CD Cases - Grrrrrrr!

[Lordgeous]

ANOTHER cracked CD case arrives in the post! I'm sure its been said many times before but who-ever designed them should be shot! Brittle plastic - retaining circular segments often crack too, annoying ridges which make it almost impossible to get booklets out... and so on. Yes I buy spare cases, singles, doubles, 4 x CD boxes etc. Just one of life's many little annoyances!

[eighthobstruction]

ANOTHER cracked CD case arrives in the post! I'm sure its been said many times before but who-ever designed them should be shot! Brittle plastic - retaining circular segments often crack too, annoying ridges which make it almost impossible to get booklets out... and so on. Yes I buy spare cases, singles, doubles, 4 x CD boxes etc. Just one of life's many little annoyances!

....yep....pain

[visualnickmos]

ANOTHER cracked CD case arrives in the post! I'm sure its been said many times before but who-ever designed them should be shot! Brittle plastic - retaining circular segments often crack too, annoying ridges which make it almost impossible to get booklets out... and so on. Yes I buy spare cases, singles, doubles, 4 x CD boxes etc. Just one of life's many little annoyances!

A veritable gripe, that's for sure! However, Classic FM CD cases are a far superior design, with rounded corners, and structurally more robust. There's no excuse for bad product design.

[Bryn]

A veritable gripe, that's for sure! However, Classic FM CD cases are a far superior design, with rounded corners, and structurally more robust. . . .

Otherwise known as SACD cases, though BIS and others have now abandoned them in favour of even better 'eco-friendly' alternatives.

[jayne lee wilson]

The original softer-contoured SACD "super jewel box" was much easier to get in and out of, but as Bryn says many CDs are now arriving in card or paper-based carriers, BIS, MusikMuseum, Calliope, Pentatone and Berlin Phil among them....the art/design (on new releases at least) seems to be more inventive and luxurious too, presenting the physical disc as a premium product. I do like a nice gatefold.

But if you buy 2ndhand - keep a box of replacements handy....almost becomes an affectionate ritual of prising and reassembling (with many a slip and a crack and a snap...) ......

[richardfinegold]

The original softer-contoured SACD "super jewel box" was much easier to get in and out of, but as Bryn says many CDs are now arriving in card or paper-based carriers, BIS, MusikMuseum, Calliope, Pentatone and Berlin Phil among them....the art/design (on new releases at least) seems to be more inventive and luxurious too, presenting the physical disc as a premium product. I do like a nice gatefold.

But if you buy 2ndhand - keep a box of replacements handy....almost becomes an affectionate ritual of prising and reassembling (with many a slip and a crack and a snap...) ......

I’m starting to keep overflow in one of those valises with vinyl pages with CD holders

[cloughie]

I’m starting to keep overflow in one of those valises with vinyl pages with CD holders

As part of shelf saving space I house many CDs in plastic or paper sleeves in larger storage boxes.

[Leinster Lass]

As part of shelf saving space I house many CDs in plastic or paper sleeves in larger storage boxes.

Same here - it's a lot cheaper than building an extension.

[BBMmk2]

It seems to be happening more now.

[gurnemanz]

I am a bit neurotic about CDs which don't look good and always keep a few unscratched, uncracked spares as replacements. You can of course buy them, also twofers. When I used to buy Gramophone and they had a sampler CD each month. I used to discard the CD after playing and recycle the case.

The new cardboard ones, eg from Harmonia Mundi, alpha, Pentatone are stylish but if they do get damaged (eg the plastic sprockets which hold the disc in place) you can't replace them. The all-cardboard ones where the disc slips in and out can get torn and the cardboard will surely wear out over time.

The problem with rationalising down to paper or plastic sleeves is how to store the sleevenotes.

[Dave2002]

Poundland often has moderately decent packs at low prices. Worth keeping in a supply for the odd CD (!!????) which gets left out of its pre-allocated location.

The other suggestions also make sense. Discard the CDs from samplers etc. and use the cases, and also - if push comes to shove - Poundland may also have paper cases from time to time.

[Pulcinella]

The original softer-contoured SACD "super jewel box" was much easier to get in and out of, but as Bryn says many CDs are now arriving in card or paper-based carriers, BIS, MusikMuseum, Calliope, Pentatone and Berlin Phil among them....the art/design (on new releases at least) seems to be more inventive and luxurious too, presenting the physical disc as a premium product. I do like a nice gatefold.

But if you buy 2ndhand - keep a box of replacements handy....almost becomes an affectionate ritual of prising and reassembling (with many a slip and a crack and a snap...)......

Many a snap even when trying to prise the insert out of new replacement cases here: the plastic really is brittle!

[Bryn]

I am a bit neurotic about CDs which don't look good and always keep a few unscratched, uncracked spares as replacements. You can of course buy them, also twofers. When I used to buy Gramophone and they had a sampler CD each month. I used to discard the CD after playing and recycle the case.

The new cardboard ones, eg from Harmonia Mundi, alpha, Pentatone are stylish but if they do get damaged (eg the plastic sprockets which hold the disc in place) you can't replace them. The all-cardboard ones where the disc slips in and out can get torn and the cardboard will surely wear out over time.

The problem with rationalising down to paper or plastic sleeves is how to store the sleevenotes.

http://consolesorganizers1.blogspot.com/2013/04/artisan-240-disc-black-faux-leather-dvd.html

[cloughie]

I am a bit neurotic about CDs which don't look good and always keep a few unscratched, uncracked spares as replacements. You can of course buy them, also twofers. When I used to buy Gramophone and they had a sampler CD each month. I used to discard the CD after playing and recycle the case.

The new cardboard ones, eg from Harmonia Mundi, alpha, Pentatone are stylish but if they do get damaged (eg the plastic sprockets which hold the disc in place) you can't replace them. The all-cardboard ones where the disc slips in and out can get torn and the cardboard will surely wear out over time.

The problem with rationalising down to paper or plastic sleeves is how to store the sleevenotes.

The booklets are the not a problem as they are the same size as the sleeves but the back notes are more problematic and I keep them separately in a lager plastic box. The cardboard sleeves with the stuck in trays are more of a problem as they take up more space. The other problem of relieve CDs of the jewel cases is locating them and I’m still working on that!

[gurnemanz]

The booklets are the not a problem as they are the same size as the sleeves but the back notes are more problematic and I keep them separately in a lager plastic box. The cardboard sleeves with the stuck in trays are more of a problem as they take up more space. The other problem of relieve CDs of the jewel cases is locating them and I’m still working on that!

Good points. Moving to sleeve-only would would solve the space problem but it must be less convenient when trying to locate a specific CD. The good thing about the space issue for me is that in my old age with an already huge collection and now with downloading and streaming as an option, I have more or or less stopped buying CDs and the collection has reached its terminal state (a bit like its owner?). I did buy the latest Bob Dylan. It seemed appropriate to to be able to add it on the shelf to the rest of the CDs in his canon. (Also he won't be producing that many more).