Throwing away DVD cases?

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by Trevor

...I like to think that in 10 years I'll be able to digitize my entire DVD library into a hard drive the size of a credit card.

Yeah, that day is coming for sure. Of course what do you do if that drive ever crashes? That's something I think a lot of "ripping freaks" don't think about -- that, and the possibility that their DVD-R "backups" are going to destroy themselves in a few years.

I have three big boxes of empty cases so far, and I've only got less than half my collection in binders. I can definitely relate to the "discontinued binder" problem, or at least the fear of it. I buy Univenture binders, but of course they're not cheap so it's not like I can buy enough to do my whole collection at once. Not a huge risk of them being discontinued, but it could happen. The problem is of course that only one particular type will hold inserts, but the majority of my DVDs don't have inserts.

As my collection has grown I've done things I never thought I'd do, and I'm just about to the point of throwing away cases as long as the insert has the same artwork. Eventually, I'll probably start throwing cases away when there's no insert but the disc itself has the key art on it. I had thought that using binders and buying boxes for the cases was a brilliant idea, but really it just increases the space required to store everything. Granted I rarely ever need to go back into those boxes, but now that three are full of DVD cases and a fourth holds empty jewel cases from CDs, it's really getting to the point where I might start tossing the cases and maybe storing the actual cover art in binders as well. After all, an empty case is mostly just air, and because of the paper cover art, I can't just store the boxes in the attic or garage for fear of damage from moisture or heat.

I really love slimline cases, but if you get enough of them together they can become annoying too. The next thing I'll probably attack is fold-out Digipak cases, because I have a lot of those and they're beginning to annoy me. Of course most of those are TV season boxes, so once I put the discs in binders they can go into storage, too. For some reason having a shelf full of empty boxes really annoys me. A lot of the problem is that my media room (i.e., our guest bedroom) is severely cluttered since just about everything I own is in that one room, so if I can start moving things out, maybe shelves of DVDs in cases won't make the walls seem to close in so much.

I agree, this a great thread -- I always enjoy reading about how other folks tackle the problems of storing massive DVD collections.

[joliom]

Originally Posted by Mike Adams

:As my collection has grown I've done things I never thought I'd do, and I'm just about to the point of throwing away cases as long as the insert has the same artwork. Eventually, I'll probably start throwing cases away when there's no insert but the disc itself has the key art on it.

If you happen to have Hitch (WS) or Apollo 13 (CE) and think you'll be "getting to that point" any time soon, I'll be happy to take them off your hands . Think of us DVDTalkers before you go and commit to the dumpster route. You'd make a few buck too.

[Mike Adams]

I'll definitely think about that. The few bucks usually isn't worth waiting for a bite, though. Don't have either of those titles, but it never hurts to ask, right?

[joliom]

How about Total Recall or Damien: Omen II? Those are two others in my collection with damaged covers.

[Mike Adams]

Nope, anything Action or Horror has about a zero percent chance of being in my collection. Always worth a try, though.

[kovacs01]

Originally Posted by Mike Adams

Yet another very interesting thread!



I had to laugh at the guy who said he didn't care if anyone stole his DVDs because he was insured. I suppose if you don't have any out-of-print, rare, or promo discs that's fine, but I seriously doubt any insurance company is going to give you hundreds of dollars for one DVD just because that's what you'd have to pay for it on eBay. I



Really enjoying this thread!

I had to laugh at him laughing. My DVD collection, and everything else valuable in my house for that matter, is insured for ACTUAL REPLACEMENT COST of a new item. So, if I have to pa $300 or more to replace a few of my LE's, then thats what my insurance company will pay me. I would highly recommend that anyone with rare items in their home to do the same.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by kovacs01

I had to laugh at him laughing. My DVD collection, and everything else valuable in my house for that matter, is insured for ACTUAL REPLACEMENT COST of a new item. So, if I have to pa $300 or more to replace a few of my LE's, then thats what my insurance company will pay me. I would highly recommend that anyone with rare items in their home to do the same.

