Are Your Old Discs Worth Anything? Here's How To Check

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If you have a bunch of old CDs or DVDs in the attic along with some other retro tech, why not sell them so they can be enjoyed by others? You never know, some might be worth something. The truth is, only rare or highly sought-after discs have a chance of earning you some serious cash on the resale market. Most are probably worth up to only a few bucks each, but a few simple checks can help you find out whether your old discs are worth anything.

For maximum resale value, the discs should also be in tip-top condition, without scratches on both the box and the disc. The insert should also be in pristine condition, free of creases and tears. Even better, the disc will still be in its original, unopened packaging. If you're confident your disc is valuable, it's time to find a buyer.

Online marketplaces like Discogs and eBay can help you reach collectors directly. You could also try collectors' groups and music forums, where enthusiasts may be on the lookout for specific releases. Whichever route you choose, make sure you also factor in any selling fees and shipping costs in case you need to mail it.

If you think you have something that's worth considerably more than a well-worn Barry Manilow greatest hits CD, then jump online to find out how much it might sell for. While current sales listings for your disc might offer some clue as to how much it's worth, you're better off checking the sales history of used ones. Discogs is a great resource. Besides sales histories for CDs, the music database and marketplace also offers useful information on different pressings or editions.

It even has a section that shows the most valuable CDs of the week. Another useful site is eBay, which lets you filter results to sold or completed items. If you see that someone has recently paid a high price for the same disc that you're hoping to sell, it's a promising sign, though be sure to check that you have the exact same edition. 

If you find that you don't have any valuable discs but you have a collection that you don't want anymore, you can always sell them in bulk online or through music stores that handle used media. But you shouldn't expect much. Baltimore-based The Sound Garden, for example, says it generally values "common" CDs at between just 25 cents and 50 cents each.

While vinyl LPs command higher prices on the collectors' market, rare CDs can occasionally fetch a few thousand dollars if they're highly sought after. A South Korean pressing of the 1991 album "Falling Hearts" from American hard-rock band Runner sold for $3,000. And with CDs making a comeback, their value could continue to rise. Another CD that sold for a decent amount is the Pet Shop Boys' "Pop Art: The Hits — 5 Songs From Our History," which was bought for $2,309.15.

Released exclusively in Japan in 2003 and featuring hits including "West End Girls" and "Always on My Mind," the five-track sampler was limited to just 25 copies, so its extremely small production run was a major factor in its high price. Another example of a used CD fetching a handsome sum was a rare Japanese CD edition of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," which fetched $2,493. The disc's gold tint and distinctive matrix-code etching helped distinguish it from ordinary copies, making this particular edition highly collectible.

So your collection may be worth serious money, but you'll need to have something pretty special in order to get top dollar. If you have a standard copy of any of the above albums, they're likely to fetch only a small sum. Still, any one of them could bring some listening pleasure to a new owner with a retro CD player, even if you only get a couple of bucks for it.