SPIN AGAIN: A Music Collector's Guide to the Compact Disc Resurgence

The CD isn't dead. It's the best-kept secret in music collecting - and it's about to get expensive.In the first half of 2026, CD sales jumped nearly 60% year over year. This isn't nostalgia. It's Gen Z discovering a format their parents grew up with, millennials buying back the exact discs that soundtracked their teenage years, and collectors everywhere quietly realizing that a two-dollar CD can outperform a sixty-dollar record.Spin Again is the field guide for all of them. Written by a lifelong collector who bought his first CD in 1986, studied music production and engineering, and has spent almost forty years building a 2,500+ disc collection one bin, one record store, and one lucky find at a time.Whether you're building your first collection out of a thrift store bin, dusting off a few thousand discs that never left the closet, or just wondering why a stranger at a record show got excited about the smooth edge of a jewel case, this book gets you fluent in a hobby that's rewarding collectors who start now.Inside, you'll discover: - How to spot a real first pressing and why the edge of a jewel case matters more than you'd think- The Target CD ring design, matrix numbers, longboxes, and the quiet details that separate a casual buyer from a serious collector- What actually makes a CD box set worth tracking down (with real examples from U2, Bob Dylan, AC/DC, and Thin Lizzy)- Care, storage, and display - from bargain-bin finds to a shelf that shows them off- How to build a genuinely great-sounding, affordable listening setup at any budget- The real, evidence-based case in the vinyl-vs-CD debate and why the honest answer isn't what either side expects- A full glossary of collector terms, so nothing in this hobby stays a mystery for longPrices on desirable CDs are already starting to climb the way vinyl's did a decade ago. The bin in front of you is still cheap. It won't stay that way forever.About the AuthorLloyd The Void is a Gen X music collector and lifelong audio enthusiast. He bought his first CD, The Cure's live album Concert, in 1986 at the age of fifteen; a purchase that quietly set the course for the next four decades. He shares his collection on Instagram at @lloydthevoid.