Umm, good advice, but that's assuming you can FIND a replacement, and even if you can, it may not be in good condition. Personally, I know that "DVD Discoveries" is going to be virtually impossible to replace, since as I recall there were only about 500 pressed. That doesn't even begin to take into account all the PDTV titles I've created myself, which at first glance wouldn't look any different to a thief than a retail DVD.

[kovacs01]

the PDTV stuff would be difficult.......as far as limited pressings, i have several of the 500 and 1000 variety, and still am able to find more from various etailers (granted they are very inflated prices). The Crow LE with figure might be the only one i wouldnt be able to find. In any case, i wasnt intending to get into a discussion over rarity.

What I was pointing out is that insurance you were very incorrect in saying that insurance companies will not pay you to replace rare items from ebay and such. They will do so, but only if you are smart and get the right kind of policy.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by kovacs01

What I was pointing out is that insurance you were very incorrect in saying that insurance companies will not pay you to replace rare items from ebay and such. They will do so, but only if you are smart and get the right kind of policy.

Well, it is definitely good to get a "replacement cost" policy, but I'm still not sure how an insurance company is going to react when you ask for $300 for an OOP DVD simply because that's what it's going for on eBay. Those policies exist so that if you lose your refrigerator in a flood, you don't get the $50 it was worth, you get enough to buy a new fridge that's comparable to your old one. You're right that a "replacement cost" policy SHOULD operate that way, but I'd be interested to hear from an agent or adjuster on how exactly that kind of thing would be handled.

If you bought a DVD on sale for $9.99 and you had to pay $19.99 to buy a brand new one because it wasn't on sale anymore I doubt they'd balk, but when you're just buying from a private seller and the price is being inflated way beyond standard DVD prices because it's an auction, that's going to test the language of the policy, which may have a clause that dictates what is done if a replacement can't be found, or at least one that limits the scope of where you can buy your replacement and how much more than full retail they'll allow you to spend. If they didn't do that, your friend could sell you a replacement fridge for $100,000 and you both could pocket the difference.

I don't pretend to know what they'd say if something like that happened, but I think it's foolish to assume that they'll let you pay $300 for a $20 DVD just because eBay is the only place you can find a replacement.

As for the "limited edition" DVDs in your collection, it may be possible to find a copy of "The Crow" or some other major title that had a limited pressing, but do me a favor and try to find "DVD Discoveries" for sale somewhere and tell me how you do. I don't mind being proven wrong (heck, it'd probably give me some peace of mind), but it was difficult enough to find the copy I have when I bought it a couple years ago -- now I can't imagine trying to track one down. Another issue is that an insurance company may say "Hey, you can get 'The Crow' on DVD for $9.99, go to it, that's a replacement (even though it's not the same edition)." For something like "DVD Discoveries" it ain't that easy.

[hobbes4444]

Originally Posted by Mike Adams

Sorry, but repeatedly removing and re-inserting DVDs into paper sleeves is gonna cause some major scuffs really quick. Hope you don't have to learn that the hard way.

If you have to go with that kind of sleeve, maybe try Tyvek instead of paper, still not ideal, but better than paper.

I don't repeatedly remove them, hell I barely watch any DVDs nowadays. But even so, I've never had a paper sleeve leave a major scuff. If anything, the disc might have a light marking from the paper sleeves. But that's nothing compared to the hell that netflix discs go through, and those play without problem with very few exceptions. Personally, it seems a minor price to pay compared to the massive storage savings.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by hobbes4444

I don't repeatedly remove them, hell I barely watch any DVDs nowadays. But even so, I've never had a paper sleeve leave a major scuff. If anything, the disc might have a light marking from the paper sleeves. But that's nothing compared to the hell that netflix discs go through, and those play without problem with very few exceptions. Personally, it seems a minor price to pay compared to the massive storage savings.

By all means, do whatever makes you happy. However, you just made my point about Tyvek sleeves as opposed to paper. If Netflix used paper, you'd probably see the difference. Another interesting fact is that because rental DVDs get played so much, there's not a lot of chance for copious amounts of dust to collect inside the envelopes, which will definitely happen with paper sleeves if for no other reason than the paper gives off particles of its own as it ages. The major irony is that the discs you don't watch often aren't going to suffer that much from being in paper sleeves, but your favorites will pay dearly over time.

