For Those Who Love The CD But Have Limited Space; How Do You Control Your Collection/Buying Habits

My plan is to rip my CDs to FLAC and store on my NAS, and keep the disc & booklets as backups in those CD "wallet" cases
http://www.amazon.com/LINKYO-Binder...d=1455299306&sr=8-13&keywords=CD+disc+storage
Now all that's left to do is to do it...

 

I've posted my thoughts on poly sleeves many, many times here on this forum. We live in an apartment and it was an entirely storage/space decision that went in stages.

First, I compressed the collection by doubling-up CD's in 2-disc jewel cases, chronologically by artist. That helped with space, but I didn't like it very well. Then I started using DiscSox, which were frustrating, and expensive. They were larger than the 5.5" jewel cases and I would slice-off the extra 1/2" name-tag slot with a razor knife so they fit alongside digipaks and the rest on the shelves. They presented a uniform gray edge on the shelves... not nice. I eventually happened upon the Jazzloft sleeves through a recommendation on this forum. Boy, I really wish I'd found them from the get-go. They're cheap (in the USA at least) and they're the best solution.

The thing I didn't expect was that I'd like them so much. Interacting with the collection is much more natural, the tactile interface, being able to hold 20 in my hands and rifle through them like cards. I think they look better than jewel cases on the shelves and you can see the spines folded-back... I never have any trouble locating things. I suppose they wear over time, but they don't show fingerprints and dust and scratches the way jewel cases do. Some collectors here have scoffed at scuffing the discs by sliding them in and out of the pouch onto the back panel. I tried using inner sleeves at first and expected to enjoy the "album like" interface, but I eventually abandoned them; too much trouble. I don't think I've ever scuffed or scratched a disc and they're MUCH more gentle than an album replica cardboard sleeve (I always put discs in an inner sleeve with those).

 

It seems that the majority of married men on this forum do battle with their wives over their love of music. I'm so happy that's not an ingredient in my marriage.

I've posted this many times before, but I'll do so again...

One day I was here on SH and my wife asked what I was reading about (she rarely asks). As it happened it was a thread about wives dictating music budgets. When I read her an amusing post from a hen-pecked sad sack she said, "I would never tell you not to buy music. The secret to mental health is to find a way to relieve stress and to retain the ability to play like a child. Music gives you both of those things."

 

The need or lack of need for inner sleeves was more my issue with moving to the jazzloft setup. Can you see even the potential for a scuffed disc or anything like disc rot being promoted by the plastic in these?

Oh, and I suppose the other obvious question - for every move I've undertaken thus far with my CD collection, they've ended up stacked in beer cases (almost perfect for CD transport) and I don't have to worry about stacking them on edge, two rows deep. How much harder would it be to move a large collection once transplanted into jazz loft sleeves in your estimation?

 

Case Logic makes cases that won't scratch or scuff your discs. There's a few varying types of cases they make at different qualities but these things are a god send for space saving. I live in a tiny NYC apartment but have 1000s of disc on a top shelf in my closet. Each of these things can hold over 300 discs. Also rip em to an external HD and save even more space.

 

John Lennon on Halloween?

 

I still purchase a lot of CDs. When I buy a new one, I immediately rip the disc (with dbPoweramp) to ALAC and load it to my music server where the tracks are stored and played. I still keep the physical CDs. I place them (inside the jewel case or cardboard case the disc came in) in a box and store all the boxes in my basement (my basement is heated and air conditioned). You can place quite a few CDs in a medium size box. I've been doing this for a number of years, and all the discs seem perfect.

 

I've put my CD's into slim cases, and threw out the jewel cases. In most cases, the back card got thrown out as well. I saved a lot of space, but now I have to figure out what to do with the ones I no longer want or think I'll ever play any more. I can't sell them to a CD store because they aren't in jewel cases. I don't want to buy new cases, then sell them back for a quarter, I'll lose money that way. So far, I've put them in boxes, but I'm pretty close to just ditching them. I weed out my collection as often as possible, but at least every 4-6 months, so this is becoming a problem. On the positive side, my collection has had negative population growth for the past several years. The issue is now, that I'm not really getting rid of them, just taking them off the shelves and putting them in boxes.

