Used CDs at Dusty Groove

[Late]

Ever since Dusty Groove got into the used CD market, their New Arrivals page has been considerably more interesting. Some unusual titles have shown up, along with others that are probably more predictable. A few questions:

• Has anyone here ever sold their discs to Dusty Groove? How was the experience? (Did you go to the store in person, or go the mail route? How are the buyback prices?)

• What used CDs have you purchased at Dusty Groove?

• Anyone else notice that "Japanese Pressing" is about as specific as they get with some Japanese titles? (Makes it difficult to discern which edition you're considering.)

Share any/all your used CDs experiences with The Bards. We might be able to come up with some useful information. (Lots of us shop there after all.) Thanks!

[Teasing the Korean]

I've sold plenty of LPs to Dusty Groove over the years, not CDS. I don't know if my experience would be helpful. They offer very generous prices on rare stuff. If they're sitting on multiple copies of certain titles, they may surprisingly pass on buying something good/rare.

I've sold via mail. I e-mail them a listing of titles. Describe accurately and grade very conservatively. They e-mail you back telling you how much for each. They don't pay for shipping. Media mail ends up being cheap. More bang for the buck if you accumulate many titles and sell them at once.

Edited March 18, 2011 by Teasing the Korean

[AmirBagachelles]

I used to stop by once or twice a year, and last year I concluded their used prices were too ridiculous ($40+) in some cases. When I pointed out an example or two, using Amazon Marketplace as a reference, they were not interested and insisted that the conversation be over. Overall, a well-scrubbed, creepy merchant vibe. They won't miss me.

[Dan Gould]

I've never been but from others who have, I've never gotten any impression that Dusty Groove would have a "well-scrubbed creepy merchant vibe."

[Chicago Expat]

When I lived in Chicago, I used to stop in there pretty often.

I picked up more used than new, but a decent mix of both.

The last used cd I got there, I think, was Mal Waldron's "Seagulls of..." (not trying to spell that word this early in the morning).

Their prices had a wide range. For something that was newly issued, say a Verve or Impulse Originals, the price would be around $8-10 new, but if it was something significantly older, then maybe you're talking upwards of $16 new. Their used prices could vary, but I could walk out of there with three used cds (say an old BN, a Prestige, and some random thing) for about $25. They didn't always compare favorably in price to nearby stores (ie, Reckless), but considering that they didn't have any kind of significant rock/pop section, I looked upon their pricing as being more in line with a niche market. And like I said, their selection was far superior to other stores nearby.

They had a whole section of cds that were Japanese pressings. They were these cardboard oversized sleeves that needed their own section of shelf to fit in properly. They were all pretty cool looking, and typically, really expensive ($25-30). Usually couldn't understand most of what was printed on the covers.

Remember, they also have their own label, reissuing old album, but also, I think, putting out new stuff. I picked up the marvelous Bill Cosby jazz jam session "Badfoot Brown" there, which was on their label.

One poster called the store well-scrubbed, which is pretty funny, because it is really clean in there and I'd never really put that quality of the store to words before, but now that he mentions it...

All my experiences with staff have ranged from civil to very friendly. I've never encountered a creepy vibe there. However, retail is an odd beast, so I'm not one to discount other people's experiences in a particular environment. Just saying for me, nice people who work there.

I've never done anything through the mail with them, nor have I ever sold to them.

I hope you find that helpful.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask. It might jar loose more information from my (shaky) memory.

Edited March 18, 2011 by Chicago Expat

[felser]

When they first started doing used CD's, I sent a small sale list (10-15 items) to them to feel out their pricing. No garbage titles, but stuff ranging from common to much harder to find ($6-7 to $25-30 on Amazon marketplace) They were around $3-$3.50 offered for every title on the list. When time permits, I'll go back to them in the future to sell some used CD's, but not the valuable ones.

[BeBop]

When I lived in Chicago, I used to stop in there pretty often.

...

I found this post to be most harmonious with my own experience. I stop by three times a year, once per Chicago visit. I don't buy or sell for myself - I enjoy browsing and buying gifts. I don't go lookiing for bargains - as was noted, Reckless and others fill this need. The most appealing stuff I see is the non-big name "rarities" - Interlude, Cobblestone, Spectrum, Soul Deep... They cost $, but wher else you gonna get 'em, eBay? Okay, those are LP labels (with which I'm more conversant), but same for CDs - BYG, DIW, Media 7...

Edited March 18, 2011 by BeBop

[Jim R]

I've sold quite a few CD's to them over the past few years, and I've been very satisfied. Like TTK, I e-mail them a list of titles (providing all the details they request with respect to the exact CD issue being sold, which makes it more efficient for both parties), and they send the list back with individual quotes. I send them a boxfull via media mail, and they promptly send me a check. DG pays what I consider to be very reasonable prices, and sometimes they surprise me with how much they're willing to pay for something. They've been nothing but professional and reliable. One time, I accidentally sent them a CDR, and they were very cool about it. I didn't ask them to do it, but they actually sent the CDR back to me (at their cost) along with the check for the CD's.

I've also sold them some LP's. For the most part, that went equally well for me, but when it came to some of the more vintage/collectible stuff I was offering them, I had to decline their offers in some cases. Overall though, they were fair, and I sold them some LP's for very good money which would have likely been tough to sell myself (some Brazilian things and odds and ends).

Never have bought any used CD's from them (primarily because I'm not buying many CD's at all these days). I've glanced at their used listings a few times, and the prices seemed a bit high to me (which helps explain why I'm pretty happy with what they will pay for used discs).

Edited March 18, 2011 by Jim R

[Late]

Thanks for all the useful information, guys. All my dealings with DG in the past have been pretty positive, and I'm currently preparing a box full of CDs (around 25 discs) to sell to them. Some stores that buy used product give a higher rate if you take in-store credit instead of cash. Is this the same with DG? At Amoeba, the difference is sometimes considerable (up to 20% sometimes).

[Jim R]

Thanks for all the useful information, guys. All my dealings with DG in the past have been pretty positive, and I'm currently preparing a box full of CDs (around 25 discs) to sell to them. Some stores that buy used product give a higher rate if you take in-store credit instead of cash. Is this the same with DG?

Yes. I want to say you get an extra 10%, but I can't remember for sure. I've never gone the credit route, since I'm not buying much these days.

[Teasing the Korean]

They've always given me the same amount of credit as cash.