It would take a pretty good scratch to be visible when looking directly at the disc's surface (i.e. like you're holding a mirror), but angle the disc and watch how the light bounces off of it (which pretty closely recreates the process of playing it) and those scuffs might just show themselves much more than you had expected. Maybe not, who knows, but by the time it becomes really noticeable it's too late, and the cost difference between paper and Tyvek sleeves should be negligible, especially when you consider how much easier on your discs they are.

[rw2516]

Originally Posted by kovacs01

What I was pointing out is that insurance you were very incorrect in saying that insurance companies will not pay you to replace rare items from ebay and such. They will do so, but only if you are smart and get the right kind of policy.

My homeowner's policy has a set amount to replace belongings. They cut me a check and off to the stores I go. You can spend it anyway you like. You can adjust the amount up if you want but premium will go up. They don't bother with the individual cost of each item.
There is "collection insurance", but that would only be used to insure a collection where everything was valuable/collectible(comics, coins, trading cards,etc.), not a dvd collection of a few thousand with a couple dozen rare collectables among them.

[rw2516]

Originally Posted by Trevor

But when I really worry about it, I like to think that in 10 years I'll be able to digitize my entire DVD library into a hard drive the size of a credit card.

I worry about how I'm gonna take my dvds and cds to the nursing home when/if I have to go. Living in Pergatory might not be so bad if I can sit in bed, in my diaper, with endless hours of video and music. iPod will take care of the music. I saw at some online retailer a storage box that holds 2000 discs, about the size of a briefcase. Discs are held in plastic sleeves and similar to a filing cabinet or library card catalog. Comes with index dividers and the alphabetical letter dividers.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by rw2516

My homeowner's policy has a set amount to replace belongings. They cut me a check and off to the stores I go.

Yeah, mine's the same way. I set it pretty low because the stuff I'd really need to replace doesn't add up to much. I didn't really even take my DVDs into account, because the ones I can't replace can't be bought for any price, and the ones I can are cheap enough that I can just build my collection back up over time. It's much more important to me to have a lower premium than to keep shelling out the bucks just in case someone makes off with my various collections. The mostly likely circumstance under which I'll lose all my DVDs is the complete destruction of the place, and then I'll have a lot more important things on my mind than DVDs. Sorry to blaspheme, but it's true.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by rw2516

I worry about how I'm gonna take my dvds and cds to the nursing home when/if I have to go.

My dad had to give up a sizeable collection of VHS tapes when he had to give up his house and live in a nursing home, but he did take a CD boombox and a wallet of CDs with him. By the time any of us go (or heck, now, for that matter), you could have a really good-sized library of video on an iPod, and with a couple DVD binders and a laptop, you could refresh that material as often as needed.

I like those trunk-like DVD storage cases where the sleeves are like hanging file folders. That might just be a good way to store all the PDTV masters, since that particular segment of my collection needs a lot of room to grow.

[Subgeniusguy]

Originally Posted by Mike Adams

I like those trunk-like DVD storage cases where the sleeves are like hanging file folders. That might just be a good way to store all the PDTV masters, since that particular segment of my collection needs a lot of room to grow.

Sorry to resurrect this tired old thread but my continued space issues have got me considering my storage alternatives again. I bought one of the trunks Mike mentions from Meritline and use it to store my DVD-R and CD-R's. Most of us buy blank media on spindles anyway I'm sure. I bought one that stores 1200 discs. The case is quite sturdy and heavy too when filled I might add. The sleeves hang like you say, and when you shut the case, the sleeves are trapped on their supports so even if you take the thing and shake it around, nothing moves out of place and everything remains in order. The sleeves are numbered and originally I wanted to keep everything in alphabetical order, but I ended up just filling the sleeves sequentially and typing the titles and sleeve numbers into an excel spreadsheet which I can manipulate into an alphabetical listing and print and reprint as often as I need to. Some of the negative stuff I read regarding these cases were that some sleeves arrived damaged and some people said their sleeves contained debris. I did not encounter this problem. I only have about 350 discs in it now and I don't accrue that many discs to put in it, so this case should remain a viable storage solution for those discs for many years.

