Re-selling used CDs: More money back from local shops, or eBay? (1 Viewer)

[Matt Birchall]

Well, the title pretty much says it all, but I'll elaborate anyway:

I'm a sucker for remastered and expanded albums, so I'm always buying new releases of albums I already own, but at the same time, I very rarely even go into used shops, much less to sell something back or to buy a used CD.

So, I've got this relative glut of un-remastered albums that are just sitting around, that have a snowball's chance of ever getting played again, unless it's just to hear how much they suck compared to the new releases. Most of them are fairly unexciting--things like the original Stones and Dylan albums, which I have replaced (or will replace) with the new hybrid SACD/CD versions. And, there are a few, like the red and blue Beatles greatest hits double CDs, which I have no use for anymore since I've got all of those tracks on their regular albums.

(All of this stuff also applies to a bunch of DVDs I've got as well, that I've upgraded from--things like the original Almost Famous disc, the original Die Hard Trilogy set, things like that. I've just kept all this stuff around due to laziness, mostly, I guess.)

Well, now I'm in need of some cash, so those of you that have used both ways to re-sell, which do you prefer? (And, if you can do better with Ebay, is all of the added baggage worth it? I'm referring to the e-mails, the fees, the packaging, the post office, the feedback, stuff like that.)

Thanks for your help!

(Note that when I say "albums", I'm always referring to compact discs. I do have a few vinyl albums, but nothing I want to get rid of.)

 

[Brian L]

You would have a greater potential on E-Bay, methinks, if for no other reason than because there could be several bidders. If you go to a store, they will probably have a fixed, low ball price in mind, knowing what they can sell it for.

I recently was looking at E-Bay for Bose Wave Radios. I have one and was wondering what the were selling for. I was amazed to see some closed auctions where the buyer paid more for a used one than what a new costs.

Hopefully, the next time I run an auction, a similar bunch of morons will be bidding on my goods.

BTW, I would be interested in the Beatles Red/Blue albums, since I do not have all the individuals. If you want. PM me with your asking price.

BGL

 

[Matt Birchall]

You would have a greater potential on E-Bay, methinks, if for no other reason than because there could be several bidders. If you go to a store, they will probably have a fixed, low ball price in mind, knowing what they can sell it for.

That's a good point.

I guess the reason I brought this up is that a while back, when I sold a handful of CDs, I looked a couple up on Ebay, and they were selling on average for about four bucks, which was the same price that I could get at the local used CD shop, only, of course, I would have had to deal with all the added Ebay hassle. So I wound up taking those few to the local shop.

And I'm reminded of another question here--if I go the Ebay route, would I be better off, in terms of "profit", if I grouped all of the albums from the same groups together, and sold them as a lot? Or would it be worth it to split them up? For example, here are the Stones albums I've got (all are the original releases, and not the hybrids from last year): Aftermath (U.S.), Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!, Exile on Main Street, Hot Rocks 1964-1971, and The Singles Collection: The London Years. I've also got Made in the Shade, which is an out-of-print hits compilation from '75, and I think would command a relatively decent price, on it's own, compared to the other single-disc albums (I remember seeing them go for $15-20 when I last looked them up on Ebay a couple of years ago).

(The same thing applies to Dylan--I've got eight single albums of his I need to get rid of in favor for the new remasters, plus the double-CD hits compilation, The Essential Bob Dylan.)

Anyway, thanks for the reply. Usually, I'm not this annoying, but money's getting tight and I need some cash. :b

 

[KeithH]

Matt, eBay is probably your better bet. Used CD shops generally pay very poorly, and many stores will give more in the form of a store credit than in cold, hard cash.

By the way, if you have any early first pressings from 1982-1985 pressed in West Germany or Japan, let me know.

 

[Angelo.M]

If you don't want to deal with auctions, you could put your stuff on eBay's sister site, www.half.com. Like you, I've upgraded various albums and sold the older versions on half.com. The prices are set by you, and you are paid directly from half.com. You'll make less than on eBay, likely, but you might be surprised.

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

I recently purchased 5 Chicago re-masted CD's. I decided to take my original versions over to CD Warehouse and see what I could get for them. They would of given me $10 for the lot. I then put them on www.half.com. I ended up selling them all for about $50.

I would steer you to half.com.

Paul

 

[kevitra]

Try www.secondspin.com for their prices. They are usually better than my local CD stores.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Matt, I'm like you, always replacing older CDs for remasters, SACD hybrids, etc. I prefer going into CD stores and getting trade-in value for my old CDs.

Coincidentally, I got rid of some old ones today:

Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon (replaced with SACD hybrid)

Miles Davis- Cookin' (replaced with XRCD)

Queensryche- entire catalogue (replaced with remasters)

Jethro Tull- A Passion Play, Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses (replaced with remasters)

Norah Jones- Come Away With Me (replaced with SACD)

Camel- Snow Goose, Mirage (replaced with remasters)

Fates Warning- Night on Brocken, Spectre Within (replaced with remasters)


Sure, I could have gotten more dough from e-bay or other web sites, but the hassle of all the e-mails, packaging, stamps, keeping track of who goes to what, etc is just too annoying for me. I don't mind it for one or two things, but I had all this stuff sitting here for a long time.

And I, too, will soon be getting rid of lots of Bob Dylan.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Methinks that ebay wins for the highest price, but your local used CD store wins for convenience.

I usually dump regular stuff on my local store. But for more unique/hard to find stuff, I sell it on ebay.

 

[RobBenton]

I sell lots of stuff off of half.com. I made much more money then at a local CD store and it is much less hassle then ebay.

 

[Mike Broadman]

I usually dump regular stuff on my local store. But for more unique/hard to find stuff, I sell it on ebay.

Yeah, that's true for me, too. High-res stuff, for example, goes on e-bay.