Big deal, you say?  Who buys CDs these days, anyway?  Well, I do.  And I have a feeling there are plenty like me, who still want to own their music, hold it in their hands, and file it away on a shelf.

Perhaps I’m old fashioned, but seeing the name of a song on a computer screen isn’t quite the same as adding a rare and elusive compact disc to the sound library.  There’s great satisfaction in receiving a package in the mail, containing a CD I’ve been chasing for months.  It beats the heck out of simply dragging and dropping another file into My Documents.  Ya know?

As mentioned, years of training is required to become a high-master, but there are certain techniques we use that can help even the most inexperienced used CD buyer, right away.  And who knows?  Maybe you’ll discover a natural talent, and someday become a used CD ninja, yourself?

We move silently through the night… like the Comic Book Guy only silenter…

Following are my tips for improving your musical spelunking skillz, without delay.  Take my advice and you’ll soon find yourself enjoying great music, in ridiculous quantity, for very little money.  Oh, it’s a beautiful thing, indeed.

Sites To Use I’m partial to three, in particular.  I use Amazon Marketplace, half dotcom, and secondspin.  There are others, like spun and gemm, but I have better luck with the three mentioned.  There’s nothing wrong with checking other sources occasionally, but I believe it’s best to limit yourself to a manageable group of core sites.

Want Lists Your first course of action should be to build want lists at all the sites you’ve decided to monitor.  Get away from the computer for a while, with pen and paper in-hand, and jot down all the CDs you’d like to (need to!) own.  And then return to your machine and load the information into the various want list services provided by the sites.

Over time you’ll think of other titles, and it’s important to add them to every list.  All lists should remain uniform, to avoid confusion and chaos.  Which means you’ll also need to remove items, as you make purchases.

Monitoring Want Lists I check my three lists at least twice a day, and usually more often.  It doesn’t take long, even if you’ve got a ridiculous number of wants, like me.  At this point I can scroll through all of them in less than five minutes, combined.

After a while you get to know the standard prices, and can spot a bargain with nothing more than a casual glance.  But you’ve got to be ready to strike!  Hemming, hawing, dillying, and/or dallying can lead to heartache.  There can be no hesitation, you’ve got to act immediately.

Because there are other ninjas out there, coiled like a cobra!

Conditions Amazon and half dotcom group CDs by condition, and I only buy from the “new” and “like new” categories.  “Very good,” I’ve learned, is a catch-all.

Most people know what new and like new means, but very good is open to interpretation.  And that’s not very good, at all.  It leads to too much uncertainty, and risk.  Sure, you might get lucky and receive a nice disc, but you might also be sent one that looks like it’s been swallowed whole, then shit-out.

My advice:  only shop from the top two tiers, and avoid the temptation of “very good.”  The lower categories shouldn’t even be considered; train yourself to become blind to them.

Seller Ratings Amazon and half dotcom allow buyers to rate their transactions, and I only do business with sellers boasting 97% positive feedback, or higher.  Drop down to 96%, and the quality of service seems to suffer a great deal.  That’s the cut-off, in my estimation.

I’ve bought hundreds and hundreds of used CDs through the years, and have only had a handful of problems.  And every one of them could have been avoided, if I’d learned the above rule earlier.

I once “purchased” a copy of Bad Music For Bad People by the Cramps, from some shitpouch with an 88% approval rating.  I knew better, but the price was so intoxicating…  I tried to justify the purchase in my brain:  Hell, eighty-eight people out of a hundred think the dude is great; everything will be fine!

So, I eventually hit the purchase button… and got bent over the proverbial sofa.

As tempting as it might be, I strongly urge you to only buy from sellers with impeccable ratings.  Conversely, it’s also important that you leave feedback on all your purchases, to help fellow travelers.  It’s almost like the hobo code.

Shipping costs $2.99 is the going rate for shipping a CD.  Once you become experienced, your brain will begin automatically adding three dollars to every price you encounter.  And that extra three bucks can be a deal-killer; it can instantly turn a bargain into nothing special.  So, always remember the shipping costs!

If you’re planning to use secondspin as a source, and I recommend you do, you should definitely sign up for their mailing list (by registering at the site).  They often run specials, including weeks with free shipping on every order.  Some great deals can be had during those weeks, if you play your cards right.

eBay Speaking of shipping, I don’t go to eBay for used CDs much, because there’s no uniform cost.  Sellers are allowed to plug any price into the shipping & handling field, and often advertise an item at a low price, then take their profit from wildly inflated “postage.”

Many people swear by eBay, and I’ve found some good deals there myself, but you’ve got to be extra-careful.  Everything hinges on the fine print.  Never go to eBay while drinking!

I’ve also had some bad luck with discs being rated a tad, shall we say, liberally at eBay.  My definition of excellent condition doesn’t always line up with Big Red’s in Dog Balls, Arkansas, it seems.

So, I’m a little leery of eBay for used CDs.  Needless to say, you’re free to develop your own opinion on the subject.

Prices This one is difficult, because there are so many factors to be considered.  A release on a tiny label will usually cost more than a CD distributed by Warner Bros. or Capitol.  Simply because the major labels are able to get more discs into circulation…

Also, I’m often hunting CDs that are out of print, sometimes not having been available in stores for a decade or more.  So, you’ve got to take that into account, as well.  You’re probably not going to find a long out of print title for four bucks.

But, generally speaking, I don’t like to exceed ten dollars, total cost.  In fact, ten dollars is at the high end of the spectrum.  I bought a David Baerwald CD a few days ago for $1.17 (with free shipping!), and that’s what I’m chasing, that’s the goal.

Which brings me to the final item…

Be Patient It’s important not to get yourself all cranked-up about a certain disc, and make a mistake while in the throes of a wild frenzy of want.  You’ve got to remain disciplined, and patient.

Indeed, I’ve had a certain CD on my lists for five years now, maybe longer, and will eventually secure it for a reasonable price.  I know this, because there were similar titles in the past, that I now own and enjoy in the comfort of my ninja lodge.

It’s almost like fishing.  Just sit back and relax, and your patience will likely be rewarded.  And if not, you’ve still had yourself a pleasant day on the lake, or whatever.

So there you go…  Those are my tips for building a better used CD experience.

Use them for good, never for evil.

 A few years ago

I don’t know the legal ramifications of such a thing (would the labels need to have the approval of each individual artist, for instance?), but it seemed like a can’t-lose proposition to me:  no inventory, no warehouses, no handling, no freight costs… 

Heck, after royalties, and whatever fees they’d have to pay to iTunes or whatever, every cent would be company profit.  Right?  I couldn’t see a downside, and prepared for the coming data dump.

And nothing happened…

Every once in a while I checked the sites, and didn’t find much.  What the hell, man?  Where were my promised rarities?  I know a person can obtain almost anything illegally, but I was/am willing and eager to do it on the up and up.

So, what gives?  What happened to the plans detailed in the article I read?  Why aren’t labels offering every single album they own the rights to, as mp3s?  Even if they only sell fifty copies of each per year, it would be found money.

I’d pretty much given up on it, figuring some shitbox in a suit ruined all our fun (yet again).  But a few days ago I happened upon something that gives me hope.

One of the most sought-after CDs on my various want-lists is The Right to Be Italian by Holly and the Italians.  It’s a semi-obscure gem from the early-’80s New Wave/punk era, and was only available on CD for roughly fifteen minutes.  As I type this, a used copy is available through Amazon – for $179.98.

But check this out.  Has the dump finally begun?!  I still don’t see any of the old Fleshtones albums from the IRS years, but this is undeniably a good sign.

My nipples are exploding with delight.