What's Worth More on the Open Market - Your Records or Your Audio Gear

I've been liquidating my high res discs, mostly multichannel sacd which I've already ripped. 

I'm still finding solid resale value, typically at or over what I paid, but I do notice more copies available than previously.

But to the OP's question, between my 5.1 and 2.1 systems I have invested more in gear, but that includes a few streamers now as well. Maybe $5K in discs, $3K for the 5.1 setup, and now 5K for the 2.1

ct0517,

I see most of the things in the same way as you just explained, including "cloud" storage. That may be the most logical reason why I keep physical copies of everything I bought. Every now and then, I come accross the glitch in those ripped files and re-rip them again. Not common, but then I am stupidly proud to be able to do it. Given the price of CDs, especially used CDs, I would be better off buying a new copy each time I find a glitchy rip.

I also believe that most of the regular people do not know how good vinyl can be. Even I, who grew up with it, find it surprisingly good from time to time. However, initial "disillusionment" comment originated from the post about heirs who would not know what they would do with bulky music media.

Every now and then, some younger person discovers some older medium and likes it. That is uncommon enough that Technics 1200 went out of production after some time. Not even people who grew up with it were buying it. And Technics 1200 was one of the last Mohicans. Maybe it was just made so good that we did not need to buy replacements.

However, and that now crosses into the dreaded and fiercely-debated "vinyl vs. digital" war of words, vinyl can sound great to you, me, another person who remembers it well, and a few more who experienced it recently for the first time. Whatever the reason for some "vinyl sound" might have not imprinted in the minds of those who grew up with "digital sound". Many of them do not find vinyl superior. They simply do not and, when they admit it is, they still may not see the point of fumbling with it for small sonic benefits. Younger generation’s "natural sound" is digital, not vinyl. And an Android device can hold everything they want, if they are traditionally-inclined, or stream whatever they want from wherever they want. Who needs records?

Larryi
If I value LPs and CDs at $5 per item (probably optimistic), I come up with $35,000. That is a little bit more than the value of the midrange drivers in my speakers, so I am way into the gear side.

@larryi

Larry
I’m not touching the midrange driver comment, except to say blessed is the audiophile that finds their audio nirvana on a budget 8^0. but ... re your price for LP and CD. I think the CD estimate is high. Here’s why.

First an observation.

My wife’s car did not come with a CD player. Wasn’t even an option. The expectation is people are now using their phones with Android Auto / Apple Carplay, Sirius, Radio, or a USB stick containing MP3, flac, etc...files.

So CD is/has, become obsolete and in the same boat as LP and cassettes for cars. And I have seen old advertisements for turntable players in cars.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/555840/highway-hi-fi-chrysler-car-record-player

This reduces the CD value.

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My local Good Will stores have many CD’s and LP’s for sale, each priced same ratio like your estimate, but at $1.99 each. But there is a big difference between these CD’s and LP’s that are selling at Goodwill.

One finds a wide selection of popular music on CD. A first visit for someone looking for CD, one can come home with an armload. The same is not true of LP.

The LP search is more akin to a treasure hunt, lucky to find one album you are remotely interested in, and then the condition of the record especially if it was popular, probably makes it an option for only Record Jacket Wall Art. IMO.

CD’s are more durable with use. Scratched CD’s files may be able to be saved with computer and a CD re-burned .... if you can find blank cd’s 8^0.

With proper use the LP lasts a long time. But once damaged from even one mishandling - its game over - to the audiophile. We have all had an LP slip when being handled, and our fingernail, or worse the ground did the damage. This makes that LP finds more precious - imo.

For this reason, and excluding special and rare music CD’s, I would value popular everyday CD ’s lower than popular LP’s which are in good playable condition.

 For those who asked questions about my friend’s 2000 LP collection that he sold for $20,000, I am really not intimately aware of the general nature of the records he collected. I can only say that he was not shy about buying expensive re-issues, 45 RPM re-issues, and other audiophile level recordings when he could find them. I am sure also that  his LPs were in mint or near mint condition. There was a mixture of jazz and classical music, it seemed to me. Whenever  I visited him it was to listen to some new piece of gear that he had purchased or to give advice about why something wasn’t sounding as good as it should, so we were focusing on the system, not the music. I would bet there was no junk in his collection, because if he perceived that something was junk he got rid of it.

^^^

lewm - I would bet there was no junk in his collection, because if he perceived that something was junk he got rid of it.

Lewm - for the benefit of those reading the thread with record collections, can you define better what you mean by junk. thanks.