LEGIT Sell Used CDs: Where to Get Top-Dollar for Them

[Holden]

Hi there. My name is Holden, and I am a packrat. In a previous post, I wrote about my efforts to get rid of my old books. Well, “get rid” might be too strong a word because I also wanted to make some money while getting the books out of my apartment. Now that I’ve regained some sense of order in my place, I decided to keep the momentum I got going with my decluttering efforts. Next in line: my CD collection.

I stubbornly hung on to my CDs thinking they would always be the dominant format for listening to music. Boy, was I wrong. Streaming became a thing, and people started to rediscover vinyl. CDs are the forgotten middle child of music formats. Since I already had memberships in several streaming sites, I decided to sell my CDs.

If you’re also looking for sites where can you sell used CDs, look no further. I wrote this guide to help you find websites to sell them to. I hope you can benefit from my research and experience!

My selling preferences

I wanted to sell my CDs the same way I sold my books. That meant trying to stick to the following preferences:

• Sell to an online store
• Try to get free shipping, when possible
• Get paid in cash (not store credits)
• Try to get top-dollar for my rare or collectible CDs
• Sell the rest in bulk - I had over 1,000 CDs to sell, and would prefer packing and sending to just one place, if possible.

Those were my preferences, but no one site had all the features I wanted. For example, one website I’ve listed, Abundatrade, specializes in DVDs (they still buy other types of discs), but isn’t the best place to sell rare CDs. So I ended up selling to multiple shops.

Also note that I didn’t aim to make big bucks off my bulk CDs. While you should sell to shops that offer the best rates, you’re not going to get rich selling your used CDs. So try to get maximum dollar for your stuff, but also set your expectations accordingly.

The exception to this are rare CDs. I had some obscure Italian bootlegs from the 90s that I knew were highly sought-after by collectors. It would have been a waste if I included them with the chaff. For this, I turned to the collector-friendly sites, which I will also include in my list.

Without further ado, here it is:

Best places to sell used CDs

Abundatrade

Website: http://abundatrade.com

Abundatrade isn’t the top-of-mind place for selling discs, but they offer decent prices. On average, they will buy your discs for around 75 cents. But that amount can shoot up to $15 for sought-after items. When I say “sought-after” I mean video games or popular movies. They’re not the best market for collectible discs. But for regular, mainstream releases, they’re a decent site.

They do offer free shipping, but only for large shipments. That wasn’t an issue for me, since I sold a few dozen discs to them, and was able to avail of the free shopping.

They pay via PayPal or cheque. Their payment process requires a bit of patience, especially if you’re going for the latter option - cheques take up to three weeks to process.

Abundatrade also has a strong environmental inclination. They implement a pretty cool recycling program for used discs. So far, they’ve recycled over 20,000 lbs of waste plastic – the fifth-greatest source of which are used DVDs and video game cases.

SellDVDsOnline

Website: http://selldvdsonline.com

SellDVDsOnline is a pretty straight-forward site. No gimmicks, no fancy sales pitches. The company has “DVD” in its name, but it buys a variety of optical media, from DVDs to CDs to video games.

One of the features I liked about SellDVDsOnline’s site is their instant price quote feature. You simply enter the UPC code of the items you’re selling (the UPC number is the string of numerals beneath the item’s barcode), and you’ll instantly find how much they’ll pay for the item. Simple, direct. And they provide free shipping, too!

They pay around 50 cents to 70 cents per CD, and send payment through PayPal – there is a three day wait, though.

EagleSaver

Website: https://www.eaglesaver.com

Since I was looking to sell a large number of CDs in one go, I gravitated towards EagleSaver. They’re more suited for people selling in bulk. For starters, you’ll have to sell at least $20 worth of stuff (with an average price of $1 per item) to avail of free shipping. They pay around 55 cents to 75 cents per disc, so you’ll really have to sell good stuff to become eligible for free shipping. It seems a little finicky, but it worked well for me.

F.Y.E.

Website: https://www.fye.com

F.Y.E. is one of the bigger sites in this article. Their buy list isn’t as long as other sites’ - instead, they focus on rare or special edition items. So yeah, this is the place to sell your rare CDs. I tried offering some of my rare Nine Inch Nails import CDs, and was pleasantly surprised by how much they were willing to pay for it. Not as much as if I sold it on eBay (and if it attracted a bidding war between collectors), but it was less hassle, and I didn’t have to pay any fees. So in the end, F.Y.E. was the better option.

They offer free shipping in the form of reimbursement when they receive and pay for your items.

Buyback Express

Website: https://buybackexpress.com

Buyback Express is an electronics retailer, but they also buy used CDs and DVDs from people. Their site also has an instant price quote function, and you can enter up to 15 different UPC numbers - really convenient, if you’re selling large batches.

Average payment per item is 45 cents to 65 cents. A little low, compared to the other sites on this list. But Buyback Express is still dependable. You still get free shipping when you sell to them.

Payment is sent either as PayPal or cheque, and is processed as soon as they receive and inspect your items.

BookMonster

Website: http://bookmonster.com

I sold a lot of my old books on BookMonster. This shop also buys used CDs. Since I had a good experience selling those books, I decided to sell some of my CDs to them as well.

They pay on average 50 cents to 70 cents per item. You can search their buy list using the items’ artist, title, or UPC number.

