You can’t play them in newer cars. You can’t use them with most laptop computers. And unless you own a Sony Discman that somehow still works and you don’t mind getting strange looks in public, you can’t go for a walk or run with them nowadays.
It’s a conundrum many music fans are facing as they clean house while under coronavirus quarantine: What should I do with these boxes/crates/shelves of old CDs that I haven’t listened to in five years or more?
Those old compact discs you loaded up on at $15 a pop are now worth pennies on the Clinton administration dollar, thanks to a double-whammy change in consumers’ listening habits.
First, advances in MP3s and now music-streaming services such as Spotify made it possible to carry tens of thousands of albums in the palm of your hand. Conversely, many fans have reverted back to vinyl as their preferred format for “physical” music.
Sales of new CDs have plummeted by about 90% over the past decade. Last year saw a particularly sharp decline, with a drop by more than 25% from 2018 — about the same increase that streaming numbers saw in the same time frame, now over a trillion per year.
Even those of us who’ve stuck up for CDs in the past have to admit that the thousands in our basem*nt have grown superfluous. And cumbersome. Why dig for that Alanis Morissette or House of Pain CD when you can easily find it on your phone?
It’s always possible to rip your CDs onto a hard drive to save them in MP3 format before you get rid of them, but that also seems to be an increasingly outdated mode of listening. Here are options for handling them.
Sell them to stores: Surprisingly, many record shops still buy and sell used CDs, as does Half-Price Books. The Electric Fetus’ general manager, Bob Fuchs, said used sales have held strong even while new CDs have tanked, because “they’re so cheap now, you can go home with four or five new albums for about $20.”
Still, Fuchs acknowledged that his store only pays about 25 cents per disc (“up to $1 for something really good”), and given the datedness of many people’s CD collections, the staff is very choosy about the shape they’re in.
“They can’t look like you’ve been eating off them for 20 years,” he said.
Sell them in bulk online: Linda and Bill Wareham of St. Paul recently came up with a rather tedious but ultimately worthwhile solution: After selling some in person at Cheapo Records, they sold more of their CDs in bulk to the website Decluttr.com. The site, which resells via Amazon, requires you to scan or type in the bar code of each CD but pays about $1 to $2 per disc (DVDs, too).
“To be honest, I don’t feel like I was cheated,” Bill Wareham said. “They were out of my house and I was making a little money off them.”
If you have a particularly deep and rarefied collection, it’s maybe worth seeking out a collector online or going to eBay to try to sell them all in one swoop.
Sell them one by one: If you really have time on your hands and like visiting the post office, you could try selling them yourself via Discogs, Musicstack or eBay, which could amount to a few bucks per CD; the ones that do sell, that is. Of course, a good ol’ garage sale works in this case, too, but even your aunt who goes out “saling” every Saturday has probably turned to streaming her Streisand albums.
Donate them: Goodwill still sells CDs and DVDs and collects them at its drop-off locations. Many libraries — including those in Hennepin and Ramsey counties — also take them and will either stock them for checkout or sell them at sales or their used stores. (Obviously, these places are currently closed, and all donations have to wait until the quarantine is lifted.)
Recycle them: Aside from the paper-sleeve inserts, plastic CD cases and the discs themselves aren’t permitted in conventional curbside recycling, only out-of-the-way “technology recycling” sites such as Tech Dump in St. Paul or Green Lights Recycling in Blaine. The website Greendesk.com offers packing and shipping options, but it’s pricey (about $15 plus shipping for a 25-pound package).
One free recycling option: Use the shiny discs for arts-and-craft projects, such as mobiles or collages.
Hang onto them: You never know, there could be a resurgence in popularity for CDs in the coming decade or two like there was for vinyl. There’s even been a niche market for cassettes among hipster kids in recent years (yeah, go figure!).
Also, given the fight for better royalty payments to artists from Spotify, etc., there could be a time when albums are not as widely available or affordable on streaming sites. But for now all signs point otherwise.
@ChrisRstrib
FAQs
How to Recycle CDs & Tapes
- Donate your old CD, DVDs and tapes to a secondhand store or music reseller for reuse. Even if the items are scratched, it's likely they can be repaired and resold. ...
- Use them for a DIY art project.
- Mail your media to a company like the CD Recycling Center of America or GreenDisk.
