with a new line-up. No thanks! Was out 6.99 and no digital store to trade them to so I am stuck with the album.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

While holiday shopping, I poked my head into the local FYE and boy, what a disappointment that was. They've always been overpriced and crappy, but it's like they don't even give a sh*t about the music section anymore. The aisles are way smaller and everything is just in disarray. CDs are all over the place, barely in alphabetical order. If it isn't a new release, good luck finding anything.

They are clearly shifting their sales base to be more like Spencer's or Hot Topic, with more pop culture tchotchkes and t-shirts. Meanwhile, Spencer's is becoming more of a sex/head shop.

Yeah, I noticed that too about Spencers. Kind of surprised at that given they are usually in a mall and have posters of bare assed woman on display. At least when we were teens, the chicks on the posters were in bikinis. Ha. My boss gave me a $25 gc to FYE so I will have to go in and use it on something overpriced. The few remaining near me are actually pretty clean and organized and have a decent Metal section of CD's. It's really just their pricing I have an issue with. Come the new year, I am done with Newbury Comics as well. I even skipped the big vinyl sale there a few weeks back of 25 percent off all new and used. Their selection has gone downhill and when I do see something I want it's always cheaper online.

The local Mom and Pop record shop I frequent to buy my CD's told me yesterday that a lot of her customers purchased turn tables for their 10-13 year old grandkids. If vinyl is now that far down the food chain, I don't know how long it has left in the current revival. I have a feeling that it's going to be like Beanie babies in the 90's. People are snapping things up and thinking they have bricks of gold until they go to sell and nobody wants to give them shit for anything. The purple splatter vinyl of band whatever they stood in line for 3 hours for on record store day and paid $30 for is worth about $7 on a buy back at the local store. Huh? What? That's all you'll gimme?