Are any 'complete series' sets actually well-built and durable?

I've looked at the Alias set, and it looks like it would collapse in on itself with a little pressure.

The Sex & the City set looks like the plastic box would be scratched up pretty quickly, and the new Gilmore set looks like the paper books aren't too durable.

I've heard that a lot of these sets have paper sleeves that scratch up the discs.

While I am attracted to shiny packaging, these complete sets seem like they will fall apart a lot faster than the regular sets.

Are there any that are well-made?

It seems like the more expensive a set is, the less common-sense goes into the design phase. The Star Trek TOS sets have a sturdy outer box, but the cover art is printed on thin paper wrapped tightly around the disc box. You have to handle it as carefully as radioactive material to keep from damaging it.

My Six Feet Under complete series boxset seems pretty thick & tough.

But if you treat any case like an adult and don't let your kids drop kick them, you should be fine.

The Get Smart complete series box is pretty sturdy and compact.

Yep, my one is still holding strong.

My friends complete set is strong and sturdy. My homicide set is also strong and sturdy.

I've seen a couple of these in Best Buy stores that are missing the headstone on top that shows the title. Looks like the glue might give way eventually.

Except that these flimsy little boxes can easily be crused and dented on the store shelves or while being shipped in the mail.

And just opening and closing a box will put a certain amount of wear on them (edges will fray and the glossy finish will scuff and eventually flake off at folds), which, when you're looking at something that likely contains thirty or so discs, will probably see more than average amount of use.

And if the discs are stored in sleeves that will scuff and scratch the playing surface, there isn't much a careful owner can do to mitigate that aside from storing the DVDs oustide of the package they came in.

I have the West Wing: Complete Series Set. It is very solid and durable.

Outer Limits seasons 1 and 2 are in plastic boxes. They save space by making the disks flippers.

The Friends set is also pretty sturdy.

Homicide seems pretty good, as dizzle mentioned.

Andromeda I had to order a number of copies and finally settled on one that was torn, the cardboard just doesn't seem to be able to handle the weight.

Buffy the Chosen is ok, but the paper connecting the top piece to the bottom is sort of flimsy.

The newer Python 16 ton megaset is built well, and is in the design I would prefer sets to come (outer box housing thinpacks).

The Prisoner is in a pretty sturdy thick cardboard box.

The M*A*S*H Martinis and Medicine collection is pretty damn rugged, too.

Yea, I could see that happening. Mine developed a hairline crack on one of the edges, but this may have happened in shipping. (Bought used on account of its HUGE pricetag!).

I only have Buffy, but from the way it opens up - with the front flap falling down when you lift the top - you don't even have to take it off your shelf to get the discs, so there's no opportunity for the box to get chewed up. Hell, It's not been moved off my shelf since I bought it!

yes, but you cannot get the seasons out without much difficulty. i have to get the fingers in there, shake and tilt and let gravity do the rest. very much a pain.

the reason the Homicide set is so great is that it just houses the existing cases, meaning no stupid paper sleeves. Why would anyone want their discs housed in a paper sleeve, add ten dollars to the final cost and give us actual cases, even double disc thinpaks.

the Buffy Chosen Collection is pretty durable, the discs are in little plastic books per season

seinfeld & family guy only because they are in mini dvd cases. i wish they'd make more tv series in those cases.

...neither of those are complete series sets

My original Friends set is awesome (the wood and acrylic one). I own the Alias also, and it's a lot more durable than it looks.

The OP is actually referring to "complete series" box sets, not the individual seasons of a tv show.

Homicide is great and West Wing would be too, if it didnt have the cardboard cases inside that scratch the discs when you put them in & take them out.

I haven't had any problems with Alias or Freaks & Geeks.

I think I partially agree with the carboard case issue, but it would only be a huge deal for me if I watched them regularly. I do plan on storing my DVDs in a wallet, though. The Homicide set is sturdy as can be, btw. Pity it's out of production now...

The Alias set is actually sturdier than it seems. Because the top actually sits on top of 5 books of DVDs so it's very sturdy. The sides come down and are connected to the top piece by a magnet or something.