Part One of a multiple blog entry around online CD buyer services - How it worked for me.
After going all-digital a while ago, my CD collection was settling dust. The upcoming move to Munich made me go through the 400+ strong collection and root out all the digital copy is enough part of the music. Not that I do not fancy it anymore, but the items in question are so rarely heard by me, that even in the case of a digital complete loss (= Media Mac killed plus Apple iTunes Match bancruptcy) I do not shed tears.
So I researched a little bit how I manage to sell off my used CDs and (probably for a lot of people an old hat) found a plethora of used CD/DVD buy-services. Most prominent right now in Germany seems to be "rebuy" but a google on "CD Ankauf Online" brought up an endless list of services. There are similar services for DVDs and Games.
Tried out two services to great success, each taking around 40 CDs off my hands, offering average 0,80 Euro per item, both including free shipping labels.
Both services worked as advertised, no hassles and here is how it goes:
1) Identify the CD by entering the barcode-number (either manually or in case of one of the services by scanning with the iPhone)
2) The service quotes you an instant price and puts the CD into a shopping cart
3) After you have completed the identification bit, you go to check-out (or should this say check-in, as it is a selling transaction from your end?).
4) You enter your contact information and maybe need to register on the website of the service
5) You provide your banking details or Paypal ID - the service provider in the end wants to give you the money, after all.
6) The provider offers you a reimbursement up to a certain price (usually around 5 EUR) for the shipping or allows an online print out of a prepaid shipping label.
7) You wrap and pack the CDs, slap the label on it and send it off.
8) After a while you get the money.
The service worked for me as advertised, so I cannot comment on exceptional situations whose procedures are described in the selling/buying conditions of the providers (e.g. in case the CDs are scratched and need to be sent back to you)
Stay tuned, in the second part of this series I will write about interesting economics around the CDs and their value judged by the different providers.
After going all-digital a while ago, my CD collection was settling dust. The upcoming move to Munich made me go through the 400+ strong collection and root out all the digital copy is enough part of the music. Not that I do not fancy it anymore, but the items in question are so rarely heard by me, that even in the case of a digital complete loss (= Media Mac killed plus Apple iTunes Match bancruptcy) I do not shed tears.
So I researched a little bit how I manage to sell off my used CDs and (probably for a lot of people an old hat) found a plethora of used CD/DVD buy-services. Most prominent right now in Germany seems to be "rebuy" but a google on "CD Ankauf Online" brought up an endless list of services. There are similar services for DVDs and Games.
Tried out two services to great success, each taking around 40 CDs off my hands, offering average 0,80 Euro per item, both including free shipping labels.
Both services worked as advertised, no hassles and here is how it goes:
1) Identify the CD by entering the barcode-number (either manually or in case of one of the services by scanning with the iPhone)
2) The service quotes you an instant price and puts the CD into a shopping cart
3) After you have completed the identification bit, you go to check-out (or should this say check-in, as it is a selling transaction from your end?).
4) You enter your contact information and maybe need to register on the website of the service
5) You provide your banking details or Paypal ID - the service provider in the end wants to give you the money, after all.
6) The provider offers you a reimbursement up to a certain price (usually around 5 EUR) for the shipping or allows an online print out of a prepaid shipping label.
7) You wrap and pack the CDs, slap the label on it and send it off.
8) After a while you get the money.
The service worked for me as advertised, so I cannot comment on exceptional situations whose procedures are described in the selling/buying conditions of the providers (e.g. in case the CDs are scratched and need to be sent back to you)
Stay tuned, in the second part of this series I will write about interesting economics around the CDs and their value judged by the different providers.
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