I like the case so much I'm considering buying a second to replace a lot of my snapper and amaray cases. My wife actually urged me not to do that, which I find wierd considering she has never really understood my desire to own so many movies. I feel I may have no choice though as my storage problem when this thread originally started was temporarily solved by a small new shelving unit, and now I find myself hurting for space again. Mostly I think I would use it to store a lot of my cheaper titles. If I could get 500 titles off my shelves, I think I would be good for another 1-2 years at least. I like having the original packaging but I'm bothered by clutter and have limited space. I do have plenty of attic space though to keep the empty amaray's, snappers, etc should I move to a bigger house or decide to part with anything.

My CD storage problem was solved by a filing cabinet from a junk store that had a lot of used office supplies. It's a steel cabinet and I don't know what it originally stored but the drawers are perfect for CD's. It's probably got about 1200 in it now and plenty of room for more. I've had this sucker for years and have moved with it at least twice. My wife, then gf, found it and I was not impressed at first but after I was able to throw out all of my crappy CD media shelves. A cabinet like this would cost a lot new but I bought this junker for about $100 and it looks cool in my media closet if it weren't for all the DVD's cluttered on top of it. It will also store amaray cases spine up and when I first started buying DVD's I used it to store them but amarays take up way more room than standard CD jewel case.

Here's a picture of my media closet my wife's put on her blog. Note the crappy sloped ceilings of the bonus room that make space/HT optimization a total bitch. The CD cabinet is unfortunately not visible in the picture but it is just to the left when you enter the closet door. It tucks in there nicely.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by Subgeniusguy

Sorry to resurrect this tired old thread but my continued space issues have got me considering my storage alternatives again. I bought one of the trunks Mike mentions from Meritline and use it to store my DVD-R and CD-R's. Most of us buy blank media on spindles anyway I'm sure. I bought one that stores 1200 discs. The case is quite sturdy and heavy too when filled I might add. The sleeves hang like you say, and when you shut the case, the sleeves are trapped on their supports so even if you take the thing and shake it around, nothing moves out of place and everything remains in order. The sleeves are numbered and originally I wanted to keep everything in alphabetical order, but I ended up just filling the sleeves sequentially and typing the titles and sleeve numbers into an excel spreadsheet which I can manipulate into an alphabetical listing and print and reprint as often as I need to. Some of the negative stuff I read regarding these cases were that some sleeves arrived damaged and some people said their sleeves contained debris. I did not encounter this problem. I only have about 350 discs in it now and I don't accrue that many discs to put in it, so this case should remain a viable storage solution for those discs for many years.

Thanks for posting your experiences with the "trunk" case, glad it worked out for you. I still haven't bought one, but I'm torn between the $60 one at BEST BUY and one I saw at WAL-MART for less than half that. They're both made by Atlantic, so I guess the only difference is capacity. If I do decide to go with that one, I'll post my experiences here.

[Subgeniusguy]

This is the one I bought. They sell them on e-bay and they are actually cheaper on e-bay <$100. Also came with 4 denim 80 disc wallets which are collecting dust in a closet as I don't really have a use for them. Why the hell denim? Their ebay seller name in e-auctions-express. They have some negative feedback that appears mostly related to broken plastic DVD cases. I had no problems with my big case. Arrived in great condition and the case itself appears pretty tightly assembled. Has handles and keys. I was very worried it would be junk but overall I've been impressed with this thing. One thing though, it's pretty freakin big, but to store 1200 discs at 300 per row, it has to be. If you get one, be sure to check the dimensions so if you are planning on tucking it in a closet or under a bed, you can be sure it'll fit. Check this out. If it was bigger, I'd be tempted to get it.

