Getting rid of CDs in 2017

May 6, 2017 9:12 AM

I have hundreds (probably over a thousand) CDs in boxes that I never listen to. I'm finally going to get rid of them. What is the best way to do that in mid-2017?

These CDs have been sitting in boxes for years. Any of them that I still care about listening to I've either re-bought on iTunes or can get via Spotify. It's time for them to stop taking up space. But I think I've probably waited too long for anyone to care about them...

I definitely don't want to go through the trouble of individually selling them (e.g. on Amazon or eBay). Are there still places that would buy them in bulk and give me enough money for them to be worth my while?

I have considered giving them to Goodwill or a similar charity, but I don't want to burden them with something they can't get rid of or use. Does anyone have recent experience with whether CDs are actually valuable to charities any more?

I could maybe offer them up for free on our local Nextdoor, but I'd be kind of surprised if anyone wants them.

So it seems like the final option is to throw them in the garbage. That feels super weird since they cost a ton of money originally, but if I have to do it to reclaim this space in my garage, I will.

Has anyone gone through this recently? Ideas?

posted by primethyme to Grab Bag (15 answers total)

Decluttr!!
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:16 AM on May 6, 2017

Take them to a gameshop near you and sell them! There are people out there who might like your cd's!
posted by djinn dandy at 9:17 AM on May 6, 2017

Find a Half Price Books near you and take them there. They'll probably give you $5 for all of them, but on the other hand, the CDs will be out of your hair and you can celebrate with a fancy latte.
posted by Autumnheart at 9:20 AM on May 6, 2017 [4 favorites]

Depending on the music genre, there are companies that buy collections (or even small numbers of discs) to resell. For example, Screen Archives Entertainment has bought large chunks of Mr. DrGail's soundtrack collection. We provided a spreadsheet listing the disks he wanted to sell, they gave us a price and reimbursed the shipping charges. Easy peasy.
posted by DrGail at 9:25 AM on May 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

You would be surprised at how many people still buy CDs. I buy and rip them so I can own and share the music instead of just buying the rights to play it via an itunes account. Find an indie vinyl shop and ask them.
posted by headnsouth at 9:26 AM on May 6, 2017 [9 favorites]

Check with your local public library. Often they'll take them to sell at a fundraising event.
posted by fuse theorem at 9:30 AM on May 6, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I just did this myself last week, actually.

Assuming you itemize deductions on your federal taxes, donate them in bulk to the Salvation Army, Red Cross, or other non-profit, and take the tax deduction.

The Salvation Army valuation guide says that CDs are worth between $2.00 and $5.00 each. If you have 1000 of them, the write-off would be between $2000 - $5000.

If you're in the 25% tax bracket, that would save you $500 - $1250 next spring, with almost no work on your part, which is probably a better deal than you would get selling them off today.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:37 AM on May 6, 2017 [40 favorites]

A record store would probably be interested. They usually deal in used music, including cds.
posted by rodlymight at 9:38 AM on May 6, 2017

I had a garage sale about 2 years ago in which someone bought a box of cassette tapes because they had an old camper van that still had a cassette player in the dash. The market for these things is bigger than you might imagine, because people still own cars with CD changers, even if they don't listen to CDs at home.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:12 AM on May 6, 2017

You could donate them to an awesome nonprofit, 100% listener-supported radio station and take the tax deduction.
posted by scratch at 3:07 PM on May 6, 2017 [7 favorites]

We sold a few hundred at Movie Trading Company a couple years ago. It was outrageous the bath we took on it, but we didn't want to move them anymore. (We don't itemize, so donating wouldn't have helped fund our big move)
posted by getawaysticks at 7:55 AM on May 7, 2017

Are there still places that would buy them in bulk and give me enough money for them to be worth my while?

Yes, and maybe (depending on what you've got). By my reading of your profile, you're in SoCal. Pack 'em all up and take 'em into the Amoeba store on Sunset. Assessment happens while-U-wait. They'll probably take every CD you've got (although for many, you'll only receive pennies).
posted by Rash at 8:56 AM on May 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

I had a bunch of DVDs I wanted to unload, and so I sent them to SecondSpin.com. They do CDs as well. You can put in the barcodes (there are phone apps to scan them if you have too many to type), and then they'll give you a quote.
posted by SansPoint at 10:46 AM on May 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you have 1000 of them, the write-off would be between $2000 - $5000.
Once you go over $500 in non-cash charitable donations, they want detailed records of the price you paid and the way you determined the current value. Either claim the max $500 and forget the rest, or donate them in smaller chunks over several years to claim the $500 every year without needing to do the paperwork.
posted by soelo at 12:19 PM on May 8, 2017

Once you go over $500 in non-cash charitable donations, they want detailed records of the price you paid and the way you determined the current value.

False.

If you donate more than $500 in non-cash you need to complete IRS Form 8283, which simply breaks down your donation by good, recipient, and value. If you use TurboTax or similar tax software, it does this for you automatically.

If you donate over $5000 in non-cash of a single item or similar group of items to a single recipient, you then need to complete Section B of IRS Form 8283, which requires a formal appraisal of value.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:33 AM on May 9, 2017 [1 favorite]