While most people have abandoned CDs for the ease and convience of downloadable MP3s, some people still prefer the better quality sound of CDs. If you're one of these people, then this page is for you. Below are some of the most popular and reliable sites to purchase CDs. We've gone through and listed the basic information about them such as average price, shipping, and return policy. Hopefully, one of these sites will help you update your music library.
Amazon has become the leading seller of all things shippable and a favorite of us here at The Best Songs.net. In our experience, Amazon offers quality items at a resonable cost.
Price: Amazon strives to be competitive and most of their CDs start at around $9.98. You can sometimes find used CDs for less through Amazon Merchants, but be careful and look carefully at the ratings before you buy.
Shipping: Shipping can be free if it qualifies, but that means it can take up to two weeks before you get it. Otherwise, they charge $1.99 per shipping and $0.00 per item to ship CDs in the United States. Warning: Shipping is more for other items and according to Amazon
they charge the "highest applicable per-shipment charge." If you frequently order items on Amazon, join their Amazon Prime program. The annual membership fee of $79 seems steep, but that provides you with free two-day shipping for one year. It is definately worth it if you order enough items. Click here
Return Policy: You may return most new, unopened items sold and fulfilled by Amazon.com within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. If the return is due to their mistake, they will also refund the shipping.
Barnes & Noble has always been a leading seller of books, but now they are attempting to compete in the music arena. For the best discount, you are wise to join their membership program. For $25 a year, members get 40% off hardcover bestsellers, 20% off hardcovers, and 10% off everything else. If you buy enough, you'll more than make back the membership fee and then some. This is one seller that we highly recommend in regards to security and customer service.
Price: Barnes & Noble has some of the cheapest CDs for sale online, but not with their newer CDs. New CDs run about $13.50. However, older CDs can run as cheap as $7.99.
Shipping: Barnes & Noble claims to be the fastest shipper. Standard shipping is free if you order $25 or more. Otherwise, domestic shipping begins at $1.99 for CDs plus per item charges (which vary depending on the size, availability and weight of the item.)
Return Policy: CDs can be returned within 30 days providing that they are unopened.
If you've ever watched late night TV, you've probably seen the CDs that Musicspace advertised for sale. This is where you can go to get them online (although most of them are also offered through Amazon). Although, they seem reputable, they are very expensive and so we're not going to praise the site too highly here.
Price: Compared to Amazon.com, they are considerably more expensive. For the same CD (Now 25) they charged $15.98 compared to Amazon's $9.99. This seemed to be the case on almost every CD I checked.
Shipping: Shipping for one item is $4.49 for standard mail (2 or more items receives free shipping).
Return Policy: According to them, "If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied with any item you order from MusicSpace.com, simply return it within 30 days of ordering, for a full refund or replacement (excluding shipping & handling and return postage)."
If you have not experienced Overstock, then you've been missing out. It's a great place to look for items when you are looking for a bargain. The only drawback is that they may or may not have the item in stock that you are looking for. I've known at least one person who purchased an item only to discover that it was out-of-stock. Also, not all the items are great bargains. For example, we looked at the CD High School Musical 2 in September 2007. It was offered for $9.49 at overstock. Meanwhile, it was a mere $9.99 at Amazon.com.
Price: Some CDs were as low as $7.50, but most averaged at $9.49 each.
Shipping: With Overstock, speed is not really their strong point. According to them, CDs can take "Up to 3 weeks to arrive." That's a long time to wait these days. Luckily, they don't overcharge for this service. They have a flat rate of $2.95 for orders shipping within the continental United States.
Return Policy: Unopened items can be returned within 30 days, however it can take up to four weeks after shipping your item before you get this refund.
Second Spin promotes itself as the largest online retailer of used CDs, DVDs, and Games. Without having actually purchased a CD from them, it is hard to judge them. We did check with the Better Business Bureau, but the only complaint they had was with someone who had sold CDs to them (it took almost a month for them to receive a check for the CDs purchased and then had to ask for a second check when it never showed). Other than that, no red flags that would indicate someone would not want to purchase from them. Still, I'd start out small and move on from there.
Price: Price depends generally on the availability and rarity of the item. I saw CDs for as low as $1.99 and as high as $42.99. Most averaged about $3.99 to $8.99.
Shipping: Their standard shipping (which takes 1-3 weeks to arrive) starts at $2.75 with $0.45 for each additional item. They do offer expedited shipping, which only takes 4-7 days, for $5.50 for the first item and $0.75 for each additional item. Iternational shipping is $5.00 for the first item and $1.00 for each additional item.
Return Policy: They guarantee all of their products to be free of defects for 30 days and will offer refunds or exhchanges during this period. (Refunds will only be issued if they are out of stock.)
Time Life not only produces some of the best magazines, they also produce the best compilations of music. While their website is the most direct place to purchase them, they are also available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. The only difference between purchasing them through Time Life is that you get the CDs in installments instead of purchasing all of them at one time. Basically, it's a matter of preference.
Price: The price of time life sets depend on the number of CDs in the set, but typically start at $9.95 per CD.
Shipping: Shipping is rather high. It starts out at $5.79 and increases based on the price of the order.
Return Policy: Time Life has the best all-around return policy. According to them, "If, for any reason, you're not completely satisfied with a Time Life product, simply return it within 60 days, and we will gladly refund/credit the amount paid, less shipping & handling." This includes items that have been opened.
People either love or hate Wal-Mart (and we'll admit to having mixed feelings on the place here at bestsongs.net). Needless to say, Wal-Mart remains the primary place to go for inexpensive items--including CDs. Besides offering the newest titles, they have a number of CDs that are available for $9.72 and $8.88.
Price: New CDs typically start at $11.88 or higher, but some can be much cheaper.
Shipping: Wal-Mart does not list their shipping prices because they are calcuated based upon size and weight, and not subjected to standard fees.
Return Policy: Wal-Mart has always had a generous return policy, providing that the CD is still in its original wrapping. Returns can be taken directly to the store or through the mail.
Okay, technically this store should not be listed here. It is the last of a dying breed--it actually sells records. For those of you too young to remember them, best you move on. This site is only for the classic collector who likes hearing music the way it was originally intended--skips and all. They have over two million records in stock and waiting for the right buyer.
Price: As stated before, these are considered collector's items and are priced accordingly--many into the $100s.
Shipping: Recordsbymail offers free standard shipping on all online domestic orders of over $99, and all online international orders of over $249.
Return Policy: They guarantee all records they list to be accurate and are focused on satisfying their customers.
ArkivMusic is a great source for classical music. They allow people to browse their music via composer, conductors, performers, ensembles, operas, or labels. It is especially good for people looking for a particular recording of a piece of music, since ArkivMusic provides a multitude of choices. For example, they had 174 different recordings of Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik."
Price: ArkivMusic's prices are comparable with other CDs. The lowest CD I could find was $8.99. Most averaged in the $12-15.00 range with imports being slightly higher.
Shipping: ArkivMusic charges shipping based upon the number of items purchased. For shipping in the U.S., shipping starts at $2.95; shipping to Canada starts at $4.95.
Return Policy: The have a thirty day return policy for any "damaged, defective, or incorrectly shipped merchandise." They will also exchange unopened music if desired.
