# What to do with CD collection



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

So now that I am almost 100% "digital" I guess you might say, using either iPod or the files on my computer, what am I supposed to do with the stacks of CD's sitting around here. Come to think of it, what to do with the stax of wax I still have sitting around here. I still use the odd CD in the truck when I don't have my Sirius radio going. But that's about it.

Maybe a garage sale someday. New technology can be a pain in the azz sometimes


----------



## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> So now that I am almost 100% "digital" I guess you might say, using either iPod or the files on my computer, what am I supposed to do with the stacks of CD's sitting around here. Come to think of it, what to do with the stax of wax I still have sitting around here. I still use the odd CD in the truck when I don't have my Sirius radio going. But that's about it.
> 
> Maybe a garage sale someday. New technology can be a pain in the azz sometimes


I hear ya. I have a few that are in a Coffe table (You know the ones with storage) and the rest are in those Rubbermaid Totes in the Basement. Somehow I just can't bear to part with them.


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

If you consider the ethical (I won't even begin to wade into the legal area on this one) angle, selling the physical copy and keeping the digital one is a bit dodgy, non?


----------



## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

If wish to keep these songs for an indefinite period of time I'd strongly suggest you keep the vinyl properly stored away. Digital info can go bye bye without warning! (I've had it happen on discs I "thought" had secured them). There's been no sure method of archiving digital media over the long term. The tech keeps changing so quickly!


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Besides donating them to me, you could donate them to the public library, or schools, or church, or rummage sales, as may be appropriate.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

You shoot skeet?


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You have it easy. What do *I* do with all those 8-tracks?

And the shame of it is that the longer I dawdle in figuring out how to transfer them, the worse shape they're in. That's the trouble with tape. If it sits still too long, you get print-through.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

shoretyus said:


> You shoot skeet?


hahahah!

Donating them is a good idea. I'm thinking about getting rid of my CDs and books. I recently got a Kobo and now I'm working at digitizing my collection of books, so that I can slim down my library to something much more manageable. Same thing with my CDs. I haven't listened to a CD in who knows how long? I figure instead of trying to sell them one by one, I can donate them to a library or school and raise my karma


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

hollowbody said:


> hahahah!
> 
> Donating them is a good idea. I'm thinking about getting rid of my CDs and books. I recently got a Kobo and now I'm working at digitizing my collection of books, so that I can slim down my library to something much more manageable. Same thing with my CDs. I haven't listened to a CD in who knows how long? I figure instead of trying to sell them one by one, I can donate them to a library or school and raise my karma


Not to derail this thread, but I also got a Kobo in December for my birthday. I am still trying to get used to not having that book in my hand. But I am liking it so far. I have downloaded a few books. My stash of conventional paperpacks is fairly large. I nornally donate those but have not gotten around to it in a while. Kobo appears to be cheaper though


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Skeet--good idea--a friend of mine did that with some CD's.

I say keep them.

CD's are small enough to be easy to store.
Vinyl, on the other hand isn't--I got rid of most of mine years ago.
I got tired of moving it from place to place, and I wasn't listening to a lot of them.

I still have tons of tapes & CD's.


----------



## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

+1 to library donation. I'm sure there are things in your collection that lots of people would never _think _to download illegally.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

zontar said:


> Skeet--good idea--a friend of mine did that with some CD's.
> 
> I say keep them.
> 
> ...


I still have my albums .. but I wore them out as I lived in too many party houses 
Avoided the Cd thing. Gave away my tapes last year


----------



## whammybar (May 7, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> what am I supposed to do with the stacks of CD's sitting around here.


http://www.guitarscanada.com/music/27905-music-trade-exchange-no-money.html

Or if you like move this thread back to the 'buy and sell' section and put a price on those CDs. I am always looking for blues CDs.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

whammybar said:


> http://www.guitarscanada.com/music/27905-music-trade-exchange-no-money.html


When my eldest kid was a baby, we had a babysitter who let her boyfriend drink my beer and use one of my Pink Floyd CDs for a coaster. I fired her ass and kicked his out. Never mind that she didn't tend to my kid, *he drank my beer and used my Pink Floyd CD as a coaster!*

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I hope you guys realize that you may have an mp3 copy of your CD but unless the mp3 is at least at 190kbps, the copy is not of the same quality. That's the reason I still buy CDs once in a while. 

