Are CD's Pretty Much Worthless Now or Am I Over Obsessing?

Some cds are quite valuable while many vinyls are quite valuable.

 

I imagine records are more difficult to locate than cds and some are priceless once you get them.

 

True, and of course, many old records are nearly impossible to find in playable condition. Another frustrating issue is that a record that appears perfect can sound terrible because of poor-quality vinyl that was used. We hear stories of ground up rubber or whatever was done. I'm reminded of the thread running here about the guy who is "heartbroken" due to the poor sound of a Stevie Wonder LP.

 

Depends on where you're buying, and from whom you're buying. I was under the same illusion about vinyl, until I started buying it here. With so many vinyl lovers gathered in one place, that brings the odds into your favor. You begin to realize this by the third or fourth time you receive your albums from these guys. Black as night, scratch-free, quiet, even covers so clean you find it hard to believe they're 50 year-old records !
This in turn gave me the confidence to start shopping my local bins again (where I had assumed it was all trash), and I've found gorgeous, barely played albums for as low as a dollar !! Just takes patience on your own, and knowing who the sellers are here, and on eBay.

 

I don't buy a lot of vinyl, but I am much more conservative about where I buy from than with CDs. Of course, there is comfort in buying records in person. Otherwise, I try to keep in mind who are the well-known sellers on eBay. Buying here is another source of comfort.

By contrast, I am less concerned with who I buy CDs from. Yeah, it sucks to get a CD that was graded poorly, especially if it was expensive. However, there's still a good chance that it will play fine. If the disc was expensive, I'll try to get a partial refund. This doesn't happen often, but I've found most sellers to be accommodating with requests for a partial refund.

With vinyl, a poorly graded copy is often a frisbee. Very frustrating.

 

Agreed. It's also why I started a thread here naming the best vinyl sellers we have : http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=223183&highlight=

Klownschool (Rick Yates) recently refused to let me have an album we had already agreed on, because the condition was inferior to what he had previously stated...he would not let that album out of his home, because it would represent him poorly !!! That kind of pride in vinyl dealing is not easy to find, for sure.

Interesting too : Their standards and practices rubbed off on me ! Since 1964, I had never kept any album in a clear bag...now they are almost all in clear bags, with the vinyl record, in it's paper sleeve, behind the jacket, sparing it any chance of seam splits, and...I clean 99% of the records, before I play them.

 

Some CDs are valuable, you just have to find the right person to buy them. Same thing with the LPs. The only difference between them is that the people working in record stores don't seem to know the value of oop cds as well as they know the value of old lps.

I have decided not yo sell anything because the money you get from used cds is so little that I rather give them away to my friends or relatives. I have also learned that if I sell something I might regret that in the future.

 

What if that value only exists here...and possibly a few other online forums ? I've been here a year, and before that never saw such emphasis placed on CDs, and still don't outside of this forum. In fact, in the last year, I've read more about how eBay sellers have "caught on," and raised their prices accordingly, which is just a way of fleecing those that put this "value" on the things in the first place ?!?! If a collectible means less than nothing to someone that doesn't collect it...it's useless, it has no value. If this value existed, outside of a certain community, wouldn't there be publications, conventions, shows, like there is for records, comic books, sports cards ??? Or are CDs a "part" of the record shows and conventions ?
I'm just saying that these brick and mortar stores that don't seem to recognize the value of collectible CDs...wouldn't they have caught on by now ???

 

I recently sold several 8-Track tapes by eBay auctions and got more than I expected. Same titles on CD, I won't even bother to try to sell, the common CD can't be sold online and make it worth messing with for me. Not that I got a great price for the 8-Track tapes, $19.25 shipped media mail for 3 sealed 8-Track tapes on this auction and I got $8 shipped for a common quad 8 opened on another auction. The market for 8-Track tapes is small but the supply isn't great so at least there exists a chance to sell 8-Track tapes for a price that justifies packaging and walking to the mail box. With billions of used CDs on the market, the chances are really slim to do well for about 99% of used CDs. I sometimes see 8-Track tapes at garage sales and will now at least look at them but without knowing anything about the titles that might bring a fair price, I won't buy many if any.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220801457370&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT

I started a number of CD auctions at $.99 and most all closed at that price or got no bids so it is garage sales or Goodwill for mass market CDs.

 

Check Ebay. We are not the only one.

 

He's one of a kind, that's for sure. I keep meaning to place another order with him, because I was so impressed with my past order.

 

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When I look for something on eBay ... I'm looking for something specific & rare that I am willing to pay good money for. When I am looking in a CD store ... I'm looking for what they have in stock. The store will have to lower the price in order to entice me into buying.

I would expect to pay higher prices for "collectable" CD(s) on eBay.

 

To me, my 79 cent, thrift store vinyls are worth their weight in GOLD

But really, I have come across the two recordings lately where the CD is worth a dollar or less but the vinyl is way past $100

They are
Rolling Stones "Stripped"
Alison Krauss "Now That I've Found You: Collection"

 

Funny how that works. When CDs were the format of choice, you would have a hard time selling your albums for more than a couple of bucks each, even if they were the groups of choice. CDs on the other hand were selling and prices were high, new and used. Fast forward to our current situation. The interest in new/used vinyl is up at a level not seen for a few years and now, presto, the situation is reversed. Although the sales of cds have declined, to tell you the truth, I don't see a great dip in the price of used cds in the stores in my area. They average 10.00 dollars each used. If they get their hands on a used Mofi title, then they will still ask top dollar. The price of new vinyl has been driven very high. I just don't see the attraction in paying 24-29dollars for new vinyl.

 

They made an offer, you refused. Instead of moving on you start a thread? Don't get into sales/retail, it will eat you alive.