To those who sell large amounts of Music CDs on eBay.
I have just came into possession of over a thousand used CDs. I would like to know how you test each one to see if they are in good condition without having to listen to all of them? Is using Exact Audio Copy to test and rip them a good indicator to see if they are fine to sell? I have been doing well at selling cassettes on here since they are fairly easy to test but the CD's have me a bit worried.
Thank you, mattva
17 comments
jonathanbrightlight
·8 months agoWe also only look at the surfaces but don’t attempt to test them. We respond quickly to any complaints with a return or refund, but it’s far more cost effective to do that than spend the time testing them.
christworks
·8 months agoYou have to do a risk analysis with stuff like this.
I agree that you test anything say over $20. If you are going to list stuff less than $20, I would not test. Do a visual observation only and when in doubt, throw it out. Have a liberal return policy, so buyers know if there is an issue they can return it. Of course, you may know in your head that you will just issue a refund without a return for anything under a certain dollar amount. That's fine, too.
Lot them up by genre or artist. Some CDs do well as stand alones. Watch the trends of older media. Gen Z and to some extent Gen Alpha are showing a growing interest in CDs. Also, people like me who had CDs back in the 90s and got rid of them are starting to seek them out again as we inch closer to 50, trying to regain some of our youth.
Don't turn them into wind chimes. If I found a huge lot of CDs, especially anything in the rock/pop/alternative/even rap from back in the 90s and 2000s, I would scoop them up for the right price. You have to be more picky with country. Anything from the early era of CD media is also good. Even if some are not worth listing right now, hang on to them and watch the trends over the next year or two.
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoAbout the highest risk for "Disc Rot" the chemical deterioration of optical media.
I would prefer to sell a 60 year old LP than a 10 year old CD for many reasons, this included.
I sell New Old Stock audio cassettes and have had no returns, ever. Cannot say that about new CDs.
inhawaii
·8 months agoSorry to say, they're almost not worth selling, with the exception of a few rare CDs.
You might consider selling them in lots.
Good luck.
mattva
OP8 months agoI might just sit on them and hope for a resurgence like what is happening with cassette tapes now. 90's rap, Electronic, Hardcore Metal, Punk, and even Reggae are selling well on cassette.
simba6
·8 months agoDon't sit too long. They can go bad over time.
onlinecentral
·8 months agoYou might consider selling them lots.
One should not attempt to sell lots unless they have a real estate license.
If the CDs are the duration of a 33-1/3 vinyl LP, about 45 minutes, testing would take 19 weeks at 40 hours a week.
Add the time for appraising, photography, description composition and listing creation.
Best wishes.
44012
·8 months agoYou always amaze me!
inhawaii
·8 months agoI get it.
I left out the word "in".
BTW You can sell your own property without a real estate license, you just don't get to list on the MLS or get a commission.
But it's ok for you to suggest not attempting it. 😉
mattva
OP8 months agoI'm starting to think it might be better to make wind chimes out of them.
kensgiftshop
·8 months agoTo cut down on returns, I'd play them first to make sure they are good.
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoSince most CDs are near worthless, I do not test, I do examine for scratches and other surface defects and do not offer any with scratches.
It might be worth listening to any of the valuable CDs, but I would probably rip them because it takes less time,
mattva
OP8 months agoI have found a few that have value and have sold well on eBay but wanted to start selling some off as lots. I just want to make sure I'm not selling unplayable items.
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoI am one of those sellers who does not do very well with lots.
Way too many potential buyers contact me wanting to buy one of the pieces in a lot and want to pay too little to be worth having a customer.
Unless your lots are priced so that someone who wants 1 or 2 items will buy them, they linger. And I am never willing to sell anything for less than my time is worth. I like to choose how I waste my time -like posting here.
kensgiftshop
·8 months agoYou can't always go by scratches.
I bought a brand new CD for one song I couldn't find anywhere else at the time and about half way through the song, it started skipping.
Didn't have any scratches or anything to cause it to skip that I could see.
mattva
OP8 months agoSame here, I've had them scratched up real bad and play fine and others that look perfect skip to my lou.
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoOne doesn't test NEW Cds. Frankly, when a new CD doesn't work, the problem is often the CD player. A perfect CD can wind up being returned because the player is worn out crap.
Most CDs do not sell for enough to make them worth the time to listen to, if you insist on making the minimum page in any state. So tradeoffs must be made. And risks assessed.
I have resolved not to buy any more CDs. This is the optimal tradeoff because I do not know enough to pick out the one's worth selling without scanning hundreds. And new CDs for 25 cents each are available with little effort.