 

I have a variation on that.
I used to buy remasters and give the originals to my sons.
I learned my lesson. I listen and do the research before I give any away.
Love mys sons, but ...
Can't remember if it was The Who or who else but I did end up searching out originals and repurchasing them.

 

Transfer your CD collection to FLAC
Buy a NES drive & listen to your CD collection on a PC or network them to your receiver. Put your CDs into storage or a safe place if you have storage issues. You can always dig them out if required

 

I found that ripping my CD's and keeping them on drives holds much less joy than real world physical things.

Much more fun pawing through the stacks of CD's and LP's than clicking through a bunch of files and looking at them on a tiny screen or computer monitor.
I still get a kick out of opening up Jethro Tull's "Stand Up" and having those goofy cardboard guys actually stand up!
Playing a copy of "Are You Experienced" that existed in a world that Jimi still walked around in gives me a thrill. I can feel the history.

Some collect stamps, some collect coins, I collect music and the stuff that comes with them.
No excuse except it's fun.

 

I hear you. Gave a lot of 91 Digital Master Series Queen albums to my local library when the 40th remasters arrived. Went back to loan them to save the files and in no more than a month "the Great Unwashed" had managed to nigh on destroy them!

 

Thanks for the link, I found that, too. As soon as they notice that I'm from Germany the site offers to tranfer me to their German partner site, and there the spinning things are not listed. Nobody seems to have them over here, could it be a safety thing? I could imagine these guys tipping over pretty easily with all that weight and only one point of support in the middle. Something I would gladly risk but authorities can be somewhat strict about safety matters.

 

Just say no!

It has never worked for me but who knows it might for you

 

I fully agree!

 

Rabbi Blau, longtime John Lennon fan.

 

There is always room. I have quite a few in boxes underneath my bed.

 

..a very interesting thread...

 

I keep my CDs at around 1,500. That's the limit of my space, in a one bedroom apartment with my wife.
Once a year I get rid of some (library, local shop, friends), to make room for any newer purchases, which are rare these days because of lack of extra money.
I don't need to hold on to things forever.

 

Well, I'm in the process of orchestrating a move as we speak. I bought a dozen large plastic "Under Bed" storage bins today that will each hold six 18" rows of CD's. I don't think there would be a difference than in moving jewel cases, although if you stack layers of the Jazzloft sleeve CD's one on top of another in a 16" deep box with a cardboard layer between, I suppose they could get slightly crushed by the weight of the discs above.

I've had plastic sleeves for a long time. Is there a potential to scuff a CD? Sure, it's making contact with the paper of the back tray artwork, but I really haven't noticed it with discs that I've bought "new" and a lot of used CD's have minor scuffs and scratches already (that don't affect playback as far as I can tell). Can you exercise extra care taking them in and out? Yes. Do inner sleeves mitigate the situation? Yes, and there are some nice "archival" quality inner sleeves available.

If you're on the fence about it, order a package of 100 and try them out for yourself. You might find that they're not for you, especially if storage isn't a crisis situation.

But I will say that the one friend of mine who converted to poly sleeves made his wife VERY happy in the process.

 

Agree. I use jewelsleeves, because that's what I started with. Preserves front matter, back matter, booklet, no folding. I recycle my cases. I have zero interest in selling or future value. I have about 9 or 10 thousand CDs,filed alphabetically in cabinets made for the purpose. (I rip my CDs immediately to lossless FLAC files, add to my 6 TB home server, and always play via my various Squeezebox networked music players.). Only have a few hundred vinyl albums from the old days. Last vinyl purchased about 1987.

Welcome to JewelSleeve - JewelSleeve - The world's finest CD storage device! »

 

I understand your point. But you mention only CDs, so the Jimi Henrix comment really jumped out, given that he died many years before the first CD.

 

Look a little closer pal.
From the original post -
"Much more fun pawing through the stacks of CD's and LP's than clicking through a bunch of files and looking at them on a tiny screen or computer monitor."
P.S. - I bought "Are You Experienced" when it came out. Jimi Hendrix was my first concert. Lotsa personal history with that one

 

Aha. Missed that.

 

I have shelf space for approximately 1,000 cds so when the shelves start to get too full I fill a box with cds I know I'll never listen to and take them to Goodwill. The cds are no good to me, hopefully someone else will enjoy them.