Decluttering Guides

 There is no denying that streaming music is now the way of accessing and listening to our hearts desire. From podcasts to live shows and any music of our choice, the options are vast and has made the CD’s that we continue to store in our homes outdated and redundant.

First thing to say is I am not talking about you music aficionados who like to listen on vinyl or you who have the first print of the Rolling Stones CD only available on disc – If you are one of these, you already know the value your collection, both financially and within your home. But no, this is for the rest of us who were once used to ‘ripping’ music onto CD’s or popping down to HMV at the weekend.

As you go through, remember you are decluttering items because they are taking up valuable space in your home!

 So first thing is first ask yourself:

• Do you play them?
• Do you actually have anything to play them on?
• What’s the alternative?

If you have Spotify, Apple Music or some other streaming service then quite frankly you don’t need to keep any of them.

If you have a fully working, plugged in, easily accessible CD player with external speakers then great. But if your ability to play CD’s is on a games console or computer you’ll find your smart speaker is usually better.

If you have a CD player in the car – then make sure the selection of CD’s you want to listen to are in the car. (Or treat yourself and listen to the radio)

Mostly though the reason why we want to keep a CD is because of the memories that it generates within us. Take the time to snap a pic of the cover and send it to the person who shares that memory with you – or better yet, use your streaming service to share the song with them so you can both relive the moment.

Try recreating a playlist of mix CD’s that you put together yourself so you can enjoy at a later stage and if it is all about the covers and the artwork, then rather than keeping them on the shelf not being seen, what about making a feature of the covers, you could get the significant ones framed for example.

 Once you’ve made sure they are not scratched to pieces, when you are left with the keepers, then you can choose how to categorise them. Genre, Artist or better yet colour. Just don’t leave them in a box for the loft or gathering dust on the shelf. 

Enjoy them!

What about the ones that can go?

Are they worth selling?

What to do with them?

Selling – If you have the time and energy then you can use sites or apps like Ziffit or Music Magpie which will allow you to simply scan the barcode and you can see what they are worth. They can then be boxed up and collected directly from you. Check how the returns policy works before you commit as they can often charge you for returns. Prices vary from 10p to £1 at the higher end of the scale so decide if it is worth the time and effort after a few.

Trade In exchanges – You can also trade in store to places like CeX where you can swap your CD’s/DVD’s for cash or vouchers to spend in store which are worth more. Again it is time onsuming and the return can be minimal.

Charity – Charity shops are often overrun with CD’s & DVD and find them hard to shift, so check if they are accepted before you trek them down there.

Facebook sites – Offer up on your local facebook or free cycle sites. You can often find that they are used for all sorts of projects rather than listened too.