I remember taking a box of CDs to a record store that does buybacks about a year ago. I had about 15 CDs, standard 90s alt rock, case, booklet, and all, and they were going to give me $4 for the lot. They weren’t in bad shape, they were mostly CDs I bought but didn’t end up liking, so I rarely listened to them. I looked them up on half.com (where you sell stuff independently - no middle man like at the record store), and they were selling anywhere from $1-4 a piece.
Why do thieves break into cars to steal used CDs? The after-market value is crap - 20% of retail price is generous. Are they expecting to find something better and just feel compelled to take something?