A few months ago, I realized the importance of “digitizing” my assets and removing focus from materiality. It’s a little difficult to conceptualize at first, but I realize now that having access rights, or a digital copy of something is much more valuable than owning something in its physical format. Also, given the fact that I might be moving to California in a couple of weeks, this will allow me to take more things with me when I relocate.
I recently read and reviewed Leo Babauta’s “The Power of Less” and it inspired me to declutter my room. One of the major things I had been meaning to get rid of was my old DVD collection. It seemed like I only had just begun building it, but it’s obvious to me now that DVDs are part of an obsolete format. It’s so much more convenient to have an MP4 file saved on my computer or a hard drive. Not only do I not have to bother with loading in a disc, but I can also watch it on my phone.
Anyway, began my quest to get rid of my DVDs by going to Blockbuster and Hollywood video, but it was too late, as they had both ended their trade in programs. I thought about selling on Craigslist or Ebay, but was wondered if it was really worth the investment. In the end, I had about 15 DVDs and I was really considering just throwing them away.
But then I happened to stumble across Amazon’s new DVD trade in website. The trade in values they offer are pretty low (only about a dollar per DVD) but it’s better than nothing. I traded in every DVD in my collection that matched Amazon’s trade in list and, while it took some time to pack everything up, netted approximately $20 in Amazon gift cards from the transaction.
