As the major source of clutter in our family home, I have assumed the role of Chief Downsizer. I take this role seriously. As Chief Downsizer, it is my responsibility to dispose of as much unnecessary material as I can. It’s an awesome responsibility.
Admitting that I have waaay too much stuff is one thing, getting rid of it is quite another thing altogether. Take music, for example. In my lifetime, I’ve possessed phonograph records ranging from the brittle shellac 78s that were more popular in my parents’ day to the 45s and LPs that dominated the music scene of my generation. I’ve also owned reel-to-reel tapes, eight-tracks and audio cassettes, before switching to compact discs.
The records and tapes are clearly dead media these days and CDs are well on their way down the same path as online music takes center stage. So, how does one dispose of these relics?
Fortunately, there’s a market for vinyl and I hope to eventually tap into that. I long ago got rid of my reels and eight-tracks and the few commercially audiocassettes I still own are ticketed for sale at garage sale prices. CDs, for all their popularity, are not really well-suited for the collectible market because of their digital nature. They’re easily copied and their small artwork doesn’t have the same appeal as the artwork on a 12x12-inch record jacket.
While I plan to offer much of what I own at a garage sale, I’ve found that there are some online companies that will buy compact discs. After checking out a few of these places, I am selling a few CDs to SecondSpin.com at $1-2 apiece. I found the SecondSpin site easy to use and their offered prices to be reasonable. If this works out, I’ll sell them more.
Admitting that I have waaay too much stuff is one thing, getting rid of it is quite another thing altogether. Take music, for example. In my lifetime, I’ve possessed phonograph records ranging from the brittle shellac 78s that were more popular in my parents’ day to the 45s and LPs that dominated the music scene of my generation. I’ve also owned reel-to-reel tapes, eight-tracks and audio cassettes, before switching to compact discs.
The records and tapes are clearly dead media these days and CDs are well on their way down the same path as online music takes center stage. So, how does one dispose of these relics?
Fortunately, there’s a market for vinyl and I hope to eventually tap into that. I long ago got rid of my reels and eight-tracks and the few commercially audiocassettes I still own are ticketed for sale at garage sale prices. CDs, for all their popularity, are not really well-suited for the collectible market because of their digital nature. They’re easily copied and their small artwork doesn’t have the same appeal as the artwork on a 12x12-inch record jacket.
While I plan to offer much of what I own at a garage sale, I’ve found that there are some online companies that will buy compact discs. After checking out a few of these places, I am selling a few CDs to SecondSpin.com at $1-2 apiece. I found the SecondSpin site easy to use and their offered prices to be reasonable. If this works out, I’ll sell them more.
In the meantime, I’ve a bagful of books and CDs that I plan to take to my local Half-Price book store to see what they might pay. I’ll let you know how things turn out.
Larry Lehmer is a personal historian and chief legacy planner at When Words Matter in Urbandale, Iowa, where he connects generations through their stories. To learn more, visit his web site, send him an e-mail or follow him on Twitter.
Flickr photo courtesy of romp
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