CD collectors. Jewel case matter?

When hitting thrift stores I've been known to buy a 2CD for $1 just to get the intact case.

 

Thankfully cases are replaceable. I have no problem if someone wants to ship without the case. But really wish they came out as mini LPs instead of plastic. It kind of cheapened the whole thing for me.

That's probably why I don't have a nostalgic feeling for them, like the LP.

 

I see the jewel case as "part", not "art". It's not about preserving the plastic, it's about storage and ergonomics for me. Shelf or box, the nicer they fit as a group, the easier it is to look at them to select the one you want.

Later jewel boxes were made thinner, and flimsier. So it always helps to have more spares on hand, same as you would a garlic, or a bag of peppers when you don't know when you're gonna need to cook.

But so long as it holds the disc, and the hinges aren't broken off, and you can put the booklet away...all good.

Yes, I would prefer to have the light green ones for my Rykos, or the white tray for my White Album. But what I would really prefer, is to have my discs in order, easily-readable, consistent on a shelf...and be done with it.

 

I'd always prefer the original, but I'm not going to let the case stop me from getting an album I've been wanting (I mean, at the end of the day, it is supposed to be about the music, riiiight...? ).

For generic cases, it matters not and I'll often swap out broken ones anyway.

The only time it's a deal-breaker is when - as others have mentioned - the original case was unique and specifically produced for the album in question (first one coming to mind is Pet Shop Boys' Very with the orange, molded case, but there are many examples).

And I HATE digipacks and card sleeves with a passion.

 

I once sold a copy of NOW 4 on CD on the bay and got over £200 for it, however... The guy who bought it said he would have paid another £100 if it had come with the original jewel case
which had 'patents pending' on the rear, I had chucked the original case as it was cracked and I'd put it in a shiny new one thinking that would make it look nicer, but no, DOH!
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Now-Thats-What-I-Call-Music-4/release/4639424

 

We all did that at one time. Well, I did.

EG.

 

I definitely prefer to keep my 1980's CDs in their original smooth-edged jewel cases.
Not as fussed about the cases on my more recent discs.

 

Even if the old jewel is beat to crap, still prefer it to the newer replacement one's.
What tick's me off is when people cut up cd single card sleeves to fit jewel cases.
Found this 'tricked out' one about 20 years ago from a local.

 

I always swap out the cases on used purchases. Staples has solid JCs in packs of 25 for $30.

 

There isn't a week that goes by these days where I'm not replacing a cracked, busted or plain filthy jewel case for a garage sale/thrift store/swap meet CD. I also have paper sleeves on hand for the unfortunate decisions made by the brain-dead owners of those photo-album jobs, who toss all the packaging & just have the disc by itself. Not surprisingly, these are most of the time the ones that have all the classic rock heroes discussed high, wide & handsome on this board. It's a coin flip also if these discs are going to be playable at all, quite a few having the tell-tale gouges from being ripped in and out of these monstrosities, if not flat out thrown to the floor the way their predecessors the cassette was. Some people simply shouldn't own media in any form.

 

Couldn't care less as long as it does what it's supposed to do.

 

I have a bin full of old CD cases that I saved when I went to the poly sleeves. I know the 1980s cases were heavier but I'm not clear what is smooth about a smooth edged case. Are we talking about the spine or what? Call me obtuse!

 

No, but they are nice.

 

I still buy discs, but I trash the cases ASAP, since all my discs are in Case Logic binders. The only ones in cases are the few DCC’s and so-called collectibles, like my Disney park soundtrack discs and my 1987 Beatles.

 

here:

Smooth Sided CD Jewel Cases - How to tell which ones had it?

 

I've posted this before, but in order to whittle down the space taken up by my CD collection I got into the habit of tossing the jewel case and just keeping the booklets/discs. This makes it a lot easier to buy used CDs cause they're typically in pretty bad shape. (But I've kept about 25 favorites in their original cases)

 

Keep those original trays too. David Bowie RCA (Victor) PCD1-2522 Japan.

 

No, they don't matter. They are junked and replaced if cracked or broken. That kind of stuff just irritates me, and life is too short to be irritated.

 

Prefer to get the jewel case but happy without.
Jewel cases are available to buy or on Freecycle which is where I grab them
Have a few promo CDs too, often supplied in plastic wallets. They go into jewel cases

 

Interesting, I have this version but I don't know if I want to "Open up and say.... Ahh!"

 

When i buy second hand cd's i don't care much if the jewel case is damges or not, as long if the CD and the booklet is in good near/mint condition, i will be satisfied.

 

I recently found 2 genesis singles....in the oddest of jewell cases.....slim-line with no artwork/info inlay.....the c.d.'s slip under a little rubber tab and sit in a middle hub.....No snapping.....never seen anything like these 2 slim-line jewell cases before.

 

I've use similar poly sleeves from Bags Unlimited for years, though I didn't convert all my jewel cases, maybe about 1/3 of the collection. Even with that it reduced the amount of space needed for discs drastically. They are surprisingly robust and the tray cards don't get bent. I still like some albums in original type jewel cases.