MUSIC : Used CDs a Hit : A market has emerged for the discs as the big chains take the lead from smaller music stores’ cheaper pricing.

Compact discs, those silvery platters of music and high technology, might just as well be made of silver. Emerging from the 1980s, they were hailed as a “revolution,” durable, crisp-sounding. But revolution comes with a price. These days, it’s around $16.95 retail.

So put together an average music collection and the cost of your listening pleasure might rival the blue book on your car. It’s no surprise that a market has emerged for lower-priced, used CDs.

Last month, the Wherehouse in Van Nuys began offering racks of used discs for about half the price of the new ones a few feet away. Several other chain stores have done likewise. They are finally learning what mom-and-pop music stores have known for several years.

“In this economic time,” said Joel Coplon, owner of Heavy Rotation, a storefront shop on Ventura Boulevard, “saving money is hip.”

On a given day, in a dozen or so San Fernando Valley stores, you’ll find shoppers flipping through the used sections. These stores will give you as much as $6 for your old, unwanted discs. They sell these “previously owned” current releases and old favorites for $9 or less.

“Sometimes there will be only one song you like on an album,” said Brett DeLockroy, who was searching through the super-sale bin at Moby Disc in Sherman Oaks. “You can buy the whole album for a buck.”

At the counter, a young woman named Kari was paying for a Sam Phillips disc by trading in three used CDs. They were “things I bought and didn’t like,” she said. “Or things I used to like and am bored with.”

But the used CD market is not as simple to navigate as strolling down to the local chain store. Smaller shops have their ins and outs. There are certain things that shoppers need to know.

What They Will Buy

At the same time that Kari was negotiating her small trade, a chubby man walked into Moby Disc with a full shopping bag. It’s not unusual for customers to arrive with dozens of CDs to sell.

“We try to buy virtually everything that comes through the door,” manager Bob Furrow said.

Other stores are choosy about what they’ll accept. “New Age” music, said Robert Kevorkian, manager of Record Surplus in Sherman Oaks, “I don’t buy that.” Even Madonna may be turned away if a store already has a dozen of her CDs in the bin.

Where do these discs come from?

Many were bought new off the racks. No matter how popular the disc, there is someone who buys it and doesn’t like it.

But some used CDs were never bought. They were promotional copies, freebies from the record company.

People in the industry might get dozens of these each week. So do entertainment journalists and record-store employees.

And, store owners say, some used discs were stolen. Said Kevorkian: “When a kid comes in selling me opera or Sinatra, something pops into my head.” But it’s tough to identify a stolen disc. When Kevorkian gets suspicious, he’ll ask to see a driver’s license. It’s just a bluff.

“It opens up a whole market,” said Kenny May, co-owner of Flip Side in Canoga Park. “You can steal them and turn them into cash.”

What They Will Pay

A hot title will get you $6 in store credit. Most stores pay less if you ask for cash. At places that will buy virtually anything, the payout can dip as low as 25 cents.

“If someone brings me Kenny Loggins,” May said, “I won’t pay as much.”

The laws of supply and demand are as fickle as Billboard’s Top 40. Stores might go by new disc sales. If Soundgarden is popular, the used disc will attract top dollar. Or, the store owner might go by personal preference.

“It’s a crapshoot,” Coplon said. “Someone like Nirvana sat on the shelves for months and then started selling. It’s crazy.” So the money you get for your CDs can vary from week to week, and from shop to shop.

In the Bins

Once you’ve unloaded some old discs, it is, of course, time to buy more. Assuming that you’re a bargain hunter, you’ll go for store credit and look to buy used. So you must choose from what the store has to offer.

A place such as the Record Trader keeps only a few cardboard boxes of discs on the counter. At Moby Disc, nearly half the room is devoted to used CDs. Some places stock modern rock and pop. Others, such as Record Surplus, offer categories ranging from reggae to jazz to oldies. And the good stores will have a disc player at the counter so you can listen to a few songs before buying.

Organization is also a factor. Most stores alphabetize their used bins, but Tower Records Outlet doesn’t. Neither does the Record Trader. Looking for the new R.E.M.? You’ll have to look through everything.

Some people relish the search. They say it gives them a chance to discover.

“It doesn’t deter me at all,” said Darren Carrington, who found an Al B. Sure disc he wanted at the Record Trader.

Said his friend, Marcus Morgan: “When you think about all the money you save, it’s not so bad having to look.”

Indeed, used sections can be a treasure trove of oddities, those quirky selections that might be your cup of tea. Record Surplus had a copy of “Elvis Sings for Children.” In its soundtrack bin, Moby Disc offered “Hits of the Soaps,” including theme songs from “Days of Our Lives,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Twin Peaks.”

How Much You Pay

Perhaps the only band that consistently sells for top dollar--and can rarely be found in used racks--is the Beatles.

“They’re immediately snapped up,” Coplon said.

As for the rest, the average price is $8 or $9 for current hits and less for lesser-known releases. Store owners ultimately charge what they think, or guess, customers will pay.

So the 1990 album “Songs for Drella”--a well-reviewed homage to Andy Warhol by Lou Reed and John Cale--goes for $9 at Moby Disc. The same CD lists for $8 at Heavy Rotation. Yet Heavy Rotation has a Britny Fox disc for $6 while the same disc costs half as much at Auditory Odyssey.

And Kenny May doesn’t care if Thomas Dolby had a major hit with “Blinded by Science” several years back. When Dolby’s latest disc arrived at Flip Side, May stuck a $5.99 price tag on it.

“It’s a new title,” he said, “but I can’t imagine there’s a lot of people out there who are still buying Thomas Dolby.”

In the end, CD buyers say they frequent stores they are comfortable with, the ones that buy and stock their kind of music. And conscientious shoppers try to make the rounds. DeLockroy, for one, was working his way along Ventura Boulevard on a recent afternoon.

“It’s so much cheaper to buy used,” he said. “I try not to go to the major chains.”

Stores Buy and Sell Used Discs

Here is a list of some of the San Fernando Valley stores that deal in used CDs. Most places pay up to $6 for used discs and sell them for 99 cents to $9, depending on the popularity of the title.

* Auditory Odyssey, 6338 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 762-0266. Mostly rock. Also a large selection of posters, jewelry, etc.

* Ear Candy, 6265 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, (818) 787-7578. A Valley favorite for vinyl enthusiasts, it also keeps a small stock of used CDs.

* Flip Side, 19801 Vanowen St., Canoga Park, (818) 710-1335. Stocks mostly rock and pop with some country, some classical.

* Heavy Rotation, 12354 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 769-8882. Mostly pop selection. Listening machines available.

* Moby Disc, 14410 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 990-2970. Perhaps the largest and most varied stock of used CDs in the Valley.

* Record Surplus, 4620 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 501-1022. One of the few stores that offers the same amount cash or store credit.

* Record Trader, 7321 Reseda Blvd., Reseda, (818) 708-0632. They don’t alphabetize their used CDs, so be prepared to browse.

* Sound Savings, 11366 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 508-5418. Stocks a variety of all styles of music.

* Tower Records Outlet, 14621 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 783-8810. Sells discontinued titles and some used CDs, including jazz and classical. Prices range from 99 cents to $5.99, but the selection is limited.

* Wherehouse, 15232 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, (818) 787-7691, and 16852 Devonshire St., Granada Hills, (818) 363-2536. Sells used CDs. May soon buy as well.