# How can I give away CDs?



## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Every once in a while, I try to give away a few classical CDs that I no longer listen to, but that has turned out to be surprisingly difficult. Ideally I would like to give them to someone who will enjoy them. To make a long story short, I have tried:

- my freecycling group
- a local classical FM station
- a donation to the local Friends of the Library store.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Try a charity store


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

You can donate them to your local library.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Mister Meow said:


> Every once in a while, I try to give away a few classical CDs that I no longer listen to, but that has turned out to be surprisingly difficult. Ideally I would like to give them to someone who will enjoy them. To make a long story short, I have tried:
> 
> - my freecycling group
> - a local classical FM station
> ...


Find a store that sells used CD's. That's the surest way of getting them back into circulation, and they may pay you a few bucks for them.

Another option is a Goodwill or Salvation Army store.

Most libraries have an annual book sale - they will probably take CD's to sell at that event.


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

SuperTonic said:


> You can donate them to your local library.


I was going to do that, but the county library directed me to the Friends of the Library, where I did end up donating a handful of CDs. This turned into a very long story, and I won't bore you with the details. However, my idealistic goal was to get these classical CDs into the hands of someone who would enjoy them, and after a couple of experiences at the F.o.t.L. , I am not at all certain that my goal would actually happen.

Now, I understand that the F.o.t.L. is mainly staffed by volunteers, and it is chronically understaffed and always short on space, and their primary focus is on books. It's not a bad place. I've donated books there before and will likely do so again. But in my view, music is not their focus.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Via web communities for people with an interest in classical music ... make a list or post a photo and see if someone is interested. Here in Denmark, there are various Facebook Groups for free stuff, on the condition that people don't get the stuff for selling it, and there are various FB Marketplace sites for selling too, etc.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Yeah, the Used CD store is probably the best option. Trouble is, most have a niche or specialty; one genre may be valuable to one shop owner but completely worthless to another. Look up used CDs stores in your area. Then call the shop to get details. Classical music lovers are always browsing used bins for undiscovered/discarded gems.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

I'll send you my address.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

I'd love to have them (probably?). I'd pay the shipping to Brazil. :tiphat:


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I'd love to cull a lot of my classical CD collection, but with the number probably ranging in the 8,000 bracket now (perhaps more), it's going to be a long process. What I do cull, I'll end up donating to Goodwill or something. I doubt my local library would accept the amount I'd unload on them, which probably will be in the thousands.


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

Unfortunately, the most obvious result is simply throw it into the garbage. Streaming etc has cancelled most physical media.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

FrankinUsa said:


> Unfortunately, the most obvious result is simply throw it into the garbage. Streaming etc has cancelled most physical media.


Please do NOT do this. Lots of people still want CDs, even used, especially for out-of-print titles.

There are far better options than to send them to landfills.


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Thank you all for your comments. I'll check out the local used CD shops next.

P. S. In case you were wondering, I got rid of all of my cassette tapes and vinyl records years ago.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

There is a website entitled nextdoor.com.

It is a platform that allows members to communicate with other members in their communities.

One of the features is that members can sell, trade or give away items.

I have sold or have given away many items over the years.

There are many neighborhoods in Maryland that are members. If your neighborhood participates you should check it out.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

https://www.goodwillches.org/


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

FrankinUsa said:


> Unfortunately, the most obvious result is simply throw it into the garbage. Streaming etc has cancelled most physical media.


For you, perhaps, but not for me. I still buy CDs unless I have absolutely no choice put to partake in the streaming culture. There _are_ people who still value the physical medium.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

I can't TELL you the number of people I know who ripped all their CDs to hard drives, then sold or gave away their CDs. In a couple years they regretted their decision, and started buying them back again -- a tedious and expensive proposition.

Streaming is only about 60% of the experience. No, maybe 55%.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

NoCoPilot said:


> I can't TELL you the number of people I know who ripped all their CDs to hard drives, then sold or gave away their CDs. In a couple years they regretted their decision, and started buying them back again -- a tedious and expensive proposition.
> 
> Streaming is only about 60% of the experience. No, maybe 55%.


Yes, indeed, which is why I haven't done any serious culling yet. I don't want to admit to being a CD hoarder, but I suppose I am after all is said and done.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

EdwardBast said:


> I'll send you my address.


And you'll receive something like


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

There are outlets for classical CDs, including a few used record stores (mostly in urban areas), retailers such as F.Y.E. which may give you something for discs (though probably not as much as you'd like), and Discogs, where, if you're a touch ambitious, you can set up a selling station. A look at Discogs holdings/listings will lead you to info on sales for particular albums and will reveal if there is a market or not for that particular disc. For a collector type it can be a worthwhile experience, and if you present the "low ball" price you're likely to sell something. I say this having just today ordered a couple of discs from Discogs sellers.

I mainly wanted to say, though, that if your area has a senior citizens center or a senior living community you might find a welcome dumping place for discs, as well as books and magazines. Most of the community centers I'm familiar with have libraries. I've considered parking much of my own collection in whatever "home" I might end up in sometime, which will give me access to the music I love and the opportunity to allow it to be shared by others. Just a thought.

