I NEED TO GET RID OF MY CD JEWEL CASES

ZLS · « **on:** 26 Nov 2007, 11:41 am »

I somehow managed to lose control of my CD collection. I have a beautiful rack that holds 300 CD's, but my collection is at least twice that and still growing.
All of which is to say does anyone have any positive experience with folders (books?) that would allow me to story my CD's safely and also keep the front and back covers. In other words, I just want to get rid of the jewel cases.
Please allow me to shortstop the obvious answer. I do use a Hard Drive bases system; I am just a dinosaur and will not let go of the physical copies of the CD's that I like.
Pity me if you must for my emotional attachment to the actual physical objects, but I would appreciate any help anyone can provide.
I searched to see if there was an existing thread, but could not find one.

chadh · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 12:34 pm »

You're not a dinosaur. You're a law abiding citizen. If you were to get rid of your CDs then, legally, you would be required to get rid of the digital copies you'd made.

I have books for my CDs, and couldn't believe how little space the CD collection took up once the jewel cases were gone. I use SLAPPA cases: http://www.slappa.com/site/cd_d2_cat.html They have pockets that are nice and gentle on your discs, and are also doubled up (i.e. they have one pocket laid directly over another). That means you can keep a disc in one pocket and the paper material in the pocket on top (which has a transparent cover), and so survey the cover material as you flick through the case. Just be aware that this reduces your storage capacity by 50%. I have three of the "360", which is actually sufficient for around 540 discs plus cover material.

Chad

p.s. Slappa seems to have a second, newer storage technology available as well. They even have a demo video: http://www.slappa.com/site/cd_d2i_cat.html

Gaara · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 12:38 pm »

I will second the SLAPPA recommend. Great product and great customer service. I've had my 360 cd case and 3x 90 dvd case for a little over 2 years now and I love them. No more jewel cases for my cds or dvds.

JLM · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 02:05 pm »

What about those of us still spinning CDs? Is there a good solution for bookcases?

Gordy · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 02:34 pm »

I've been slowly transferring my cd's to Jewel Sleeves http://www.jewelsleeve.com/ which are individual sleeves that have three pockets each; a front pocket for the booklet, a lined center pocket holds the cd and a rear facing large pocket holds the rear tray card. There is also a small top pocket which holds a title/I.D. card. Jewel Sleeves also sells cabinets and trays but, I've been putting the cd's into storage boxes as they get ripped to HD.

6moons recently ran a review of a European version of a very similar product... here

dado5 · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 02:40 pm »

Quote from: Gordy on 26 Nov 2007, 02:34 pm

I've been slowly transferring my cd's to Jewel Sleeves http://www.jewelsleeve.com/ which are individual sleeves that have three pockets each; a front pocket for the booklet, a lined center pocket holds the cd and a rear facing large pocket holds the rear tray card. There is also a small top pocket which holds a title/I.D. card. Jewel Sleeves also sells cabinets and trays but, I've been putting the cd's into storage boxes as they get ripped to HD.

6moons recently ran a review of a European version of a very similar product... here

Looks like a good option.

I currently use basic vinyl sleeves from http://www.sleevetown.com/plastic-cd-sleeves.shtml with the CD sleeve inserted in the booklet. They apparently now have a product similar to the above mentioned (scroll down to 'archival cd/dvd pocket).

Gordy · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 02:51 pm »

Sleevecity / Sleevetown is a good outfit, I've been buying their tyvek cd sleeves for years. The only problem with their archive sleeve, for me, is that it doesn't allow storage of the back tray card without creasing it.

Robert57 · « **Reply #7 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 03:17 pm »

These are great recommendations for regular plastic jewel cases, with removable art. But how would you suggest storing the increasingly popular type of CD booklets that have the plastic CD holder tray glued into the cardboard cover and liner info, as an integral cardboard book. This integral CD book would not fit a standard CD sleeve, and I would want to be able to access the cover art and track info that is all glued together.

Ideally, I am looking to have two storage systems. First, I'd like to be able to browse the removable covers and liner booklets, without the CD discs, in a series of compact, nicely bound books, easliy accessible from a library shelf as I listen to my hard drive music collection. Second, I'd like to store the CD discs in a simple sleeves and cases in my attic, as back-up, with some sort of cross-referenced number labelling system for ID. Has anyone found a handsome bound book with a plastic CD art sleeve system (4 to a page) that allows easy cover art/ booklet browsing, and with nice WAF? Those integral CD books still would seem to present a real challenge.