Curbside Pick-up and Drop-off Centers
It can be difficult to find recycling options, but you shouldn't throw your CDs in the trash. It's estimated that it will take more than 1 million years for a CD to completely decompose in a landfill.
Are CD collections worth anything? ›
If you're wondering “are CDs worth anything”, you should know there's a lot of value in those old CDs, especially if you're an audiophile. These days, some streaming services are losing their luster – with some famous artists like Neil Young taking down entire catalogs.
Is there any reason to keep CDs? ›
Don't Underestimate the Value of a Good CD
There's nothing like listening to your favorite vintage EP, live recording, or special edition on a disc format. CDs offer a mix of quality, affordability, and convenience, the perfect middleman between vinyl and streaming.
What can I do with thousands of CDs? ›
Donate them
Goodwill still sells CDs and DVDs and collects them at its drop-off locations. Many libraries also take them and will either stock them for checkout or sell them at sales or their used stores.
How do you destroy CDs in bulk? ›
Wrap the discs with plastic wrap and then fold it until it breaks. Shred the discs with a disc shredder. Cut the discs. You can use a pair of scissors, but be careful as the foil will flake.
Can you burn over old CDs? ›
Hi, The CD-R, originally named CD Write-Once, you can only burn once. If you want to burn the CD and then erase the CD and re-burn it again. I would suggest you to buy CD-RW (I.e. CD Re-Writable disk) You can find it any computer retailer's shops.
Do CDs have a shelf life? ›
Among the manufacturers that have done testing, there is consensus that, under recommended storage conditions, CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R discs should have a life expectancy of 100 to 200 years or more; CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM discs should have a life expectancy of 25 years or more.
Do CDs deteriorate over time? ›
Poor-quality discs (discs that do not meet standard specifications for proper manufacturing and function) will probably fail sooner than good-quality ones, due to rapid chemical degradation or physical damage. This was a significant problem when discs were introduced 2 and for at least two to three years afterwards.
What is the best way to sell my CD collection? ›
These are the best places to sell DVDs, CDs, games and books online:
- musicMagpie. Accepts: CDs, DVDs, Books and Games. ...
- CeX. Accepts: CDs, DVDs and Games. ...
- WeBuyBooks. Accepts: CDs, DVDs, Books and Games. ...
- GameXchange. Accepts: DVDs and Games. ...
- eBay. Accepts: CDs, DVDs, Books and Games. ...
- Amazon. ...
- Ziffit.
Top 3 Most Expensive CDs
- #1. In Wantlist. Falling Hearts. Runner. 1991. CD, Album. Shop Want. ...
- #2. In Wantlist. Midnight Over Honey River. Valerie Carter. 2003. View Release. Mightnight Over Honey River is a Japanese release from the American singer-songwriter. ...
- #3. In Wantlist. Smile. Michael Jackson. 1998. Pop. CD, Maxi-Single.
Recent releases in good condition might average $2.00 to $10.00 STORE CREDIT, with some being worth more. CDs: CDs do not sell as well as they used to. For titles that do still sell strongly and are in very good condition, we typically offer between $2 and $4 STORE CREDIT (or 50% of the credit value in cash).
Are CDs making a comeback? ›
But while vinyl has been getting all of the attention, another physical format – the CD – has been growing in popularity as well. Last year CD sales grew for the first time in 20 years.
Is there any money in old CDs? ›
Absolutely! Although streaming and digital music are the most popular ways to listen these days, lots of people prefer the collectable nature and superior sound quality of CDs. This demand means that the vast majority of CDs are still worth something - and the amount you can make soon adds up!
How do you declutter a CD collection? ›
DVDs and CDs
- Go through your entire DVD and CD collection to see what you have.
- Keep your favourites and ones that you cannot part with.
- Donate the ones you no longer want or need eg. ...
- Purge any that are scratched and not working.
- Create a special nook or shelving system to store all your DVDs and CDs that you will keep.
Fingerprints, scratches, dust and dirt on the data side of the discs are usually the main cause of any damage incurred to a disc.
What is the easiest way to destroy a CD? ›
So, one of the easiest ways to destroy a disc is to physically damage the polycarbonate itself. Simply cut the disc in two with scissors or a paper cutter. NEVER try to destroy a disc by bending it between your fingers in an attempt to break it. Some will bend, but not break.