Just saying.


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Chito said:


> I hope you guys realize that you may have an mp3 copy of your CD but unless the mp3 is at least at 190kbps, the copy is not of the same quality. That's the reason I still buy CDs once in a while.
> 
> Just saying.


Actually, to get true CD quality it would need to be a lossless codec like Flac. What it all depends on is what you are happy with. In my case I ripped all my cd's to 256 kbps mp3, and I am content with that quality for my needs.

I got rid of all my jewel cases, and have a metal box that holds 500 of my CD's with their jackets. That way I still have them in some form, but in a portable one. I rarely every access that box though. It's all digitized onto my computer, and I mainly use that as my stereo, and my ipods for everything portable.

I disagree with anyone who says 500 cd's in jewel cases are easy to store. At least not if you have a small place. They may not be records, but they are still a pain in the butt. Records may be big, but at least they are nice to look at. CD's rarely are.


----------



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

I also have stacks of them and can't get rid of them.
If you have the place to keep them and its not bothering you then hang on to them, can't hurt.

Now if you have so many that the show Hoarders knocks on your door then it will be time to move them along.


----------



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

never worry about knocking over your beer and pouring out any precious amber nectar...










how about making a very useful disco ball...???...










dumbells...???...


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Save the CDs. If you get rid of them, you have more faith in the durability of your hard drive than I do.

I'm fully digital, but there's no way I would get rid of the disks.


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Save the CDs. If you get rid of them, you have more faith in the durability of your hard drive than I do.
> 
> I'm fully digital, but there's no way I would get rid of the disks.



With TB drives being under $100, I have backups of backups of backups lol. A few TB drives takes up a lot less space than 500+ cd's and 200+ movies. I have yet to lose a digital version of any of my music doing persistent backups.

But again, I don't have the space for all my media. If you have somewhere you can store it, i don't see the point in getting rid of it.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Milkman said:


> Save the CDs. If you get rid of them, you have more faith in the durability of your hard drive than I do.
> 
> I'm fully digital, but there's no way I would get rid of the disks.


Y'know, even though I have all my discs still, if I lose a digital copy (and I have, many, many, many times) I never actually go and re-rip the CD because it's so much easier to download a copy someone has ripped for me  It's also way faster! It'll take forever to find the original in the stacks of boxes, and then, of course, the disc is never actually IN the correct case...boo!



torndownunit said:


> With TB drives being under $100, I have backups of backups of backups lol. A few TB drives takes up a lot less space than 500+ cd's and 200+ movies. I have yet to lose a digital version of any of my music doing persistent backups.
> 
> But again, I don't have the space for all my media. If you have somewhere you can store it, i don't see the point in getting rid of it.


Yeah, I picked up a 1Tb drive during boxing day for $69. I now have a 1Tb, a 500Gb, and a 320Gb. I'm planning on backing up all my digital music on the 320Gb and retiring that one from use. I have the room for CDs and jewel cases, but I live in a basement apartment and could use the extra space for stuff like, you know, living space


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> Y'know, even though I have all my discs still, if I lose a digital copy (and I have, many, many, many times) I never actually go and re-rip the CD because it's so much easier to download a copy someone has ripped for me  It's also way faster! It'll take forever to find the original in the stacks of boxes, and then, of course, the disc is never actually IN the correct case...boo!
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, I picked up a 1Tb drive during boxing day for $69. I now have a 1Tb, a 500Gb, and a 320Gb. I'm planning on backing up all my digital music on the 320Gb and retiring that one from use. I have the room for CDs and jewel cases, but I live in a basement apartment and *could use the extra space for stuff like, you know, living space *


And for guitar gear!


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> And for guitar gear!


I like the cut of your jib!


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I keep mine.

I have back up for my hard drives, but one never knows.

I won't under any circumstances download music unless I pay for it, but that's another discussion altogether.

I will say that the iPod has fundamentally improved my enjoyment of my music collection. I have it with me at all times and use it EVERY day.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I only buy CD's, don't own an iPod (gotta call rogers for an iPhone..) and keep them handy


----------

