How many CDs do you have?

[AmateurEmale]

I'd like to start a discussion thread about compact discs (CDs) and whether you think they are too old-school, or that buying a physical CD can be cost-effective with downloading that entire album from iTunes.

The way that I see this issue, I could get about 8 good tracks from every 10 on an album available at iTunes, and thus pay about $8.00 USD for the music. If I can get the same CD for <$10 online and those same 8 tracks are on it, I'm still getting them for the rate of about $1.00 USD each, plus the physical media and art/lyrics book for free. My car also has a 6-disc CD player (2011 model car!) but I have yet to program an iPod Nano to work with the car's MP3 cable.

So I'm old-school enough that I like CDs, having been too poor to afford many in the late '90s or early 2000s, but now I have some shelving and about 200-250 CDs at last count of metal and alternative bands from the '80s, '90s, and '00s.

How many CDs do you own, or do you not own any CDs anymore? And tell me your reasoning behind your preferences.

[snowy25]

I had around 300 CDs at one point from various bands and with different genres of music. However over a number of moves some got lost and others damaged and I replaced them with digital versions rather than replace the physical media. Then over time I decided to transfer more to digital and bought more digital until I got what I considered my essential collection of albums. At that point I decided to give my CDs away to various charity shops locally as I thought they would at least benefit from them. Sitting on my shelf just gathering dust seemed a waste so it made sense for someone to get something for them. I actually did the same with my books also, moved from physical to digital and gave the books to charity. So now I own no books and no CDs but I do know that the money raised by selling my items went to good causes.

[Meini Again]

About a dozen, all gifts, and never played.

I'm made of vinyl

[seany65]

I've had tapes (a pain in the arse if there's some tracks you don't like), I've got some vinyl (no record deck any more though), I've got Cd's. I've got some tracks from yout***, but when I've got a reasonable collection I shove of onto CD 'cos that way I've got them saved should my present pc breaks.

I'd never go all 'donwload digital'. I want the physical stuff to put my hand son.

[otokonomidori]

None

[tygrkhat40]

About 400 titles across all genres. But then I get a little pedantic and say that it's well over 450 physical CDs as some of the titles are double disc sets; like Quadrophenia, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or The White Album; or collections/box sets; like the Who's 30 Years of Maximum R&B (4 discs), The Instant Monty Python CD Collection (6 discs) or VH1 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll (6 discs) that I created myself.

Included in the CD count are my 62 Christmas CDs. I only listen to Christmas music from Thanksgiving night until Christmas morning.

[Riley Owain]

Between 200 and 250

[Sirch]

About a 1000 CD's. I prefer something tangible.

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by Sirch

About a 1000 CD's. I prefer something tangible.

I think i have also around 1000 CD's (including about 10% CDR's), mostly darkambient, industrial, ritual, EBM/electronic and new wave.

Used to have a few hundred LP's as well, but after my turntable died i sold most over time (the better ones after i replaced them by CD's).
I only kept a handful of vinyl albums that are special to me.

The two main reason i prefer CD's over vinyl are 1. storage space (vinyl takes a lot of space) and 2. cracking sounds. Especially in ambient genres cracks and pops are very disturbing, getting me out of the mood of the drone.
Also with CD's one doesn't have to turn a record each 20 minutes.

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by AmateurEmale

I

So I'm old-school enough that I like CDs, having been too poor to afford many in the late '90s or early 2000s,

Budget used to be a problem for me as well.

Much of my collection i got from buying from 2nd hand shops (nowadays almost all the 2nd hand stores have disappeared), later from mail order record labels/distro's (when my musical interests became more obscure, the usual 2nd hand stores were no longer my hunting grounds...)

And i got a lot through trading with people over snail mail (back then it was just called mail ) which was a great way to make contact with people from different countries with similar tastes. I only had 1 or 2 bad experiences in all those years, almost all were honest and nice people)