Used cd prices to drop?

[Dmitry]

Seeing people unload large quantities of cds here and elsewhere and proliferation of services like the i-tunes, would you estimate that the prices on used cds are going to take a [dramatic] plunge in the near future? Niche markets, like Mosaic, excluded, of course.

[Ken Dryden]

You can download tunes all day and night, but how long can you guarantee that itunes will remain on your ipod, computer hard drive or burned discs? Unless they are abused, manufactured CDs are a permanent, rather than temporary library.

I don't see prices dropping except for CDs that just aren't of much interest. When I try to list stuff on half.com and find titles I have to dispose of listed under $4, it just isn't worth the bother to post mine.

[Claude]

I don't think so. Used CDs rather follow the price evolution of new CDs.

The second hand stores I visit usually lower the prices of the CDs they sell when the know the title has moved to the mid price range.

[brownie]

Prices of used CDs have been pretty consistent over here!

Have not noticed any trend toward cheaper used CDs here, unfortunately!

[Dmitry]

Guys, I'm not talking about now, I'm talking a year or two, when the i-pods will cost even less than they do now and digital downloads will probably be cheaper as well.

Have a friend who sold off his entire cd collection [huge] after downloading it onto a server, wired and networked his house with in-ceiling speakers and laptops, and can play music/control playlists from every room in his house. Pretty cool and high-tech stuff; I'm not going this route, but many people will.

So my bet is that the used cds will be half of today's price in 2 years. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

[Claude]

Guys, I'm not talking about now, I'm talking a year or two, when the i-pods will cost even less than they do now and digital downloads will probably be cheaper as well.

The music labels actually have the intention to raise the download prices, once the service is firmly established.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/28/do...ds_price_rises/

I don't think that many MP3 users are selling their CD collections. It's been 2-3 years now that high capacity MP3 players exist (and even longer for MP3 to be a popular on computers), and I haven't noticed increased CD volumes in second hand stores. People who have been collecting CDs continue to listen to them at home, in addition to listening to music outdoor with their iPod.

I guess this is especially true with jazz and classical music.

Edited March 24, 2006 by Claude

[robviti]

i see the possibility of the opposite happening. as more and more people download the music they want rather than buy cds, there may be fewer individuals selling cds. the resulting drop in supply could keep prices steady, or even drive the price up due to increasing costs.

[Quincy]

I've noticed that 2 of our local independents have lower prices on most used CDs compared to 3 years ago. There are still some selected used titles where they can charge more, but most are 10-15% less than they used to be. I believe this is due to 2 things:

1) BMG music club and yourmusic.com. It's hard to sell some of the common titles for a used price of $8.95 when those in the know can get the same discs new for $5.99 (or less depending on the club deals.)

2) Secondly, as more people rip tracks from their collection to a hard drive device and sell the discs back to the stores, the supply of used discs increases. (And note - both stores have larger used disc sections.) I imagine the increase in supply is greater than the demand, and so the price has dropped.

I believe point 2 is the main reason for the decline in prices locally, though as more become aware of yourmusic.com it might become a factor as well. The latter certainly has changed my used disc buying habits.

[Eric]

It is an interesting question. I have seen a few local used CD stores go out of business recently, but others seem to be thriving.

I am 44 and still like having the "hard copy" version of music. But my kids could seem to care less.

I am not sure if prices will drop. I does seem like there will be fewer of them around, but maybe with less demand, the prices will stay put. To a certain extent they will always be a function of the going rate for a new CD.

[connoisseur series500]

One factor to consider as well is that lots of the old jazz catalog is being remastered. It sure has lowered the prices of secondary trading of imports and formerly oop titles.

[sheldonm]

...I was at the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago yesterday....used prices (or new) have certainly not dropped there....most used are $8.99-$9.99 with a few opened discs going for $11.99 .

m~

[Brad]

The question is why keep new cds? I'm selling off ones that I have and just burning them. Make a copy of the liner notes and you're all set. What's the difference for optics. About the only place I might not do that is Mosaics. Those are special but other than that a lot of time it's music on the go.

[Aggie87]

The question is why keep new cds? I'm selling off ones that I have and just burning them.

[Kalo]

It is an interesting question. I seen a few local used CD stores go out of business recently, but others seem to be thriving.

I am 44 and still like having the "hard copy" version of music. But my kids could seem to care less.

I am not sure if prices will drop. I does seem like there will be fewer of them around, but maybe with less demand, the prices will stay put. To a certain extent they will always be a function of the going rate for a new CD.

Seems like prices are mostly the same as ever, and I have been an avid buyer of "used music" since the time before CDs.

I'm exactly the same age as you are, "Eric" and just as addicted to the "hard copy" mentality. Like you, I've seen a few local used CD stores go out of business. Interestingly, the ones who actively held on to their LP business have survived, while the ones who went 100% CD have fallen. A lot of my friends who are more prosperous than I have divested their LP and even CD collections in obeisance to the age of the iPod.

On the other hand, I have a good friend who still collects 78s.

Right now I'm shopping for a new turntable...

[Cali]

Recently, I went to a CD store that I have been going to for years. I was selling some Blue Note cds that I had replaced with RVG versions. I was offered only $3.00 per cd as opposed to the $4.00 - $4.50 I used to get. My CDs and cases/booklets were in pristine condition.

[Tjazz]

Guys, I'm not talking about now, I'm talking a year or two, when the i-pods will cost even less than they do now and digital downloads will probably be cheaper as well.

Have a friend who sold off his entire cd collection [huge] after downloading it onto a server, wired and networked his house with in-ceiling speakers and laptops, and can play music/control playlists from every room in his house. Pretty cool and high-tech stuff; I'm not going this route, but many people will.

So my bet is that the used cds will be half of today's price in 2 years. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

I think you're right.

CDs are treated like cassettes. Plastic disposables.

Remember when cassettes were the major seller? They weren't worth much in the secondary market.

So in general, the slow CD sellers will be rare to some people in the future. But most of the million sellers won't be worth much.

The Mosaics sets sold less 5000 each, so they were limited. Even some of those box sets have been re-issued or copied by foriegn labels and sold cheaper.

[Jazzmoose]

The question is why keep new cds? I'm selling off ones that I have and just burning them. Make a copy of the liner notes and you're all set. What's the difference for optics. About the only place I might not do that is Mosaics. Those are special but other than that a lot of time it's music on the go.