[Mike Adams]

The aluminum Meritline one is virtually identical to the Atlantic one BEST BUY is selling. I ended up buying the $29.97 one at WAL-MART, and it turned out to be a much better deal. It only holds 200 discs as opposed to 360 in the BEST BUY one (same exact model, just that WAL-MART carries it in one capacity and BEST BUY carries the larger one), but it comes with 100 double-sided sleeves, whereas the one at BEST BUY only comes with 25 (looked more like 50 to me, though). It says you can get the rest for just shipping & handling, but it's nice to get everything right away. I also prefer the fixed bars in the 200-disc version rather than moveable ones, partially because the bars that hold the sleeves in the larger one don't move with the lower ones, so unless you use it as it's already configured, you could have problems if it takes a tumble. Also, I'm not storing anything in there besides bare discs, so the factory configuration is perfect for me.

To each their own, but having a case that holds 1200 DVDs would be much too bulky and heavy, although I can't say that carrying around six of the smaller ones would be a picnic, either. It isn't my main storage system, so 200 at a time works fine for me, and if I buy another one, I'll have a total capacity of 400 discs for the same price as the 360-disc one, plus I won't have to pay S&H to get all the sleeves I need.

By the way, does the wooden one come in smaller versions? That would be great for another project, but maybe in a 100-disc version or smaller.

[Subgeniusguy]

Looks like the wooden one comes in 350 and 500 only.

[Mike Adams]

Originally Posted by Subgeniusguy

Looks like the wooden one comes in 350 and 500 only.

Hmm, okay. I'm sure there's something similar around that's a bit smaller, but I'll probably just use the aluminum cases for all my homebrew discs.

[Mark Barto]

Bump...

Doing a search on another topic, and found this thread.

Having almost 3000 DVD's I had to find another solution then keeping the DVD's in the original cases. About a year ago, I went the disc sleeve solution. I have all my discs in Case Logic Sleeves. Office Depot also makes a simlar sleeve. Both come with labels that slide into the top of the sleeve. From personal experience, I have had no disc scratch from using these sleeves.

I currently have all the discs, arranged alphabetically in the Snap-N-Store storage boxes, however I'll be migrating them all to the Can-Am cabinets in the next few months. Each drawer, of the Cam-Am cabinet, will hold over 1000 sleeves.

[whitetigeress]

Originally Posted by Mark Barto

Bump...

Doing a search on another topic, and found this thread.

Having almost 3000 DVD's I had to find another solution then keeping the DVD's in the original cases. About a year ago, I went the disc sleeve solution. I have all my discs in Case Logic Sleeves. Office Depot also makes a simlar sleeve. Both come with labels that slide into the top of the sleeve. From personal experience, I have had no disc scratch from using these sleeves.

I currently have all the discs, arranged alphabetically in the Snap-N-Store storage boxes, however I'll be migrating them all to the Can-Am cabinets in the next few months. Each drawer, of the Cam-Am cabinet, will hold over 1000 sleeves.

I am debating right now about doing this with my collection. I keep going back and forth trying to decide what to do. I either want to buy slim dvd cases and redo my collection that way or go your route and put them in sleeves. I would love to see how you store those.

[pcdoctor]

Originally Posted by sracer

It's just not practical to own 500-1000 DVDs unless you're wealthy.

Are you storing your 500-1000 DVDs on stacks on the floor? Do you have homegrown shelving that looks like something picked out of a junkyard? Does your collection sit on pine planks separated by cinder blocks?

If you answered "NO" to all these questions, then you had to spend money on a storage solution. Any decent-looking storage solution that houses 500-1000 DVDs is going to cost a few $100's. Especially if you like to keep your DVD library hidden. If you're the type that prefers the "Hollywood Video warehouse" look, then some pine planks and cinderblocks and you're good to go.

LOL!
I want to see a picture of your collection and it's shelving.

[pcdoctor]

Originally Posted by whitetigeress

I am debating right now about doing this with my collection. I keep going back and forth trying to decide what to do. I either want to buy slim dvd cases and redo my collection that way or go your route and put them in sleeves. I would love to see how you store those.

I was tempted to buy slim dvd cases but what would I do with my existing cases? Also, you can't read slim cases from the side like you can the regular cases. I enjoying reading this thread!