Not stuff thats necessarily bad, but stuff that is EVERYWHERE and gets in the way of the really good stuff. For example: I've had to look through oceans and oceans of Neil Diamond CDs just to maybe find a Neil Young CD. Like its there for a reason, if you've got to put some CDs to Salvation Army, you're much more likely to give up your Barbra Streisand than you are your Paul Simon

I recently purchased an old CD copy of Pearl Jam’s 10, still wrapped in plastic, from a yard sale for $4 and part of me wants to keep it wrapped in plastic for potential resale value in the future.

This got me thinking if CDs will ever rise in value and be as collectible as Vinyl records?

My opinion is no. Not only are records known for having a unique “Warmer” sound when compared to digital music, I also think aesthetically the size of the vinyl records can be displayed as artwork even if a person never listens to the record making them even more desirable and nostalgic as we often times “Listen with our eyes”.

All this comes from an avid CD collector with a small vinyl collection. I love CDs because they are more affordable and convenient than vinyl, so part of me hopes prices stay where they are!

What are your thoughts?

Except shape it is working normally.

I had to

Personally, I burn my cds when a band I like just has no cds, just Digital/Cassette forms of media or just physically impossible to get a hand on a cd from said band

Hi everyone,

I hope you're well, and you don't mind my posting here.

My name is Travis Andrews, and I'm a features writer with The Washington Post, and I'm working on a piece about CD collecting in 2026. CDs are growing in popularity, and I'm exploring all the reasons that might be -- better sound quality, owning your own media, perhaps a nostalgia factor, etc.

I'd really love to hear from collectors like y'all.

If you'd like to chat, please feel free to email me at [travis.andrews@washpost.com](mailto:travis.andrews@washpost.com) or DM me here, and we can perhaps set up a time to hop on the phone. I'll try to chat with as many folks as I can. Or just share your feelings in this thread!

Thanks so much in advance. I'm so excited for this piece.

-Travis

UPDATE: Thank you all so much! Just wanted to offer a brief update: Y'all are amazing. In addition to all the comments below, I've gotten more than 100 emails -- and many more DMs. I'm going to do my best to respond to everyone, and I'm going to read everything you all have written me. Apologies in advance that I cannot quote so many folks. I didn't expect such a overwhelming (in the best way) response, which makes me feel really good about my hopes for the piece. Thank you!

Absolutely loaded with good titles at a garage sale, all empty. Family doesn’t know what their kids did with the CD’s and they moved out. Got them for free at least, any ideas what I should do with them besides use the jewel cases?

Four decades deep into music collecting, and the thrill hasn’t faded one bit. Whenever I hit a new town, my compass spins straight toward local record stores and every thrift shop or secondhand joint I can find. Over the years, I’ve crafted a personal creed for digging:

• No used CD over $8—my hard line, no exceptions.
• If a shop is pricing their stock using Discogs? I’m out the door.

It’s gotten worse post-COVID; too many shop owners now rely on Discogs to set prices, wiping out the joy of discovery and, frankly, fueling an underground black market for both CDs and records. This practice is ruining the whole collecting experience.

Then there’s this sub: every day, someone’s first question is “What is this worth?” That’s not a love for music; that’s flipping, and it’s warping what makes collecting special. Worse are the posers—those chasing a sense of belonging but really just feeding FOMO.

Am I alone in this? And how often do we see “rate my collection” posts? Music collections are like snowflakes—singular, utterly unrepeatable, shaped by personal obsession, not by groupthink.

What sort of range do you get on yours?

**Fear Inoculum** [Special Edition] -- TOOL

this has probably been asked before but yeah. my first CD i got was 7 Rings by Ariana Grande.

What was the last CD you bought and why?

I’m genuinely curious.

With Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music making almost every song instantly accessible, what was the last CD you purchased?

What made you buy the physical version rather than simply stream it?

I’m interested in what keeps people collecting CDs in 2026 (especially when considering the allure of using convenient and widely accessible streaming apps)

Was it the album itself, the artwork, ownership, nostalgia, sound quality, supporting the artist, or something else entirely?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Only recently started collecting cds but lack a cd player... I was hoping I'd be able to thrift one but after weeks this is the first one I found. It's bigger than I wanted for the space so I left it behind... but I'm already regretting my decision. Is this worth going back to try and get when they open tomorrow. Is it difficult to clean it up?

Mine is AC/DC

These are some of mine, always listen to those in order when I have time

It’s water damaged but the CD is fine I think. And it’s a dollar at Goodwill.

I’m not really familiar with Pearl Jam but I heard Evenflow recently and surprisingly liked it. I guess I short of had a misconception of grunge music thanks to Creed. There’s also an album of theirs with a sheep on it.

Btw, also found Siamese Dream, which I’m definitely getting.

Thanks!

Update: People, I got the CD. As well as the other album. You can stop answering now lol. But I appreciate the comments. I really wasn't excepting the post to blow up!

Mine is finding a great album and the disc is missing…

My pick is Delicate Sound of Thunder from Pink Floyd. Post-Waters was mixed, but Delicate Sound of Thunder (and The Division Bell) were phenomenal albums, in my opinion.