It is possible that a local school would be interested, too. Call the music department chair or the librarian. A substantial collection of discs might prove quite welcome. And you might qualify for a tax deduction as well.

Just don't throw them into the dumpster. Just the thought of that sends a chill down the spines of quite a few of us here on this Forum, I'm sure. And, there are no tax deductions for dumpster filling.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

It's a shame we haven't got an exclusive 'swap shop' or trading area on TC (something akin to how the kids trade football cards, etc) where people can say what they have and then do trades with others... Whatever. I have at least 30-40 cds that are of no monetary value but I know someone on TC would want some (and they possibly have surplus stuff I want). If you're British, of a certain age and watched the BBC kids program 'Multicoloured Swap Shop' back in the late 70s you'll know what I'm getting at. I've offloaded some cds onto friends already but there's a limit to what you or they will take (isn't that right, Malx)?


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I don't know about the US and it will probably be differ between regions. I know that there are charity shops who will not take books and/or CDs because they take up too much of their space and they know they will be very slow to sell.
Offering them in bulk on Ebay will probably get rid of them because if cheap enough, second sellers or collectors with lots of spare space will get the whole bulk.
Offering them separately on Ebay will take a lot of patience but you might be able to sell some at a price almost worth the trouble of shipping.
I usually have about two dozen at Ebay and a few more I consider not worth this effort at a German swapping portal (one gets tokens that can only be used at that portal). It's not really worth the effort but I do it anyway because I hate throwing things away that are still in good working order.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

The solution is to always turn your problems into someone else's problems.

Whenever I'm invited into someone's home I sneak in half a dozen or so discs that have worn out their welcome and/or I only purchased to impress someone that I can no longer get along with because they refuse to stop getting on my nerves and I'm abandoning them out of pure unbridled spite.

When my host leaves the room, I surreptitiously add them to his collection.

The next time that I'm invited over I make a point of examining his CD collection. 

Despite my best efforts, I don't have enough self-control to stop myself from asking - "Jaysus, lad, what are ya doing with all of these s***** CDs?" Have ya no taste at all? - Christ almighty, what a load of rubbish - You should be too ashamed to show yer face in polite company..."

This is, admittedly, somewhat risky behavior to engage in as I'm almost surely to be caught but, as mentioned, I have little to no self-control and a life without recklessly foolish risks is a life not worth living.

Don't do this too often to one person...

Don't do this to people who are actually friends...

If you don't have any actual mortal enemies, plain vanilla enemies, or even just people that you really don't care for, the "Don't do it to people who are actually friends" exception is null and void.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Deleted duplicate post...

Website is getting almost as temperamental as me - 

A white page with "Temporary Error, please retry" appeared, I refreshed the page, and the post appeared twice.

This "database transition" is probably not going to run as smoothly as is anticipated...


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Kreisler jr said:


> Offering them separately on Ebay will take a lot of patience but you might be able to sell some at a price almost worth the trouble of shipping.


I occasionally do this with items that I know are out of print, not available on streaming services, and/or in high demand. While I'm often disappointed in the results, now and then I'm shocked by how much some people are willing to pay for a single OOP CD that is available in another form.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

An alternative to wkasimer's suggestion which is significantly easier to maneuver through is Disccogs -

https://www.discogs.com/

Here's an example of how and what to do once you've reached the main page...

In the search box located at the top, type in the name of the artist/conductor/composer/album title...

For this example I have chosen (completely at random an album that I may or may not have surreptitiously stashed in someone else's collection) -

And so... Type in "Rattle The Jazz Album" and this is where you'll arrive -

https://www.discogs.com/search/?q=rattle+the+jazz+album&type=all

You'll notice that "Rattle - The Jazz Album" appears eight separate times - Each entry represents a different format/version/country of origin/whatever - who cares?...

Click on the first entry - It's for the UK Vinyl Edition - Now, scroll down to the bottom until you reach -

"Other versions 5 of 9 - Click too see more" - and click on "see more" to see the complete list of released editions.

If, for example, you have the UK 1987 EMI Digital CD then click on that...

Which brings you to this page -

https://www.discogs.com/release/6025035-Sir-Simon-Rattle-The-Jazz-Album

On the right side of the page you'll see "Marketplace" - "Buy CD" - "Sell CD"

Above "Sell CD" is "5 for sale from 1.30 USD" - You'll see five sellers with varying prices and each wants 6 USD to ship a CD worth like a buck and a half tops and is pretty much 4 times the actual cost of the CD itself but that is neither here nor there - To each his/her own - Far be it for me to judge anyone's lack of taste...

If you want to sell your copy of "Rattle - The Jazz Album" you would need to undercut the price of the lowest seller which would be about a buck plus 6 USD for shipping.

Some things sell in a day, other things will be "For Sale" for-ever (or until the end of eternity, whichever comes first).

It's worth a try - Discogs gets 8% of each sale - but it's the one place that actually has an audience actively looking for what you may want to sell.

