Q&A: Where can I find bargain CDs, DVDs, and the like?
QUESTION: Do you have any recommendations for sources of bargain DVDs, CDs and the like?
ANSWER: I've looked into it a few times over the years but never managed to find a source. I've always thought it would be great to sell discs, since they're so lightweight and compact.
Some of the remainder wholesalers I deal with have some video, but it's always awful stuff that never sells. Dedalus Books has music but it tends to be really slow-selling stuff.
Another problem I see with CDs (and DVDs to a lesser extent) is the move toward digital downloading. It's putting real pressure on prices of the hard copy. Every day, more people get high-speed Internet and are in the market for downloadable audio and video. Amazon is looking to be one of the big sellers.
All the young people nowadays are listening to music on iPods or burning their own CDs. Even when a disk is popular, people don't think of it as a real object of value like a book -- maybe because the format for music and video changes too often.
And that's why I'm optimistic about the future of books. You can't beat the technology of a paper book.
posted by Steve Weber at 9/11/2006
1 Comments:
The best bet is a local used CD store to find CDs and DVDs to sell. Even though it seems like "everyone" downloads music and movies "legally or not" and owns an iPod, that is not the case.
Some CDs and DVDs are just as collectible and sellable as books or other stuff. Some folks want the bright shiny discs with the artwork and are willing to pay for it. Downloads are compressed versions of the real thing and many people, myself included don't want to settle for that. 99% of what I sell is used CDs and DVDs and it's ain't a shabby income. Don't even try to compete with stores selling the "latest hit" CD or DVD. One needs to find the stuff that's out of print and in high demand. That takes research and perseverance.
Forget about finding a "wholesaler" for these items. Most "wholesalers" are not wholesalers and are not selling the product that people are looking for. One has to be willing to do the leg work and shopping and research to find out what people are paying big bucks for in the CD/DVD area. I spend a half day in a used CD store once a week (which I think is actually fun), buy some stuff and turn around most of it for ten times what I paid for it - sometimes in the same day I bought it.
Although lots of stuff is available for download, there is even more that isn't. Just try to find some of the stuff on download sites that people are paying big bucks for. One won't. Even if one goes to one of the "illegal" P2P sites with millions of songs to download, there is stuff one just won't find no matter what. So much stuff is out of print and so many people want it that it sells very fast and at good prices - I've sold a single CD for over $100 and it cost me $5 to buy + $1.25 to ship it. I regularly sell CDs for $30 and up. I have a few CDs that are regular sellers that sell anywhere from $30-$60 and I've paid between $1-$8 for them.
The thing is though, that as hard as it is for buyers to find what they want to buy, it is almost as hard for sellers to find what buyers want to buy. One has to be willing to put in the time to research and shop. And that isn't appealing to everyone but as I said, I think it's really fun. And although this might sound phony, I actually enjoy finding this stuff for people who really want it and feel like I'm doing a service for them.
And while I love books and buy books and cherish books, I don't think one can really assume that paper books will always be around just as I don't think one can say there will not always be a market for out of print CDs and DVDs - VHS tapes even - yeah I've sold some of those and I've seen some going for as much as $100. And don't forget about Laserdiscs either.
And as a last thought, there are a lot of "collectible" CDs and DVDs that are now being reissued because the artists/powers that be see that there is still a market for old stuff. And even when the old stuff is reissued, one is not going to find it available at iTunes or wherever. It can be a fast shifting market on what will sell and what is out of print and what is reissued so it might not be for the faint of heart - just like I'd never venture into selling in the futures market.
Respectfully...
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