Thanks for the great ideas.

Rob

JoshK · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 03:58 pm »

Rob,

Those cardboard cases are referred to as digipaks. And yes, they do present a problem with the collapsable system. I also know what you are asking about with the cover booklet, but I am not sure I have found your ideal solution. A long while ago I bought a Sony mega CD changer and it came with a cheap version of what you are after. When I might do is make your own binder by finding the appropriate inserts that would hold your art. Then find some software cd database package that would allow fields for id#s that could cross reference art/storage. Gordy and I use music collector but I am not sure it has such a field, I'll have to check.

Gordy turned me onto jewelsleeve.com and I just ordered my first batch a little while back. They are indeed nice and do hold the back art (or just bart as hip denizens would call it...and yes the other art is fart) without folding which is uber cool. I may move my 1,000 disk and growing collection to such a storage, especially now that I have 98% of it loaded on my HD's.

laserman · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 04:17 pm »

I went to dual insert trays in my existing jewel cases. since I had a least two cds by the same artist.

This particular one can be found at American Digital in their Close Out Specials. I just ordered another box of 300.

Those digi-pak cases are a PITA, so I download or copy the info to make my own inserts and use one of the many spare jewel cases I have since going with the dual insert trays.

The reason I did this is because of some of the horror stories friends on mine had with the storage sleeves offing onto the cd. Maybe this issue has been resolved but I figure I can never have that issue with a jewel case.

Good luck with what ever you decide.
L

Doublej · « **Reply #10 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 04:20 pm »

Quote from: chadh on 26 Nov 2007, 12:34 pm

You're not a dinosaur. You're a law abiding citizen. If you were to get rid of your CDs then, legally, you would be required to get rid of the digital copies you'd made.
...

What's the legal reasoning here? If it is not illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive then why would it be illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive and then grind up (not sell or give away) the CDs?

fiveoclockfriday · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 05:05 pm »

Quote

What's the legal reasoning here? If it is not illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive then why would it be illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive and then grind up (not sell or give away) the CDs?

I believe he meant "get rid of" as in transferring ownership by selling/giving to another person, used cd store, etc. I don't think it's illegal to actually destroy the cd and retain digital copies.

JoshK · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 05:18 pm »

The lingo for that is "rip and ship". Its the less noticeable but prevalent form of digital piracy. Lots of people buy CD's, rip to HD/Ipod/etc, and then sell the CDs. It is still an illegal act.

nathanm · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 06:46 pm »

Quote from: ZLS on 26 Nov 2007, 11:41 am

I somehow managed to lose control of my CD collection. I have a beautiful rack that holds 300 CD's, but my collection is at least twice that and still growing.
All of which is to say does anyone have any positive experience with folders (books?) that would allow me to story my CD's safely and also keep the front and back covers. In other words, I just want to get rid of the jewel cases.
Please allow me to shortstop the obvious answer. I do use a Hard Drive bases system; I am just a dinosaur and will not let go of the physical copies of the CD's that I like.
Pity me if you must for my emotional attachment to the actual physical objects, but I would appreciate any help anyone can provide.
I searched to see if there was an existing thread, but could not find one.

I don't think your emotional attachment is strong enough!

If you like the physical object then why do you want to cripple it by discarding part of the package?

I suppose you could transfer them to slimline jewel cases and reduce the physical space by half, but the rear insert would have no place to go. I've done this with DVD cases, I switched my (fairly small) collection to slimlines. Unfortunately I had to trim down the paper insert so it would fit.

Re-packaging and re-filing into a booklet will be labor intensive and you'll have a compromised collectible item. If I were you I would just get more storage. I need to do this myself.

The coolest solution, and I don't think I've ever seen this anywhere, if someone knows of something let us know...would be a rack which allows CDs or even better, vinyl albums to be displayed face-out as a large scale wall mural of sorts. I've been meaning to do this little carpentry project for awhile now. It's not space efficient, but of course the point is that it exalts the CD as a proper objet d'art so they're no longer just a stack of plastic things, but an aesthetically pleasing collection. Obviously you wouldn't put every CD you own in it, you'd run out of space. But you'd put just the coolest covers in the rack and have the rest on regular shelving.

