Is it possible to tell if a CD jewel case has been replaced?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Kyle's Digital Lab, Nov 27, 2019.

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  1. Kyle's Digital Lab

    Kyle's Digital Lab Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    I have a CD coming the the mail with a white jewel case in the listing photos. It's from 1989 and other listings I found (only 2, this CD is sort of uncommon) on other websites of this very disc have a black jewel case (one of them says it's the US edition but the disc is clearly not the US CD). I know there were some CDs issued with white jewel cases, such as the 32.8P Epic discs.

    I guess you could tell if it was smooth sided that it was an original jewel case, but I doubt this disc even had a smooth sided jewel case when it was released. The disc was made by Warner-Pioneer in Japan
     
  2. Defdum&blind

    Defdum&blind Forum Resident

    What I have done when in the same situation is look for other titles that came out at the same time from the same label. If there is more than one picture you can look for details in the jewel case lid. Look for the number of tabs and the type of stop (dimples, two short bars or two long bars inside the lid. It is most likely that other titles would have the same parts or jewel case. Also look to see the number of prongs (ie 8 or 12) in the centre of the tray. If the images are detailed enough you might be to see the production code that is often embossed on one of the tabs.
     
  3. MARTHY

    MARTHY Forum Resident

    I'm curious: Why the concern over a jewel case. It's plastic, breaks occasionally, gets replaced with another one. Rykodisc, back in the day, used a transparent green jewel case, so that's unique to the label. Other than that, I personally never cared about what jewel case was used as long as it worked (and I have about 1500 CDs).
     
  4. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    I recycle all mine, smooth, rough, white, the lot.
     
  5. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Did you think maybe to tell us what it is in case someone here might know?
     
  6. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    With some CDs, especially some with the color white featuring prominently or specially in the artwork, using a white case is part of the intended artistic effect of the packaging.
     
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  7. Blue Gecko

    Blue Gecko Peace

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I have two early CDs that have white trays inside their smooth jewel cases: 1984 Lee Ritenour--Rio (WG for US) and 1985 Spyro Gyra--Alternating Currents (JP for US). IMO some pressing ran white trays initially then switched to black.
     
  8. richierichie

    richierichie My glass is always full.

    "Is it possible to tell if a CD jewel case has been replaced?"

    It`s bloody easy to tell on my CD shelves, I`ve replaced all of them with poly pouches in which I place the CD* and inserts. I can store 4 CDs in the width of a jewel case, they are in alphabetical order mixed in with CDs in digipacks. The digipacks don`t get scuffed as they would alongside jewel cases.

    *The CDs are placed in plastic sleeves before placing in the poly pouches.
     
  9. Kyle's Digital Lab

    Kyle's Digital Lab Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    It's Pat Metheny Group - Letter From Home. The first JP issue, 22P2-2874. I went with this one because I received 3 damaged copies of the USA issue on Discogs. I was just getting super unlucky. This album is like one of the CDs you can find for cheap these days, like BIA
     
  10. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    I have a couple of Pioneer made discs and the trays are black. It's possible that they were replaced, but it's also possible that the white trays were limited to (or mostly used by) CBS/Sony. I don't think CBS/Sony made your disc because the image on discogs doesn't correspond to an 1989 era CBS/Sony disc (the matrix should the later laser style and clearly visible in the image). You really need to see an image of a sealed copy to be absolutely sure what tray was used.

    ps now thinking about it, a few other companies used white trays besides CBS/Sony.
     
  11. Kyle's Digital Lab

    Kyle's Digital Lab Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    I doubt this disc was made by CBS/Sony, I'm like 99% sure Pioneer had their own CD/LaserDisc manufacturing plant by 1989.

    My Sony for Sony discs (e.g like 35DP discs) have black cases but my Sony for Epic 32.8P discs had white jewel cases. So they both used black and white jewel cases.
     
  12. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    According to the scan on discogs, it was not a CBS/Sony disc. And yes, from the mid 80s to at least the early 90s, CBS/Sony used white trays whereas the earlier ones had been black. I don't think I've seen a white tray in a smooth sided case.
     
  13. Bradd

    Bradd Now’s The Time

    Location:
    Chester, NJ
    When I buy a used cd, invariably the jewel case is scratched, etc. I invariably replace them.
     
  14. Kyle's Digital Lab

    Kyle's Digital Lab Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan
    I contacted a seller on Discogs who had this exact CD - I asked if it was a white/black jewel case. It's white.

    So we can 100% verify that Pat Metheny Group - Letter From Home, the 22P2-2874 Japanese issue has a white jewel case.
     
  15. Paul_s

    Paul_s Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Plastics from the 1980s tend to be a lot thicker and more durable than the bendy plastic versions of modern times.
     
  16. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    :agree: That's for certain. The new thinner ones tend to dry out, become brittle and break over the years I've found.
     
    QuestionMark? likes this.
  17. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    While searching for some CDs I've come across some that have had unusual CD trays with in them. I know it's not the normal CD tray and it's a wild color like bright red or bright green. I know there are some CDs out there who have unusual colored trays. Like there's a Madonna one with a really light blue tray which they all have. Green Day's Dookie many of them had light brown trays. So I'm aware there are some with certain color trays that sort of compliment the CD but I've come across quite a few with crazy color trays in them for no apparent reason.
     
  18. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    I just discovered something new. Besides the jewel case being original there may be a way to tell if the CD tray is original. Lately I have been about changing trays to different color trays to make the CD pop. I just received a David Bowie Changes One CD with original jewel case and when I went to change the tray I noticed the embossed disc symbol was only on the upper right hand corner of the tray.

    Now this is an RCA early issue blue ring CD. I thought this is odd so I went to my other RCA blue ring David Bowie CDs and they all only have one disc symbol embossed on the tray. needless to say I left it alone but I never noticed that before.

    I don't know if this is only RCA or the industry in general at this time. I also went back and looked at some of the grey trays I pulled out and replaced. Most of them have dual symbols heavily embossed within the tray but there were a couple that were so light that the almost couldn't be noticed.

    Also some trays on the back say patent pending..I know to some this may seem trivial and all so unimportant but to those who are critical about having everything original they may already know this or maybe looking for this when you're not.
     
  19. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Common with early Japanese made CDs. The compact disc logo is also raised, not indented as the West German trays.
     
  20. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    You know what? I think you're right. I had to feel it with my finger. My eyes are not what they used to be. I wonder how long they did this. Just another aspect of early marketing that I never knew.

    There are some CD trays on the bottom that say patent pending and others don't.
     
  21. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    I don't think they did it that long. Not sure if CSR went straight to the white trays, or they had an intervening black tray stage. I think they went straight to white as I recall seeing a white tray with just one compact disc logo, but I could be wrong.
     
  22. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    There is the disc symbol on all color trays.
    I may have one smooth black tray without the symbol on it I'm not sure. The only color tray which I don't have the compact disc symbol on is smooth light gray trays. They have the DVD symbol on them for some reason.
     
  23. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    I have recently come acrossed a bargain bin CD with a black tray which was very thin with the rectangles where the disc symbol usually is placed with no symbol raised or imbossed just a smooth rectangle on the top and bottom of the tray.
     
  24. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Modern crap.
     
  25. Francophile50

    Francophile50 The man with the satisfied ear.

    Location:
    Concord,CA
    Lol. To some people two words that belong together more than any others.
     
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