<If every artist (or record company) was selling their new product cheap
<enough, we wouldn't *need* used CD's. The used market exists simply
<because the new ones are way overpriced. I could be wrong, but it seems
<to me that although there was always a market for used vinyl, the market
f<or used CD's is many times bigger because (1) CD's are less damaged by
<prior use and (2) new CD's are more overpriced than vinyl ever was.
The market for used CDs exists becasue there are so many CDs unwanted by
their owners. If new CDs sold for half of what they sell for now, used CDs
would also sell for less than they sell for now, but they would still be
actively dealt in. The savings per-unit would be less, but it would still be a
savings. For people who are addicted to buying music, it would still be a huge
savings. And regardless of price, if everyone wanted to keep every CD they
owned, there would be no used CD market.
I started selling used records in the early 70s. New records sold for
$4-$5. I sold used albums for $2-$2.50, and people were thrilled to get them.
The biggest reason there is more of a market in used product now is simply
that there is more used product. There weren't a whole lot of multi-platinum
albums around in the early 70s, and the total number of units sold was far,
far less than it is today.
