What do I do with my old CDs?

[calthaer]

So let me ask this question...if you're collecting your CDs...are you displaying them? For PC stuff or even for PS1 / PS2 / Wii / whatever. Something like this?
http://hobbyframes.com/CDs.htm

[gbpxl]

Nope. I just have a shelf that I put them on

[Gameguy]

I'm not displaying anything at the moment, that goes for all of my games and software. And movies. And books. I haven't set things up the way I want them yet, just about everything is stored away.

I wouldn't mind framing some items for display like the link above but it depends on what the item is. I have a laserdisc I would frame just because it's got rot on one side and is unplayable, it's only suitable for display purposes. If anything else was displayed like that I couldn't use the disc anymore. Honestly the prices of those frames are more than what I would have spent on the item being framed.

[calthaer]

They are expensive...all frames are, pretty much. The only exception is cheap frames from Walmart for standard-sized items (8.5 x 11, 11x14, poster, etc.). It doesn't help that a lot of the stuff for old games (the mini-posters, etc.) are all non-standard size. Last year I bought some custom frames for a few things, among them the "Now You're Playing With Power!" poster from the NES and some maps for PC games (Icewind Dale, EverQuest), and it cost a couple of clams.

But they look good on my wall and y'know, it kind of makes me happy looking at them. These CDs - looking at them brings back happy memories, times when I'd open that off-white CD tray and place the Starcraft CD in there, listen to it whirr, and then log on to Battle.Net. Or AOE2, or Deus Ex, or whatever. Those games were a magical escape - a real bright spot during high school and college experiences that weren't the always the happiest times in my life, despite all the great things going on I could have appreciated (but didn't). You're right - the frames are worth more than I paid for these items, in some cases, and because I haven't saved the boxes for them it's probably more expensive than they're worth today. But I think I'm starting to come around to the idea that the value of having them on my wall and being able to look at them exceeds the resale value, at least for me. Maybe I posted here to get feedback, think out loud, and talk myself into it...and I think I have.

[Baloo]

I've shifted back to CDs, in part because they are more enjoyable to find good albums that are good from front to back, and also because I have lost my digital music collection twice in the last 5 years, and only have recovered a small portion. Prefer physical media for music unless there is digital only music. Plus the sound quality is wildly better than Youtube ever will be, and you can buy at least one album a month for the price of spotify. I also find that it helps me appreciate music more than this neverending faucet of music that is difficult to sift through.

Anyone into the HD Music scene, like SACDs and DVD-Audio and Blu-Ray Audio music releases? They're obscure and costly, but are fun to listen to in 5.1 channel if you can find all of the right equipment and the CDs themselves that doesn't cost a complete fortune.

[gbpxl]

my current car lacks a CD player so I havent listened to a CD in a long time. If I'm at work I listen to Pandora which has most of what I want.

As I was cleaning, I noticed I had dozens and dozens of CDs and thought to myself why the f*** did I buy so many of these. There's only been a couple that have gotten some good mileage out of them. One is Dont Break the Path by Mercyful Fate which might be my favorite album of all time. The other is a Greatest Hits compilation of The Cure. I also got a lot of play out of Perperual Flame by Yngwie Malmsteen. Couples others, but those are a few that stand out. Once I move, I may set up my 5 CD player and connect it to my surround system. I just dont find myself listening to a ton of music at home. Usually just if I am driving or working.

[SpasticFuctard]

If you heat em up on the stove, you can shape them into ashtrays...