Sell! Sell! Sell!

 

While we're all-in lockdown, some of us furloughed and with little to do that consume copious amounts of film and TV (nothing wrong with that) there seems to be a trend going round and this is completely understandable, but we've either got rid of a lot of things or bought a whole load more of new things. Of course, I'm specifically talking about film/TV collections.

Many of us are spring cleaning and we have been since last year, wanting to get rid of the clutter around the home that we've had to stare at for months on end. Charity shops have been inundated with donations even though they've been saying 'please stop' as they cannot go through the mountains of things left outside in the British weather. So, there must be other creative ways for us to get rid of things. Although I should add, if you're happy to donate to charity and wait until these shops are open again, that's more than fair enough. Personally, I do donate but right now, I just want to clear out. 

I've noticed an increase in adverts appearing on my screens for MusicMagpie and that damned Vinted app that I know will be of no use to me. Saying it’s the best place to make a few quid is actually accurate, you can literally make about £2 for a box full of stuff. For the other car boot sale type apps, I've tried over the years, none have been good experiences. With people haggling for ridiculous prices, some being outright rude and others wanting a refund 6 months after buying the thing from me. I've learnt over the years that Gumtree is great for furniture, Depop was good for shoes and random t-shirts, eBay worked for Tarot decks and Amazon was ok for DVDs, Blu rays and books, over time and for clothes, I should either throw them in the bin or give them to charity.

For those who are keen to get rid of their unwanted books, DVDs, Blu rays any CDs lurking around, charity shops are the best place, when they are open of course. It’s less hassle and you can literally say goodbye to everything in one go. I did look around for charities looking for entertainment such as hospitals, but understandably, they only wanted uplifting films which I wasn’t really getting rid of. Same for sending to the soldiers. Most of the places I did find wanting donations for the latter were all in the US so that wasn’t practical. If you know of any charities accepting donations via post (when volunteers can resume) do let me know. With car boots being a thing of the recent past, who knows they may spring up again in June, but for now, car boot type apps might be something you find works for you. Personally, books, DVDs, Blu rays, CDs, don’t sell at all on these apps.

If like me, you’re happy to make a little bit of money, if any, I would say you might have to surrender to MusicMagpie or CEX. Both have easy enough ways to send the items off BUT bear in mind that both places have changed their minds about orders and I’ve received less money than agreed. CEX is the worst for this as the difference was quite a bit so I’ve never sold things to them again. In store is longer but you can trust how much you get. MusicMagpie is only slightly better. They offer less than 10% of what they resell for which is pretty damn bad but every now and then, there’s an item that’s worth much more than the rest so makes up for it. They say they offer a courier BUT again, don’t trust this. Just box up the goods yourself and take it to the local parcel shop.

For books, I’ve recently discovered Ziffit and sent off a box. Better prices than MusicMagpie but like them, they don’t take everything.

If you’re playing the long game, Amazon, even with its fees, is probably the best bet. Over the years, I’ve sold bits here and there, sometimes for a hell of a lot more than I expected. If you’re happy and willing to put up with listings for a long time and don’t mind making random trips to the post office, this is the way to go. Plus, Amazon only charges a fee WHEN you’ve sold something and its automatically sorted out. The cheaper items might mean you don’t make much but if you have an assortment of things varying in prices it works out.

Finally, there’s eBay. I would suggest eBay if you have rare or unusual items or films from outside your country’s region. These again, might take a while to sell but you get more money than on Amazon, at least that’s what I’ve found. Books do not tend to sell on eBay unless they are rare, of a certain genre and they are dirt cheap, keep that in mind.

So, in summary:

Books – Ziffit app

Rare/Special Edition DVD/Blu ray – eBay

DVD/Blu ray/Books – Amazon, for the long game

CD/DVD/Blu ray/Books – MusicMagpie IF you just want to get rid of things and make a little bit of money

If you can recommend of anywhere else to sell things or where you’ve had success, please do let me know.

Happy selling and spring cleaning everyone!

 

 

 

Long Live the Physical Media!!

 

Last year, right at the start of the first Lockdown I had the idea to start making zines. Not the film ones I make from time to time but real pen and paper and photocopy zines. I managed to put together a few pages but, in all honesty, it wasn't my best work. I salvaged the best pages and will be adding them to something I'm putting together for my 10-year anniversary of this blog. One page that I kept was a rant, a train of thought, relevant for the time, about owning DVDs and Blu rays. Apologies for the scattered handwriting. This reveals how crazy my handwriting is.

Despite streaming services being the go-to for most people, including myself, to watch films, TV, music and the odd audiobook, physical media is being kept alive by the collectors. The ‘old’ media that entertained us when we were young is always looked upon fondly now and resurrected for a nostalgia trip. As we’ve all been kept inside away from everything, these nostalgia trips are happening quite frequently. I’d love to go through the boxes still at my parents that I know contain cassette tapes, videos and there’s even a shoe box with the last of my CD collection I couldn’t get rid of. I used to be the proud owner of a large audiobook collection, mostly children’s and young adult books, quite a few Jaqueline Wilson tapes and a few Jane Austen tapes, as well as a few odd ones that I never heard of anywhere else, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen anyone? With only a few videos surviving, half of which are recorded, I had tried to convert this collection to DVDs but some I couldn’t find. Without these boxes of nostalgia to pour over, I’ve looked to collection that I moved with.

 

It’s been said that the Millennials are the ones keeping physical media alive, having grown up in an age without everything at our fingertips or having the ease of streaming services for anything you could dream of. But I also think there has been a resurgence of the ‘special/limited edition’ that has caught the eye of those who collect. Distributors like Arrow and the Criterion collection are going strong with these releases, bringing cult classics into the new era and those long-forgotten gems out of the dark for new audiences to discover. Other labels such as Indicator, Vintage Classics and 101 Films focusing different genres, also offering extra features and physical extras too. Bringing out new releases to celebrate an anniversary or even just a ‘first time’ release is an opportunity. These are all for the collectors, of which I thought there were few but after a search on Instagram with the right hashtags, I find that I am most definitely not alone or at least it’s not just film writers and Film Twitter out there. The appeal of physical media is not a niche thing as I had thought.

 

My scribbles from last year were in frustrated response to digital copies being deleted as and when companies wish rendering bought digital copies useless. For anyone who loves to own the real thing, there will always be DVD/Blu ray and now 4K releases. Vinyl made its way back from being 50p in a charity shop to back on the shelves, cassette tapes are also having a mini comeback. CDs might not have the same appeal, but, you never know.