I often see classified ads for CDs with a stated reason for sale like this one, plucked from eBay today (emphasis mine):<\/p>\n
\nCD & INLAY EXCELLENT. CASE SCRATCHED BUT NO CRACKS Having a clearout as gone digital<\/strong>. All CDs genuine and in very good condition unless stated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Now, one can only speculate about the meaning of “Having a clearout as gone digital”. Perhaps it means the person has purchased all the songs they want from iTunes or similar, or has a Rhapsody subscription<\/a>, and is now selling off CDs they no longer use. Alternatively it might mean these CDs have been ripped to PC or Mac and are now equally redundant, though one can question the legality and\/or ethics of ripping a CD, selling it, and continuing to enjoy the music. In one sense it matters little; the question that intrigues me is what effect this activity has on the secondhand market. If enough people follow suit there is going to be a huge excess of supply over demand.<\/p>\n
I can think of several reasons why CDs might remain desirable in a music server household:<\/p>\n
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- As proof of ownership of a some kind of licence to rip<\/li>\n
- So you can admire the sleeve and read the booklet<\/li>\n
- To obtain that special mix or mastering that isn’t easily found online<\/li>\n
- Because you can’t bear to admit that your expensive CD player no longer has a useful function<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Now ask yourself how much any of the above matter to the average person.<\/p>\n
Collectors will still collect, of course. But my advice to anyone contemplating the sale of their CD collection is: do it soon.<\/p>\n
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Technorati tags: cd<\/a>, digital<\/a>, itunes<\/a>, ipod<\/a>, mp3<\/a>, music server<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I often see classified ads for CDs with a stated reason for sale like this one, plucked from eBay today (emphasis mine): CD & INLAY EXCELLENT. CASE SCRATCHED BUT NO CRACKS Having a clearout as gone digital. All CDs genuine and in very good condition unless stated. Now, one can only speculate about the meaning of … Continue reading Will CDs become worthless?<\/span>