r/Music • u/EkoNCynS • 1d ago

discussion How to find rare CDs?

I have a few smaller bands I listen to but I can never find any CDs by them do you guys have any specific websites you use to hunt down rare or hard to find CDs? There aren't that many shops nearby that still sell CDs and if they do it's just all the more popular stuff that's mass produced. Am I just out of luck?

7 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

39

u/Seamoose58 1d ago

Discogs is what most people use for rare music. If it isn’t there, then you’re probably out of luck.

3

u/First-Teach9317 1d ago

discogs is the best for this, but also try ebay saved searches with band name + cd, sometimes people list old collections and you get lucky for cheap

local record fairs worth checking too, I found some obscure stuff there in the past that never appeared online

1

u/markzip 5h ago

Plus one for record fairs!

(Source: An a record dealer and sell plenty of odd CDs at shows)

2

u/Mando_calrissian423 1d ago

The other option is (if the band is still touring) go to a show and buy CDs there. Then you know the money is going to the band as well

1

u/EkoNCynS 1d ago

Unfortunately that seems to be the case, I'm hunting down a copy of Puppet Loosely Strung by The Correspondents and I can't find it for the life of me :/

4

u/noobtidder 23h ago

Oh wow! I have that - Saw them at Camp Bestival years ago and was blown away, such an unexpected mix of 20s swing and banging techno. Soho and Fear and Delight remain on my playlists to this day. Such a shame about Chucks.

My personal suggestion if eBay fails you would be Bandcamp and a CD burner?

2

u/EkoNCynS 5h ago

It might be time to bust out the old drive, I hate to do it since I always miss out on the art. I'll keep hunting and if push comes to shove I'll end up buying a lot on bandcamp for multiple artists.

1

u/keepitcleanforwork 1d ago

Does that band have a website?

1

u/EkoNCynS 1d ago

Not anymore, they used to. TLDR band was a duo but one of the members passed away half a decade ago and the other member is producing music solo now under a different name.

7

u/Yangervis 1d ago

If the remaining person has social media send them a DM

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u/EkoNCynS 1d ago

Just did today! Hopefully he responds. He has a unique sound that I can't find anywhere else.

9

u/jefleppard 1d ago

I’ve been in several smaller bands that self released things, or put stuff out on smaller labels. If they had no distribution, then band members are probably sitting on long boxes of CDs they’d like to sell to people that are excited to hear it. If they had distribution then they’ll show up from small stores or sellers on marketplaces like Discogs or eBay. Some small indies are still going strong and may even have their own online stores.

5

u/Gecko23 1d ago

Discogs, bandcamp, indiemerch, the band's website if they have one, their label's website if they have one, contact the band via facebook or whatever and ask if they have any to sell

3

u/Shipsnipe1313 1d ago

A LOT of indie bands and labels sell their wares on Bandcamp.

Also check if their label has a website.

I also set up searches on eBay and get notifications for specific CDs I'm looking for.

2

u/ShocksShocksShocks 1d ago

Discogs, Bandcamp, physical record stores, and surprisingly Amazon depending on what it is

1

u/EkoNCynS 1d ago

I have had luck on Amazon before with my Scribe CD and others but I'll keep looking at physical stores whenever I get a day off.

2

u/CapnAwesme 1d ago

eBay can be a good source if it isn't on Discogs. You just have to be patient - I have set up searches and in some cases waited years for the disc I was looking for to show up at a decent price.

Do you care to share examples of the discs you are looking for?

2

u/EkoNCynS 1d ago

Puppet Loosely Strung by The Correspondents is one I'm hunting down right now, but another that's off the top of my head would be Touch up by Mother Mother plus a few others by Mother Mother. There's a few listings of some Mother Mother CDs but the prices are a bit out of my budget sadly.

2

u/Tundra-Dweller 19h ago

It’s available to buy as a digital download on Bandcamp.

1

u/CapnAwesme 1d ago

When I'm looking for something like this I set up a saved search with an email alert that includes the max I am willing to pay. There are a lot of people who sell off their collections without bothering to see what they are selling for. I've bought several over the years that normally bid up over $100 but someone listed them with a Buy It Now price < $10.

1

u/Pumpnethyl 1d ago

I found several on eBay. I know there are better solutions, but I've had good luck

1

u/dodadoler 1d ago

Garage sales

1

u/StatusAutomatica 1d ago

I found some rare stuff on Vinted for $3 dollars each.

1

u/EkoNCynS 5h ago

I've never really touched Vinted, what is your experience using it?

1

u/StatusAutomatica 5h ago

Its pretty cool. I made $500 bucks this last month selling things around my house that I don't need. They make shipping very easy. I also found a few rare CDs for really cheap to add to my collection. But it is very addictive.

2

u/Rob_Bligidy old school, new school NEED TO LEARN THO 5h ago

I’m surprised and happy when a cd or lp I already own turns out to be somewhat valuable. I don’t go searching for rare or expensive cds. Albums like a Tommy Wright III @ ≈$400 is not realistic.