I’m having a will done and I need to know what to do with a rare CD collection

Former probate lawyer here: No one wants it, if you want to try to donate it somewhere start looking now. I can guarantee it won't be the Smithsonian, oh, my sides!

Oh, and can I have the rest of your stuff that is worth something?

Maybe donate to a college radio station?

Sweetie, if it's that rare, just digitize it and put it up on YouTube. It's not worth any money.

Is it indexed? If not…get to work. I have sold a lot of media—LPs, books, CDs, VHS tapes, comic books—and they all appreciate a list. Then, you can either sell it over time piece by piece online or to a company that buys media. You can find someone to appraise it and sell it for you to a private collector, but they will keep half.

Or identify school that has a music/music production program that may want it as a bequest.

Sell it now, no one else will.

[quote] Is it indexed? If not…get to work.

Do this. Some (me perhaps) ma7 be interested depending on the content.

I knew a girl who had a ton of rare CDs. But then she died.

I hate to tell you this but those CD's are worth nothing but trouble to anyone who you leave them to. No one wants to have to deal with that stuff... digitize it and give it away now or let it be thrown away after you're gone... but don't bequeath it to anyone.

What does the CD possess?

Maybe you should make your own museum, OP!

I have a similar collection -mostly bootlegs and stuff that never went past the LP days. Really hard to get any place to take it these days. The person who suggested uploading it to YouTube is right. Best thing to do to preserve it is to make it all available now to anyone and everyone who wants to hear it. Look around online for groups who are interested in whatever genre you've collected, and start uploading high-res copies.

You're deluded, OP. Throw it all out; the value is nil.

I speak as one who also collected "rare," foreign, radio, promo, club re-mixes, and similar CDs.

Fuhgeddaboutit.

You’re all wrong. That stuff is very valuable to hardcore superfans of particular artists.

It’s a niche interest but still very popular in niche circles.

Got anything from the Smiths?

Most CD's really aren't worth much. If you have some rare or rareish classical, jazz and the like, you may want to sell them now. Most known rock/popular items are not anything libraries want, and they end up collecting dust in thrift stores.

I ripped my CD's into my library eons ago and sold or gave the physical items away.

Rare does not equal valuable. Value is determined by demand. Here's an example:

As a kid, my favorite TV show was Lost In Space. One day I was browsing in the local Goodwill and found a Lost In Space paperback book -a novelization based on the TV series. I had never known such a thing existed. I paid a quarter and was in ecstasy! (at least until I read it) Cut to a few years later and a similar situation where I found another copy of that same book -in Spanish. Perdidos en el Espacio. In those pre-internet days many collectors that I contacted about them refused to believe that either book actually existed. I eventually got a valuation of about $100 for the Spanish book, and $20-$50 for the English. When the feature film was released decades later interest in the series resurged, and I had an offer of $2,000 for the Spanish book. Today you can get a copy (if you can find it) for $30. It's not supply and demand, it is strictly demand...

What does the CD possess?

[quote] Perdidos en el Espacio.

Peligro, Will Robinson!

OP, you're a mis-FIT!

Mis-FIT!

Leave it to Julianne Moore. Seriously.

I know people are saying the physical media is worthless but I would argue that might not totally be the case over the past decade records have made a comeback, and to a lessor extent there has been fads for revivals of cassettes, 8-track, and VHS. So it might be worthless now but if you live until CDs are fad or revival they might be worth something then.

[quote] and to a lessor extent

That gives me an idea. Perhaps you could lease your collection to enthusiasts while you're alive and make some money.

Is there a used record / music store in your town? I'd look around and see what the prices are.

The CDs are somewhat valuable in that it's harder now to find the original versions of songs. Now, with streaming, there are different versions out there.

That said, I'd index and cull. Sell what you don't want. When you're dead, nobody will value it as much as you do.

You probably already uploaded it to MP3 or whatever files.

OP, if you have desirable things, look up on Discogs and see how much they're worth. You can sell them if you no longer use them or enjoy them.

KCRW

discogs.com is a good place to check the going rates for rare CDs. I'd either sell them now or try to find a fellow collector to leave your collection to, OP. Most people aren't going to take the time to go through and try and sell any valuable rarities. Sadly they'll just end up at Goodwill or a landfill.

OP There's always HSN.

R27

I have a Faberge egg collection from the Franklin Mint and I had the same question.

What about my encyclopedic collection of museum quality Madame Alexander dolls? I thought I would need it for my retirement but I ended up inheriting over 2 million dollars and I only have about 10 more years to live. I assume my doll collection is equal in worth.

I LOVE the idea of Julianne Moore getting a letter in the mail from her lawyer in 10 years that some Queen in Tucson left her his limited edition cd collection of rare 90s singles.

The Gap Playlists Troll came to mind for some reason.

I thought R30 was Michael Musto until he mentioned that he has money as well as dolls.

I tore through my family's house after my Mom moved to assisted living.

NONE of my siblings wanted the scrapbooks and journals; sadly, no one will want them when I'm gone.

OP, digitize the ones you want to save; keep a few that are particularly sentimental; and sell the rest on eBay, Amazon, or Amoeba if you have one of those near you. (Used record/CD store in LA that's always jam packed.)

W&W, r33.

Record stores certainly have disappeared along with all the Blockbuster video stores from my city. I still remember seeing them on every corner a decade ago and I'm feeling nostalgic tonight.

