What should I do with my CD collection?

[macro]

Like many of you, I have accumulated a rather large collection of music CDs in the past twenty years. Ten years ago and before, a local pawn shop would pay $4 each for them, so I sold a bunch that way. They won't touch them now, of course. Later I discovered half.com and sold several more that way. The ones remaining in my collection were kept either because they had sentimental value of some sort, or because there was little or no market for them at half.com.

I still have some that I would probably like to keep, for the sentimental value if nothing else. But the rest really don't mean much to me anymore, and I have stored (or will store) all of them on my computer's hard drive as MP3s. Bottom line is that the demand for music CDs has all but dimished with the introduction of MP3, WMA, and other new formats. If someone wants something old, they no longer have to look for the CD. They can search the Web and download it.

So my question to you is, what should I do with these things? They're currently taking up space under a bed, and I don't want them to be there anymore. I don't want them taking up space anywere, and I don't want to carry them to the attic. Are they ever going to have any value?

Do vinyl albums have any value? I've got a bunch of those, too, all pre-1985, of course.

You've got to think that there are literally billions of old CDs and albums taking up space in homes across the country, so the supply is certainly going to outweight the demand.

[Unassisted]

I donated some to the public library and got a receipt for the tax deduction.

[LawFive]

You can sell them as a lot on eBay, depending on how many CD's you have. I've seen sets of 200 go for $100-200.

[Johnny Footstool]

Remember, though...hard drives can crash.

[KronoRed]

Remember, though...hard drives can crash.

Make backups

[wheels]

Oh man, do I hate downloading.

Of course, I'm a vinyl guy, so you should just ignore me.

There are, however, lots of little independent record stores that'll buy them if they like what you bring in.

I'm not familiar with where you live, but I guarantee that it won't be all that hard to find one.

[TeamCasey]

Donate them to me! I'm not ready to take the next step. I have too much invested in CDs, and no patience for downloading and little trust in buying much online.

[Redsfaithful]

Don't you have a car CD player? That's pretty much where the value comes for me anymore when it comes to buying a CD. Maybe that'll change when I get a car stereo that can play mp3s, I don't know.

[ochre]

Make backups

Burn 'em to CD!!!

...oh, wait.

[macro]

You can sell them as a lot on eBay, depending on how many CD's you have. I've seen sets of 200 go for $100-200.

That's a thought. I'll do a bit of research at ebay and see how much lots are bringing. Or...

I donated some to the public library and got a receipt for the tax deduction.

Donate them to me!

...I could just give them away.

Remember, though...hard drives can crash.

Yes, oh how well do I know that! I currently have about 10GB of music and it's backed up to 20 or so CDs. I plan to buy an external hard drive that will allow me to back up all my stuff easier than I do now (CDs). That's the main reason I haven't bothered to convert the rest of my music CDs to MP3 -- I'm waiting until I break down and get the external drive.

There are, however, lots of little independent record stores that'll buy them if they like what you bring in.

You know, I haven't scouted out those kinds of stores since I started buying my used CDs from ebay and half.com, but it may just be worth checking into. I fear that the stuff I'll want to get rid of is pretty common, though, and most of them have been around the block a time or two.

Don't you have a car CD player? That's pretty much where the value comes for me anymore when it comes to buying a CD. Maybe that'll change when I get a car stereo that can play mp3s, I don't know.

So many of these (like all too many CDs) have only two or three songs on them that I really like, and I've gotten spoiled by the ability to make my own mixes of various artists. It's rare that I play any CD, new or old, in it's original format anymore. Plus, most of these things are 10+ years old. I do plan to keep the originals of my all-time favorites, though.

Thanks for the input folks!

[zombie-a-go-go]

Damn. TC beat me to it.

[GAC]

My sister called me last night and said she has a bunch of my old vinyls (Beatles, etc).

[GAC]

Saw in the paper today where someone stated that looking at what Matta has been able to do with O'Brien's recruits... O'Brien should be sued by the university for coaching malpractice.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Saw in the paper today where someone stated that looking at what Matta has been able to do with O'Brien's recruits... O'Brien should be sued by the university for coaching malpractice.

I agree.

[Roy Tucker]

I've got a whole boatload of vinyl albums in boxes in the basement. In the neighborhood of 1800-2000.

Once in a blue moon, I go browse through them. Some have beer stains on them, some have my name and dorm room number, some have seeds and stems roll out when I open them, and others are beat to absolute crap, i.e. somebody was drunk and fell on the turntable and dug a trench across it at a particularly good party.

I may be an old fogey, but I like keeping them for the memories of the times, the places, and the people.