Everyone who collected DVDs eventually hits the same moment: the shelf has to go, and you have no idea what any of it is worth.
Bulk buyback sites will offer you pennies for the whole collection, and that's exactly what most of it is worth. The problem is the box sets and out-of-print titles hiding in there. Those are the ones buyback sites are hoping you don't check.
So check. It takes a few photos.
How to do it
Scan the shelves
Photograph the spines with Flippr, a shelf at a time. It identifies the titles and shows what each one actually sold for on eBay in the last 90 days.
Pull the winners
Box sets, complete series, and out-of-print titles are where DVD money lives. Anything showing $10+ with decent sell-through goes in the sell pile.
Sell smart, clear the rest
List the valuable discs individually, since Media Mail keeps shipping cheap. The common stuff goes to a buyback site or donation in one trip.
What to expect
Real expectations: across 527,000+ eBay sales in the last 90 days, the median DVD sold for about $7.52. But 30.9% sold for $10 or more and 8.5% for $20+. On a big collection, complete series box sets are usually the single biggest line item.
What to pull out
- Complete TV series box sets
- Out-of-print and discontinued titles
- Criterion and collector editions
- Horror, anime, and cult titles
- Anything still sealed
Common questions
Are DVDs even worth selling anymore?
The common ones, no. But almost a third of DVDs sold on eBay in the last 90 days closed at $10 or more: box sets, out-of-print titles, and collector editions. On a full collection, those add up fast.
Should I sell the whole collection as one lot?
Only after pulling the valuable discs. A mixed lot sells at junk prices because buyers assume it's unchecked. Pull the winners, sell them individually, then lot or donate the rest.
What's the fastest way to check hundreds of DVDs?
One photo per shelf with Flippr. It identifies every spine in the image and shows sold prices and sell-through. Checking a 300-disc collection takes minutes, not a weekend.