Why are old CDs considered hazardous? ›
Over time, CDs can release Bisphenol A (BPA), which can cause health implications in humans. Burning CDs releases toxic fumes into the air we breathe, and they require a special recycling process that isn't accepted in single-stream recycling bins.
What is the most secure way to dispose of data held on a CD? ›
CDs/DVDs. Some CDs and DVDs can only be written to once; others may be rewritable. In either case, in order to be sure that the data is adequately protected, the best method for disposal of these disks is to physically destroy them.
Where can I burn a CD for free? ›
CDBurnerXP is an entirely free CD burning software that allows you to burn various disc types from your computer. This program can burn CDs and DVDs, including HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This program also allows you to create ISOs and bootable discs with ease.
With the introduction of iTunes and the iPod in the early-mid 2000s, people everywhere began simply downloading their favorite artists' albums in lieu of buying the physical CD copy. By 2005, iTunes had outpaced CD sales in a couple of major physical retail stores for the first time.
Does anyone listen to CDs anymore? ›
The Compact Disc Had a Good Year
CD sales have been falling since 2004, a trend which suggested they would eventually die off like the cassette. However, according to a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) report, Americans bought 46.6 million CDs in 2021.
What will replace CDs in the future? ›
Vinyl LPs outsell CDs by nearly 2 to 1 in the US and in the UK vinyl LP sales will overtake CD sales in 2022.
What are the signs of disc rot? ›
Signs of disc rot
On CDs, the rot becomes visually noticeable in two ways: When the CD is held up to a strong light, light shines through several pin-prick-sized holes. Discoloration of the disc, which looks like a coffee stain on the disc. See also CD bronzing.
What do people do with their CD collections? ›
Donate old CDs
Your local library might take CD or DVD donations, but if not, most thrift stores and secondhand shops will likely accept them. GoodWill always has a booming CD section, and they're likely going to accept old discs until the end of time.
Is selling on Decluttr worth it? ›
Is Decluttr Trustworthy? For some reason, a few people have searched “Decluttr is a scam” on Google - we're not sure why, but you'll be pleased to know that Decluttr is a legit, safe, trusted, and reliable way to sell your unwanted items and buy refurbished tech at a great price.
How do you make money from old CD and DVD collections? ›
You can download the Decluttr app to build a sell list using your phone's camera as a barcode scanner. You box up your items and Decluttr covers shipping costs. Once received, you'll get paid the next day. Payments are made by direct deposit to your bank account, PayPal or a paper check in the mail.
Do CDs have a future? ›
This 'boom' saw CD purchases inch from 40.16 million units in 2020 to 40.59 million in 2021. While the spiffy circles are certainly not going to surge like it was 1995 all over again, CDs remain a musical medium that still packs live rounds, making an impact as more than just a rainbow-prismatic socio-cultural note.
What year had the highest number of CDs sold? ›
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), CD album sales in the United States have dropped by 95 percent since peaking in 2000 and are currently at their lowest level since 1986, when Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album topped the Billboard charts.
How much are old CDs worth? ›
CDs: CDs do not sell as well as they used to.
For titles that do still sell strongly and are in very good condition, we typically offer between $2 and $4 STORE CREDIT (or 50% of the credit value in cash).
They sure are! The vast majority of the CDs we buy are sold to a new home, which saves them from landfill and gives someone else the joy of listening to them. Anything we can't sell is recycled responsibly, with the materials used for all kinds of purposes!
Can you make money on old CDs? ›
Yes, absolutely! Selling your old CDs is an easy way to make space in your house and earn yourself some extra cash too.
How much longer will CDs be around? ›
As demonstrated in the histograms in Figures 18 and 19, that lifetime could be less than 25 years for some discs, up to 500 years for others, and even longer. Other research found failures around 20-25 years.
How many years do CDs last? ›
Among the manufacturers that have done testing, there is consensus that, under recommended storage conditions, CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R discs should have a life expectancy of 100 to 200 years or more; CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM discs should have a life expectancy of 25 years or more.
What is replacing CDs? ›
Manufacturers have replaced the aging CD player with touch-screen media centers that offer streaming services, hands-free Bluetooth® and can play digital files from portable USB drives. Over the years, CD sections in stores have been shrinking as less and less people buy CDs.
