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With entire artist catalogues being wiped off of streaming services, it is becoming more important than ever to have physical versions of your favourite music. Thankfully, it can be affordable and simple to do so. I exclusively collect CDs, however, the suggestions I will provide can easily be applied to vinyl as well. 

I will share a recent horror story about buying used CDs from Alibris. I found two albums from my favourite band, The Internet, for $3 each on Alibris. I was thrilled; many of The Internet’s CDs are unfortunately out of print (vinyls however continue to be restocked) and can be sold more than at release. Goodwill, the seller on Alibris, declared that both albums were “very good” – not mint, but almost there. I expected the CDs to have slight scuffing on the disks and/or a lightly damaged jewel case. Fast forward one week and I receive a package. I opened it to find two ex-library copies of The Internet albums. Both CDs were in DVD-like packaging (not a jewel case) with photocopied versions of the album artwork with library barcodes at the rear. One of the albums had ripped artwork. The disks were plastered with library branding, though admittedly were in “very good” condition. I was flabbergasted. In my opinion, CDs in this condition should be listed as “fair” or “good” with extensive notes on the condition. 

This story stresses the importance of seeing an item before you buy it. Had Alibris given storefronts the option to upload photos of their wares, I wouldn’t have been tricked into purchasing CDs in such a poor state. While the price seemed too good to be true, this situation could have occurred with a more expensive item for the same reason: lack of photos. I don’t feel scammed as the CDs work, but as a CD collector, I’m disappointed. Needless to say, if you intend to buy albums without a photo provided by the seller, expect that they could arrive in terrible condition. Would I still purchase albums from Alibris? Only if it is cheap. 

All the other resources I mentioned in my first blog (Suruga-ya, proxy services, and ThriftBooks) also sell CDs. I highly recommend using them in addition to one that is specifically for music, Discogs.

Discogs

Discogs is the world’s largest music database and marketplace website. Many record shops use Discogs to sell products. The website even has a directory of independent music stores across the world. While Discogs suffers from the same weakness as Alibris, not allowing sellers to upload product photos, the site has features that alleviate concerns of receiving a faulty item: sellers can write a thorough description of their wares and buyers can request photos from sellers via direct message. If you choose to use PayPal for payment, you’ll be provided buyer protection ensuring a peace of mind. Be sure to only purchase from sellers who have high ratios of good ratings and positive written reviews. 

Discogs also provides users with the opportunity to create wishlists. The feature is sophisticated enough to allow one to wish for a specific edition of an album. For example: I can put the Record Store Day exclusive version of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts album on my wishlist and receive notifications if new listings for the LP are posted. This feature is useful for grailed items, but not for common albums as it can lead to your inbox constantly being spammed with new listings. 

Pros: Specializes in music, sellers are highly knowledgeable, allows one to support small record shops, and excellent database and wishlist tool.

Cons: No product photos, shipping can be expensive, Discogs is hands-off during disputes – everything must be handled with the seller or place of payment.

I hope these suggestions aid you in your hunt for cheap CDs!