Although students have two weeks before they have to start worrying about rent, they may be eying their DVD collections trying to figure out what can go to pay bills. As an employee of a record store that buys and sells used DVDs, I’ve picked up a few tips to significantly increase the amount of money paid out per disc.
It should be noted that similar to CDs, selling DVDs is never a huge cash cow- you’re technically losing money on a product you paid a much higher price for. Because of this, you should always consider selling DVDs as a last resort.
Try to keep something in mind while you struggle to pull movies and box sets off your shelf; someone is going to buy this and want to watch it. Consider everything about the physical product itself: Is the packaging messed up because I used my teeth to get those stickers off? Was the cover insert ruined when I left it in the sun for a year and spilled coffee on it? Did I loose, tape to my wall, or throw away the inserts and included booklet? Did my cat interpret the bottom of the disc to be his new scratch toy?
It’s really hard to believe the condition of some of the DVDs, or beach Frisbees, people try to sell. Always remember that a store intends to resell the disc, not just pay you money for it and throw it away. If everything is intact and looks like it was watched once before going on a shelf, you’ll usually score an extra dollar or two per title.
If there are very small hairline scratches on the bottom of the disc, and it’s playable, stores will usually accept them. However, they’ll be less reluctant if you take a moment to use a CD cleaner or buffer. They’re cheap and work surprisingly well, and can also be useful for the occasion your CD or movie skips from frequent use.
Lastly, if you bought the movie used, take off the old price tag. For some reason, on what is probably a subconscious level, store managers don’t like the idea of buying a third or fourth generation used product.
Within the inner-Houston area are a few brick and mortar shops that buy used DVDs. Movie Exchange at 6508 Westheimer offers the best price at an average of $7 for new releases, which are considered titles to have come out within the past month. This price isn’t a guarantee, just an approximation based on how many titles they have, condition, etc.
Inside the 610 loop is Soundwaves at 3509 Montrose, Half Price Books at 1011 Westhiemer, and Hollywood Video at 1201 Westheimer. Although all three are incorporated chains, these specific locations are known to pay out a little better than most others. Soundwaves and Hollywood Video average $3-$5 for recent releases in good condition, while Half Price Books is notorious for offering as little as 50 cents to a few dollars. In all fairness, Half Price does buy titles the other three locations would turn away, which explains the 6 copies of Alfie on the shelf.
These prices are based on new releases in good condition, and can fluctuate dramatically due to how many a store already has in stock, how rare or valuable the title is, how many discs it has, if it’s a special edition, or if it’s an anthologized television show. Because pawn shops are eerily sketchy and pay practically nothing, I highly recommend against hawking your movies at one.
If you feel like you’re not being paid enough, arguing with the clerk for a better price never works; just walk out and try somewhere else.
Much like purchasing on the internet, someone looking to sell their used DVDs can increase their return by selling on eBay.com or Amazon.com. However, most people don’t have the time or patience to enter the product information, wait for someone to buy it, package it up and ship it out. It takes a long time, and many see the few extra dollars only as an addition to their inconvenience.
As an easier alternative, the MySpace.com and Facebook.com bulletin boards have become a popular and more accessible means of selling used media. Sellers are dealing with their friends or extended social network, and therefore reduce the risk of shipping, complications in payment, and questionable trustworthiness. Usually, your friends trust that you take good care of your property and are willing to pay around $7 or $10, even for older titles.
Hopefully the sight of your empty bookshelf isn’t as upsetting as it is for me, someone who only sells movies when he gets the newer (and always more expensive) special edition.