I also thought about having a CD rack that was fashioned as some sort of acoustic diffusor, maybe like a large-scale RPG Skyline except with varying levels of discs as the bar things.

mjosef · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 07:18 pm »

And how would you find stuff if they are all packed away in a sleeve and enclosed in a binder of sorts? Unless like Gordy you move everything to a HD based setup. With 1K cds, some might get forgotten on a shelf, imagine the nightmare of remembering what's in a binder totally out of sight.
Even those slim cases without an ID 'spine' can be a mini nightmare...requiring you to physically thumb through them all to find the disc you really would like to hear at this very moment.
I see floor to ceiling shelves in my future...at least more of it.

chadh · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 07:21 pm »

Quote from: Doublej on 26 Nov 2007, 04:20 pm

Quote from: chadh on 26 Nov 2007, 12:34 pm
You're not a dinosaur. You're a law abiding citizen. If you were to get rid of your CDs then, legally, you would be required to get rid of the digital copies you'd made.
...

What's the legal reasoning here? If it is not illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive then why would it be illegal to copy a CD to my hard drive and then grind up (not sell or give away) the CDs?

Actually, I think you would lose the right to keep the digital copy even if you simply ground up the CD (rather than selling it). Having purchased the CD, you have a right to do (just about) anything you like with the CD. But you do not have a right to do whatever you like with digital copies. It's all part of the End User Licensing Agreement that you implicitly agree to when purchasing the CD.

Sony-BMG is famous for ridiculous aspects of their EULA:

If your house is burgled, and the original CD is stolen, you must erase all digital copies.
You may not keep a digital copy at work.
If you move out of the country, you must erase all digital copies.
if you file for bankruptcy, you must erase all digital copies.

Once you cease to own the original CD, your rights to any digital copies expire (as in the case where the CD is stolen). Therefore, I think grinding up the CD might void your right to a digital copy (but maybe this depends on whether you keep the fragments or dispose of them).

Chad

Gordy · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 07:42 pm »

Quote from: mjosef on 26 Nov 2007, 07:18 pm

Even those slim cases without an ID 'spine' can be a mini nightmare...requiring you to physically thumb through them all to find the disc you really would like to hear at this very moment.

Sorry about that

Actually, that is why I like the Jewel Sleeves, they have the labeling slot at the top which allows finger strolling through them, not unlike index cards or a rollo deck. I'm considering building a custom sized shelf system to store them in, in a sideways manner, which would allow for easier access than the boxes they're in now, even if it does require a "sideview".

JLM · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 08:14 pm »

nathanm,

Sets of construction drawings are often hung as "stick files". A set of drawings (up to say 3 ft x 5 ft) are "bound" in a large linear clamp along the short side. (One of the links above had "sheets" of CD holders for sale.) Several such clamps (sticks) are supported in a rack such that the bottom of the drawings are inches off the floor and the sticks can swing in a horizontal plane. Any drafting supply catalog should have them. Such a system could hold thousands, however the weight of a stick of say 10 "sheets" and the possible damage from handling could be substantial. Clamping just one sheet per "stick" would eliminate the need to pull them off the rack but would also make the system expensive and bulky.

A better solution would be a "Jewel Chest":

http://www.jewelsleeve.com/cgi-bin/mivavm?../mm5/merchant.mvc+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=jewelsleeve&Product_Code=301&Category_Code=C003

In fact I use a similar Techline cabinet with full extension hardware and additional thicker top for my living room system. It holds over 700 CDs (in jewel cases on edge so you can see the titles) and the top is big enough for two standard sized components.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 08:19 pm »

ZLS.....

If you have any empty Cd jewel cases you don't want....I'll take them...thanks!!

Chris

BrianM · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Nov 2007, 08:37 pm »

I prefer my CDs all lined up on display in their jewel boxes where I can browse them, for the same reason I prefer my books to be lined up on a bookshelf. I could store all my books in a computer, too (in theory), but that would deprive me the pleasure of taking one off the shelf to read. The stacks of recordings a person owns make a great physical contribution to the listening environment! Guess I'm a dinosaur...well, dinosaurs needed lots of space, too.