Best of luck... and if you can't sell them, try my trick in post # 23 - The point is to get rid of them - 
"How" you do so is fairly irrelevant as long as the "getting rid of them" aspect is accomplished.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

NoCoPilot said:


> I can't TELL you the number of people I know who ripped all their CDs to hard drives, then sold or gave away their CDs. In a couple years they regretted their decision, and started buying them back again -- a tedious and expensive proposition.
> 
> Streaming is only about 60% of the experience. No, maybe 55%.


I have not gotten rid of many CDs from my collection, but of the couple handfulls I did get rid of, there were a few I wish I still had.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

SixFootScowl said:


> I have not gotten rid of many CDs from my collection, but of the couple handfulls I did get rid of, there were a few I wish I still had.


I think I bought at most a handful of discs another time after having culled them earlier and I rather slow at culling nowadays, mostly because one can hardly get any money selling CDs (which was a bit different 20 years ago in the early times of Ebay, but this is just the flipside of being able to buy used CDs for a pittance). But I am very slow nowadays getting more recordings of the music I am already well stocked with because I also realized than in many cases I don't care sufficiently for the subtle differences between interpretations/recordings.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Merl said:


> It's a shame we haven't got an exclusive 'swap shop' or trading area on TC (something akin to how the kids trade football cards, etc) where people can say what they have and then do trades with others... Whatever. I have at least 30-40 cds that are of no monetary value but I know someone on TC would want some (and they possibly have surplus stuff I want). If you're British, of a certain age and watched the BBC kids program 'Multicoloured Swap Shop' back in the late 70s you'll know what I'm getting at. I've offloaded some cds onto friends already but there's a limit to what you or they will take (isn't that right, Malx)?


Would we not be allowed to do this? It would be quite simple - a thread is started for members to list CDs they want to dispose of and those interested PM them with an address for the ones they want. This could be a swap arrangement or receivers could pay the postage for what they receive. I'm not sure about customs for international dispatches but other than that this seems a simple arrangement.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Enthusiast said:


> Would we not be allowed to do this? It would be quite simple - a thread is started for members to list CDs they want to dispose of and those interested PM them with an address for the ones they want. This could be a swap arrangement or receivers could pay the postage for what they receive. I'm not sure about customs for international dispatches but other than that this seems a simple arrangement.


Merl - Excellent idea... Seriously... (I know, I know, usually when I say "Seriously" I'm pretty much lying but not this time... Seriously...)

Enthusiast - Excellent expansion of concept... Seriously... (Note: See Above...)

If I could make one suggestion - Have a section entitled "Free To A Good Home" with the only proviso being a request to be reimbursed for postage as presented by Enthusiast. Perhaps through PayPal accounts or some other method... 
I dunno... I'm great with "ideas" - kind of shaky on "details"...









Free To A Good Home!

I know... I know.. We would be swapping LPs and CDs and not actual cats - at least I hope not - but kittens are cuter than some ratty photo of tattered LPs and CDs...


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I have not slowed down my buying CD's in the least. Especially classical. I use streaming for research

First of all, I take all my CD's out of their jewel cases and put them, with all their inserts, in plastic bags made for the purpose. So, a collection of CD's that used to take up a ridiculous amount of space, now is in alphabetized file boxes. So, where 28 CD's would normally fit in a foot, now it is over 200. Easy to get to, easy to find, and they are not even visible in my dedicated listening room.

Second, I have plenty of brick and mortar stores near me in the LA area. Most of them, have fairly large classical sections, with a lot of mid to late 20th century and avant-garde classical for me to choose from. Amoeba in Hollywood has a specific section for avant-garde classical.

Third, the price for for used classical CD's is usually very cheap. Under $5 usually.

And finally, they sound great. It is still a great format.

And for some reason, I seem to get more involved with the music when I own the media. Yeah, it is some stupid psychological thing in my brain, but, there you are...


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> View attachment 165023
> 
> 
> Free To A Good Home!


I will trade you 5 CDs for those cute kittens!


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

I did say about throwing out cds into the garbage. Some have pushed back about that idea. Actually I have only thrown out a handful. In the past I did donate. But more and more resources will not accept CD donations. Honesty I have no interest in selling CDs which are a lot of effort on my part. I guess there is an advantage to buyers finding CDs at a cheap price. I just bought a used DVD and it was good. But I think the condition was listed as very good. No problems. 
Sometimes we have to let go.


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

Mister Meow said:


> Every once in a while, I try to give away a few classical CDs that I no longer listen to, but that has turned out to be surprisingly difficult. Ideally I would like to give them to someone who will enjoy them. To make a long story short, I have tried:
> 
> - my freecycling group
> - a local classical FM station
> ...


I would have thought the 'giving away' bit is easy. I just take stuff I don't want to one of the local charity shops and they take them.

What's more difficult is to make sure they go to a good home after that. If someone comes into the shop and buys up a Beethoven boxed set because they want to use the discs as coasters...can't be helped.


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