Thinking about selling my CD collection = MP3


I am having serious thoughts about selling my 1,500 or so CD collection and going to MP3 playback format. At one time I use to have the time and sit in front of my system and really listen, I mean sit and really get into the music. Now with two kids, and the band that I play guitar in, there is simply no time. My listening consists of in the car or in the house while I am doing something else. I am thinking about ripping my collection to my computer, selling the CDs and my CD player and using a large storage MP3 player as my source. Any thoughts? Anyone else out there do this?
gretsch6120

Showing 3 responses by nsgarch

I'm not sure I agree with Davt's legal interpretation, but notwithstanding, I think you should do your MP3 transfer for now and just put the CDs in dead storage. For 2 reasons:

1.) You won't get that much for them. You'll get a buck apiece as a collection. Unless you want to sell them individually and your time isn't worth anything.

2.) You sound like a young person, so take a tip from an old person: the time WILL come when you'll wish you had kept them because they will have acquired new meaning/value for you (and some of them will possibly have become collector's items.)

Get some plastic (poly-cardboard) CD storage boxes cheap from Bags Unlimited and put 'em away. You'll be glad you did. Unfortunately I won't be here for you to thank me ;--)

Oh yeah, store the CDP too, if it's something decent.
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I'm having a really hard time understanding these legal issues:

First, I've always understood that it's perfectly legal to make a single copy of a CD (purchased retail) for one's own use -- whether it's on your server, iPod, optical disc or cassette.

Second, I don't think there is anything illegal about selling a CD used (originally purchased retail) and keeping the one copy you made legally. Are you supposed to destroy your legal copy if you sell the original disc used? Talk about a law with no teeth! Why do they even bother?
Ed, very interesting blog. Seems that for now, the vote is still out.

The RIAA says you can't sell your CD if you retain your copy, but,

Thay have no legal backing for making that statement, and,

So far, there has been no test case on the matter.
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