Source for real CD jewel cases?

I'm striking out. Everything I order turns out to be substandard.

How can I get a few (20 or 30) real CD jewel cases?

 

This is my pet peeve re: CD packaging for about 10 years now - the substandard quality of today's jewel cases. I've been lucky enough to have found two CD and record stores in nearby villages that still seem to have an overflow of old stock from years ago, so I bought quite a lot of those over the past few years.
But when ordering online it seems to become harder and harder to find cases that even remotely can be described as sturdy. When it comes to jewel cases from the early days of CD, they simply don't make them anymore, and don't even mention those real sturdy cases that had smooth sides.

Cases that come with original CDs usually range from acceptable to poor, but when it comes down to ordering empy cases online, my experience is the same as the OP - none of the ones I ordered is even of acceptable quality - they all bend and break too easily. So, unfortunately I can't help you here, apart from confirming your experiences. Here's hoping other members point us to the right places.

Oh, and BTW, since shipping costs have gone up tremendously over the last few years for shipping from US to EU, I am also hoping some members can point to EU vendors that store the right cases.

 

This is a forum favorite
www.sleevecityusa.com


Agree about substandard cases nowadays. Just bought an Aerosmith CD and was shocked at how bendable it was. Just the thinnest flimsiest plastic.

 

Try Rubberdisc. I get my doubles from them. Pricy, but good quality.

Premium MFSL lift lock cases CD jewel case storage and double CD fold out »

 

CD jewel cases have always been substandard IMHO.

 

Buy a bunch of cheap CDs at your local Goodwill and through out the CD itself. An excellent source for quality jewel cases are original 80s CDs that somebody has donated to the Goodwill.

 

Rubberdisc is great, I bought 96 lift lock cases before they ran out. They arrived double boxed.

 

National Recording Supplies (Tapes.com) and Bags Unlimited

 

Not when the Goodwill charges $2 per Kenny G cd.

 

Then find one that charges 50c per disc.

 

It's so rare to find anything at Goodwill without scuffs for .50 though and that's basically the price of new ones. But yes, finding super nice new ones is hard.

 

Do you happen to have a store called 2nd and Charles near you? They have decent sales on overstock cd's, usually around .50 cent each, they also have a "free bin" where the staff will dump large quantities of stock they don't sell and people will dump stuff they don't accept to sell as used stock.

 

It's been a long time since I was this ticked off after opening a package left at the door.

Tapes.com just sent me 20 of their Standard Clear Unassembled CD Jewel Boxes and 20 Standard Unassembled Jewel Box Black Trays.

I feel like melting them down and sending them back in the shape of an unfriendly gesture.

Garbage. Dreck. Rubbish.

I have hundreds of CDs bought back in the 80s and 90s and 00s. The difference is immoral, easy to feel the instant you pick up a case, tactilely and aesthetically night and day.

Old, real jewel case, minus booklet and CD -- 95 grams.

New fake jewel case, minus booklet and CD -- 60 grams.

Does no one make a real jewel case anymore??

 

These look promising.

Product Categories CD Cases

 

Japanese jewel cases still tend to resemble the older, sturdier ones made 20 years ago. Everywhere else has embraced the jewel case as garbage commodity meant to be disposable.

 

I don't think you can get decent quality after market cases anymore, I picked up a few hundred deleted CDs for less each than the cost of new cases and all sealed, more work, but you only have to open them when you need them, the other good source is used CDs, large collections usually mean near mint cases and with so many people dumping their physical collections I'm seeing used CDs for less than replacement cases at car boot sales etc. I'd try local free ads, garage sales and become friendly with any local record stores, most of mine turn CD collections away, but if you offered them a certain amount per disc as long as the cases were perfect I'm sure they could get you a collection.

 

Hi, just like the DVD cases, CD jewel cases are not thick any longer like they used to be. The tooling is the same all around industry wide now. While I miss the heavier jewel cases when you buy a CD, or buy just the cases- I don't feel they are junk. I have a ton of the NRS jewel cases and I am pleased with them. This is just a different time now, and the more heavier ones would be a lot more expensive these days. I do get what you mean though

 

Is there a USA source? How do I know I'm ordering these nicer cases? Pictures and specs online are no help.

 

To be pleased with the NRS cases I got yesterday you would need to be ok with cases that don't stay closed, have rough edges, and are so flimsy you worry about breaking them every time you grab a CD from the cabinet. Nothing in my entire collection came in cases this bad, even new CDs manufactured in 2016.

 

You're right if you're talking about the design itself; it could have been thought out much better.

What I'm talking about, though, is execution of the (admittedly troublesome) design. I could live with the design limitations if someone would manufacture a case that actually conforms to the design.

 

I have the majority of my CDs in case logic CD wallets; I only put the cover art in with the CD, so that means I toss the back side artwork/track listing/other info along with the CD case. If I really wanted that backside part again, JRiver has an option to print out CD label and CD case front and back artwork/info. Not sure where that data comes from though. If you don't care about the artwork, and don't like the idea of a CD wallet, you could always go with the plastic cases, but you can't put CD artwork in them unless you cut them down.

EDIT: I used to put all my CDs in the wallets alphabetically by artist then release date, but every time I got more CDs, I'd have to pull them all out and start over...not doing that anymore.

 

That's one of the reasons I store my CDs in library/book style.

 

I have never had any product from them resembling what you describe. Please don't assume that I have.

 

I didn't and I won't.

 

I understand why someone would want an exact replacement for there CD jewel case. But for me the flimsy ones are just fine, they look the same, they weigh less also. I kind of like the cheap flexibility of the replacements, because they seem to be more giving, in that they don't break as easy, at least in my experience. I do keep the original trays, at least with the black trays, because I don't like the crummy replacement ones, first off they don't seem finished correctly & don't a lot of the times say "Compact Disc" in the tray for some reason, usually left blank. Just my 2 cents worth.