What to do with 1,200 CDs I don't need

I'll echo Prpixel here and add in a moral view.

Mine are boxed and stored--both as a secondary backup to my RAID array *and* because, in my naive view, selling them would be wrong. As much as I will rail against the RIAA for the copyright positions and actions they are taking and as much as I believe the record companies are fat cat dinosaurs who can't adapt their business to reality, making a copy of something you don't own deprives the underlying artist of royalties. I'm all for fair use and think DRM is anti-consumer, but making an exact duplicate and then selling the original doesn't seem like fair use.

Thanks so far. I know some of you think I just posted this to get offers for them. I too get suspicious when I see posts like "I found an old amp labeled Marantz 9 in my grandfather's attic and I was wondering what it is worth," but since it will probably be a few months before I get them all ripped and I'll wait to get that done before I make a decision this post will be long forgotten.

Interesting takes on the legal and moral sides. I understand your position, but since I bought most of these second hand the artist never got anything out of me in the first place. Did I ever have a legal right to listen to them?

As for hard drive crashes and losing everything; I am still debating that one. Once backed up that drive will never be turned on again unless the main one crashes, and then it will be backed up when it is turned on. I know things happen but the odds of losing 2 in a row have to be pretty slim.

Agree that the legal situation is that you must continue to OWN the CDs.
If "someday" the RIAA manages to invade every home and inspect the computers.. You will be in a heap of doggy-doo when they find your collection... but no CD's.
You should really just put them in storage.
(You could even throw away the Jewel cases and keep the pamphlet and CD.
I keep two CD-R 100 count spindles for such stuff)

Good thread with interesting ideas. The legal issue never occured to me, but it makes a lot of sense. Amazing how growing technology forces us to apapt legally and ethically.

For you guys running HD based systems. What kind of boxes are you running, into what kind of DACs?

I'll take any jazz cd's you don't want, and I am serious if it can be worked out.