No More “12 CDs for a Penny” As Columbia House Gets Set To Shut Down

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you likely remember the thrill of opening your mailbox to find a heavy package filled with CD's.

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For decades Columbia House was the way to build your music collection, long before streaming and MP3's. Now only memories remain, along with the stacks of CD's we got.

End Of An Era 

Columbia House got its start in 1955 when Columbia Records launched the Columbia Record Club as a trial-run mail-order service.

From vinyl records to reel-to-reel tapes, 8 track carts to CD's, Columbia House made an effort to adapt to the next big thing in physical media.

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While the company had been trying to pivot into the digital age, it couldn’t catch up to the ease of streaming.

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Streaming Takeover

Before the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, you received the Columbia House catalog full of albums to choose from and spending hours checking off the titles you wanted.

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The company will stop accepting new orders and wind down its remaining business focused on DVD and Blu-ray sales.

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The Legacy

Columbia House taught a generation how to discover artists and, perhaps more importantly, how to keep track of a subscription.

Let's be honest, it was really too good to be true. The initial offer seems great until Columbia House locked you into buying full priced albums you didn't want.

Columbia House is set to shut down for good on September 15th.

I still have dozens of CD's from the 90's thanks to Columbia House. With physical media making a comeback, those CD's are becoming a goldmine for some.