They do offer free shipping, but your total shipment needs to have at least 10 items with an average total worth of at least $10.

Decluttr

Website: https://www.decluttr.com

I’ve read some good things about Decluttr in this community, so I tried them out. In addition to used CDs and DVDs, you can also unload a bunch of other stuff, such as smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

Average pay per CD is 45 cents to 64 cents. Decluttr has one of the fastest payment processing among sites I’ve tried. They send out payment within 24 hours of receiving your items. Blazing fast!

Bonavendi

Website: https://www.bonavendi.com

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bonavendi/id567727472?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rebuyprices.androidapp&hl=en

Bonavendi is one of the most legit selling sites on the internet - and you can also sell other stuff, including books, DVDs, and video games.

The site is also one of the top-selling options on this list - on average, 70 cents to 90 cents per CD. Rare titles can fetch higher, though. They bought some of my early-release Aphex Twin CDs for around $5 each.

Their super-handy app lets you scan barcodes on your smartphone to instantly receive price quotes. You can also use the site to compare prices between other buyback sites.

eBay

Website: https://www.ebay.com

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebay-buy-sell-spring-deals/id282614216?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ebay.mobile&hl=en

Good old eBay. I haven’t really used eBay much, especially with the influx of different selling platforms, but it’s still the best place for collectible CDs. After F.Y.E., this is where I tried selling my rare CDs - particularly bootlegs, which a site like F.Y.E. won’t buy.

My CDs fetched top-dollar on eBay, since many collectors still trawl the site for rare items. But take note, eBay loves its fees. You’ll be paying on just about every step of your sale.

The Verdict

All these sites are legit places to sell used CDs! I suggest getting price quotes from different sites (those UPC fields really come in handy here) and selling to the one that will give you the best price.

Your Turn

This review is based on my own experiences selling my used CDs on the internet. Now it’s your turn to share! Have you sold used CDs online? Where did you sell them, and how were their rates?

Let’s hear your stories!

 

[Fred W]

My wife and I have LOTS of DVDs - most still sealed and un-viewed - stacked in our basement for I dunno what reason. I think I wrote about trying to let go of them in this post about decluttering months ago. For the most part, we’ve already let go of a substantial amount of them, but we still found ourselves trying to sell used CDs and DVDs that our kids laugh at because, well, yeah. They do have a point - everything can be streamed these days.

So I discovered Sell DVDs Online and the clutter situation at home just got a whole lot better. As you mentioned in your review, they have no gimmicky pitches about what they can sell on your behalf, which I immediately liked. They basically sell DVDs online as their name implies. Then they pay you! Overall, it’s the kind of service my wife and I have been looking for. Here are a couple more things about them that I think you will like:

• Even our used DVDs were considered sellable, as long as they are in “playable” condition and with no damage! This was a big relief as those were the ones I thought wouldn’t be able to sell.
• They have an A rating at the Better Business Bureau. I dunno about you, but when it comes to using a platform like this, I always make sure to check their BBB standing first. This one just got my vote of confidence.
• It’s not just DVDs and CDs that they sell, but also video games and gaming consoles! Also - BOOKS! Whoduthinkit, we got a boatload of books to unload, as well!
• SellDVDsOnline sends you pre-paid shipping labels which means - ta-ta-ra-raaah! FREE SHIPPING! Everything is pre-quoted so you won’t have to be surprised or frustrated by tacked-on fees when you send your stuff to them.

Things you shouldn’t try to do at SellDVDsOnline

• This is not the place for trying to hock your obsolete media like cassette tapes or VHS tapes or antiquated computer parts. Remember, anything PLAYABLE is fine, as long as there is a UPC (Universal Product Code) that meets the site’s standards.
• Do not try to sell incomplete sets to them. Nobody likes an incomplete TV or movie series. That’s just wrong.
• If your item says NOT FOR RESALE, do not even think about reselling them here, or anywhere else for that matter!
• If your item is water of fire damaged, throw them away. It’s insulting to even consider that someone else might find them useful or attractive.

That being said, I like how they do things at SellDVDsOnline - straightforward, fair, and hassle-free. If you have quality used DVDs, CDs, gaming consoles, and other stuff to let go for some cash, consider this site!

 

[Ben_the_Hobbit]

There are tons of places to sell used CDs online, as discussed in Holden’s post. I’m sure all those sites are legit, but if you’re an avowed collector like me, I highly recommend FYE over the other sites.

Why? Simple - they pay top-dollar for rare CDs. Most sites look at buying CDs as bulk. That means it doesn’t matter whether you’re selling a CD you bought from Walmart, or a rare Japanese pressing of The Beatles’ White Album that features an outtake of John Lennon farting into Ringo’s tea cup. To most stores, a CD is a CD.

But FYE understands that not all CDs were created equal. It places a premium on notable or collectible releases.

Before I discovered that site, I was gutted when I had to sell certain items from my collection. But even worse was the knowledge that I might have to sell my rare Charles Mingus imports for way less than fair market value.

Thankfully, I discovered FYE, thanks to the recommendation of a fellow music fan. I
got a good price from FYE. It was less than market price - they are a store, after all - but higher than if I had sold it to other shops.

So if you’re like me and have a nice selection of rare stuff you’re trying to move, consider FYE!