My uncle spent 30+ years on his record collection and I make fun of him every year at our Christmas family dinner that all his records fit on a tiny micro USB card and he should just throw them in the trash.

Donate to a thrift shop run by the Humane Society so the proceeds can help the doggies and kitties.

Sell that shit OP. Rare vinyl is where the money is at these days.

I have adorable Precious Moments figurines.

Are they worth anything?

As OP is posting on DL, I'm assuming Dead Can Dance and Coil isn't among his(?) collection, but you never know. As other posters have suggested, Discogs is your go-to resource to see if anything in your collection has value.

OP’s relations are bound to challenge the will to wrest this from the Smithsonian.

R41, just for you! x

I volunteered for a new museum devoted to immigrants who'd arrived in the city between 1900-1950. People donated all sorts of every day things, not just antiques. My job was helping to catalog them. When the museum opened, one huge area was a "street" of different shops, a school, a couple "houses" (front rooms). These spaces were filled with all the mundane household goods, tools, clothes, knick-knacks, books, papers, etc that we had catalogued. It was amazing.

I feel we are losing our history by dumping so much into landfills. You say, oh it's all online but nothing compares to seeing it for yourself. And who's to say that it will always BE online?

Op do you think anyone is interested in your Helen Reddy singles collection?

Hear R44 roar.

Do your heirs a favor and haul it to the curb now so they don't have to.

Op, I have no doubt these items are worth something of value to you, but the question is are they worth value to someone else? I would say no. As a society we are moving away from physical items such as cds and vhs etc, and people are stream lining their positions. My mum has a 60 year old mint condition royal doulton complete set that she loves. Is it of value to her, yes, to my siblings and I, no. But that comes with generational change. I would do what others have suggested. Upload to youtube for all to enjoy, and donate to a collage radio station, otherwise it will just end up at a charity store selling for a buck. I know it seems a waste, but value is from the person not the actual item. I collect old records. I know how much they have value to me, but they dont to others. I would digitize them now, and maybe donate them in the coming years to a college so people can enjoy them and you can see that benefit and enjoyment others are having. I think we forget, that when we pass someone has to take care of our possessions and that is a tasking that is not always fair on someone else.

I'm actually interested to know exactly what you have, OP. If we knew each other in real life, I'd probably offer to take them off your hands for you.

[quote]And who's to say that it will always BE online?

Yep. I'm so glad I didn't get rid of my DVDs - the versions of movies and TV shows on streaming are often cut somehow. Music on streaming is often not exactly like the original CDs with different versions of songs being put in place of the album tracks. And we don't own our favourites on streaming, it's at the whims of the company if they want to keep hosting it or not. I'd rather have the physical copies.

R43, seems like the problem is acquiring so much stuff, in the first place.

I think a lot of people are streamlining, especially after covid and how technology has evolved. It is sad in some ways as we lose some great things but at the same time it is a positive step. Sadly, most goes into land fill. The internet has a way of preserving which is wonderful. Look op, enjoy them now but also understand no one else will see the value like you do because the value you associate with it is emotional.

This is Michael Feinstein’s The Great American Songbook Foundation. They specialize in twentieth century standards, but I saw a segment once about it and at the time he also collected very rare, early recordings and a lot of curiosities. I’m not sure he does that any more, I think he’s narrowed his focus. But it would be a good place to write because there are other collectors around the country that specialize in various forms of music. And I bet he steers people to the correct organization a lot.

Bury them with you. You can rock in the afterlife.

Sign up to Top40MusicOnCD.com. They're into that stuff.

Make sure you digitize in high quality because mp3 is absolute shit

I ripped all my CDs to hard drives about ten years ago, and have listened to music over good computer speakers ever since. This year, however, I bought a new pair of speakers and have been listening to my CD collection again. It never occurred to me to get rid of (most of) them, as computer shit dies.

I've been culling again, and have assembled a bunch to sell to decluttr.com, but their system is flawed, and they've lost my list twice now. I'll probably keep them.

I love my old CDs. There actually is a market for them. I will sometimes buy large lots of them online. I keep the CDs I like and give away the remainder to another collector. I'm curious, OP. Why do you believe them to be rare?

Maybe just return them to Columbia House records...

This reminds me that I've been meaning to look for a university library that might want something like 7 years worth of Freshmen Magazine.

I'd rather find someplace local where I could just drop it off at their archives. But I see that the University of Illinois (Urbana) library seems to be collecting several titles.

I hate thinking of all that pron not saved somewhere for posterity.

Check Discord as others have recommended.

The advice I will add is that your collection is NOT greater in value than the sum of its parts. Don't fool yourself that the collection as a whole has value - it's only selected small parts that MAY have value. Sort out the good buts worth your time in selling, and the rest is for the plastics recycling bin

*Discogs

Most major cities have an annual vinyl, CD music sale. Two I have been to offered appraisals. It might be interesting to bring a milk crate amount of the CDs to such a sale and see what they say.

Have you sorted out where your ipod will go?

OP, can you be more specific about what type of music it is? Is it pop, rock, jazz? Is the collection based on who the songwriters are, who the record company is, or who marketed it?

Also, you say some are rare items. Are they promotional materials, rare novelty LPs, or what makes them unique? And are there non-musical items in the collection, such as letters, photos, autographed items or other souvenir type items?

Hon, NO ONE wants your David Morales remix of Straight Up by Paula Abdul. Use the CD as a cheese slicer.