How do you care for your CD collection?

[Bayesian 1,359]

I’ve been recently going through the CDs in my collection and it struck me that I might want to think about how I should be taking care of them for the long term. I’m curious if anyone here has tips or tricks for maximizing either the longevity of CDs or the pleasure in possessing them. 

 

I’ll give a couple examples of what I’ve been doing. First, since many of the discs I buy are second-hand, I’ve found that the jewel cases often need cleaning. I’ll take the inserts out and wipe the cases with a damp paper towel soaked in clean water mixed with a couple drops of dish soap for a very mild lather, then immediately dry them. And some of the CDs I have bought are cutouts. The punched hole is usually unsightly, so I have often taken to trying to press the torn paper back into the hole to shrink it and replacing the case if the drill hole cut into the plastic. I also replace jewel cases if they get cracked or yellowed from age. 

 

What kind of things do you guys do with your CDs or your collection generally?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Just chuck em on the floor and a pick em up whenever

[Bayesian 1,359]

1 minute ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

Just chuck em on the floor and a pick em up whenever

 

Man, the memories I have of scratched CDs and the endless skip problems they caused. The 1990s were great in so many ways, but music portability was definitely not one of them.

[Nick1Ø66 4,687]

CD's are just things. Rip them all to lossless and go pet your dog.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

They're frisbees for the dog to catch!

[Bayesian 1,359]

But many CDs are much more than that! I love to collect classical music and film scores in CD format because many times you get a remarkably full package with your music. With the best classical CDs, you get a history lesson in the form of liner notes, an opportunity to practice another language (for me, French) by reading the translated liner notes, detailed recording info, detailed track info, nice photography, attractive art design — and a CD! (With the very best classical discs, you also get the European-style jewel cases with the rounded corners, notched tray liner, and clever locking mechanism; man I love those.). Much of the above obviously applies too to products from LLL and the like. 

6 minutes ago, kaseykockroach said:

They're frisbees for the dog to catch!

 

With a mug like that, it would be hard to fault you for misusing a CD! 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

I just have a rack in my room. From time to time, I take out my Titanic LLL CD and hold it lovingly and smugly. And I loved it when CDs and vinyls skipped.

[Arpy 4,145]

This is an interesting question and one which I think is going to be different for everyone. 

 

My CD collection is an alcove-like shelf and until recently I've been trying to think about minimizing light/sun damage as I'd noticed that on a few of the spines of my CDs (the artwork) that there was very slight fading in some spots, hardly noticeable but it was enough to concern me. I've since kept my blinds closed during particularly sunny days and I'm thinking about buying new shelving units to house my rapidly expanding collection.

 

I've also noticed it's a pain in the ass to take care of slipcase/gatefold cases as they almost always end up with worn spots and little dings and dents and sliding jewel cases alongside them. 

 

I guess you just have to contend with the idea that these are things that are going to be handled. Entropy isn't kind.

 

 

[Wojo 2,453]

When I finally open the case, I rip the CD to wav and then put the CD back in the case, and the case into a box. I have a few boxes of CDs. I'm not living in my forever home, so I don't have the space to spread all my CDs out on shelves. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Your forever home?

 

You mean a casket?

[Nick1Ø66 4,687]

That's gold Steefy! Gold.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

I store mine on wooden shelves, as far away from direct sunlight, as possible.

Like @Arpy, sometimes the spine fades, but I've had some CDs for nearly 30 years, so that's to be expected, I guess.

Also, and to prevent scratching, I keep CDs in paper sleeves, separate from those in a plastic jewel cases.

 

 

Out of interest...what was the first CD that JWfaners ever bought?

Mine was ZOOLOOK, in 1986. It sounded great then, it sounded better when remastered, in 1997 (even if they f***ed the running-order, and it had different mixes), and the most recent edition (2015?) sounds stunning. IMO, time had to catch up with the complexity of this record. JMJ's masterpiece? You betcha!

[Nick1Ø66 4,687]

 

1 hour ago, Richard said:

Out of interest...what was the first CD that JWfaners ever bought?

 

My first CD was U2's The Joshua Tree. The CD was new when I bought it, but the album wasn't U2's latest at the time.  I still have it. 

 

Most certainly a masterpiece.

[1977 1,743]

When buying used CDs I always replace the cases. I hate scratched jewel cases.

 

My entire collection is squirreled away in storage boxes (CDs, DVDs, BDs, etc.) 

 

My first CD purchase was the Pet Shop Boys: Actually and my first soundtrack CD purchase was the RSO double CD set of Star Wars, back in 1988. Happy memories.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

A perfectly acceptable 1st buy, is ACTUALLY.

Did you know, @JTWfan77, that the PSB wanted to call it JOLLYSIGHT, because they thought it was a "jolly sight" better, than PLEASE?

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

18 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

When buying used CDs I always replace the cases. I hate scratched jewel cases.

 

Ones from the early to mid 1980s may have some value if they're in decent condition because they have smooth tops and bottoms as opposed to the rough zig-zag ones that became common from the late 80s onwards.

[1977 1,743]

2 hours ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

 

Ones from the early to mid 1980s may have some value if they're in decent condition because they have smooth tops and bottoms as opposed to the rough zig-zag ones that became common from the late 80s onwards.

 

I've actually never encountered those, although I have heard about them. CD only really started going mainstream in my country from around 1987. The first releases arrived in blister packs with the front insert separated from and placed above the jewel case, so that the "rainbow" effect disc fronts could be seen for maximum sales impact  - not sure if that practice was unique to my country or not.

 

Some of my earliest CD Soundtrack purchases (apart from SW) were Cocoon (Polydor), Goldsmith's Legend (Up Art - with that dodgy looking semi-bootleg artwork), Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Raiders of the Lost Ark (Polydor) and Willow (my only soundtrack to ever arrive in a long box). My first batch of Varese purchases included The Black Cauldron, The Secret of NIMH and Masters of the Universe. My first Star Trek CD purchase was TMP. Such happy memories...