Who leaves the shrink-wrap on their DVDs?
 

This came up in another thread, but enough other people said they do it too, so I thought I'd give it its own thread.

All of my DVDs that come in digi-paks or boxsets still have the shrink-wrap on them to protect the packaging or cardboard. I just slice the end of the plastic open with a boxknife blade so I can get the disks out.

So, my LOTR: EEs, Star Wars Trilogy, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, first two Harry Potters, etc., all still have shrink-wrap on them.

Who else?

used to with all my vinyl LP's....but not with dvds. looks a little tacky. I go one step better....and use plastic, resealable sleeves for added protection. my library looks very loved and this explains why my entire collection is in mint shape. these can be ordered on-line for about 6 cents each. I also have a buddy custom make a few for the oversized titles. I have over 1,400 protected now....am still working on the rest.:D

I'd like to see a picture of that. I'm picturing a bunch of DVDs in Ziploc bags.

pic? Just want to see 1400 wrapped dvds

i agree this is the best way to protect the digi's...a good investment

hell, I don't even own a camera...just never seem to grab one. you may want to search for last years NY Times interview thread that I started. they came and took a few pics of the library for the paper, although the one they used was just before I started finally encasing them in the sleeves.

it looks much better than that, trust me.

I tend to keep packaging for some things, but it never even occured to me to keep shrinkwrap.

i do the exact same thing for my box sets and i though i was the only one.

Are these sleeves acid free like the ones they make for comics?

I'm considering practicing safe DVD collecting. :)

you're not the only one :)

I kept my STGP LE in wrapping, allowing access to the contents, but preventing the case from getting damaged.

I try to keep mine in the shrink wrap, but most of the time I rip it more than I want to, so I end up taking it off anyway.

I keep the wrap on my laserdiscs, but not on my DVDs.

I've never done this until recently. A couple of years ago, I ordered the R3 Gamera Box Set used from Japan and it came with the shrink-wrap still on the whole of the box (leaving the space open for the DVDs to come out). I thought it was weird at first then thought "I really don't want this box damaged" because it was so damn cool.

Then I got the Definitive Twilight Zone box set and loved the way the outside box looked (The holographic look). I decided to not unwrap that portion to protect it (hopefully). Besides, there's the box within the box to hold the DVDs so if I want to see it unwrapped, I can always pull it out.

Andrew

I do the same thing. My box sets & digipacks all have the shrinkwrap still on them. It's an extra layer of protection and will at least prevent dust if nothing else.

i leave them on yes.

I remove the plastic.

Not a good idea leaving the shrink wrap on LPs as that will tend to cause some of them to warp. Best bet would be to get plastic sleeves that you can insert your LPs' packaging into that have enough room for movement. If interested, try a google search for "lp plastic sleeves" (sans quotes).

I also do keep the shrinkwrap.

I do not keep the shrinkwrap on, well, I mean, I keep them sealed until I watch them if thats what you mean?

I rip it and trash it.

I keep the shrinkwrap on all of my boxed sets and digipacks too.

It's nice to hear I am not alone.

i do it too!

Yep, I always purchased the plastic laserdisc sleeves from Ken Crane's back in the day. The shrink wrap, well, shrinks over time and begins to put pressure on the cover and disc, bending the corners. I've seen this quite a few times on new laserdiscs which I've purchased from Ebay over the past few years. I actually look for used LD's more than new now for that reason.

As a former record collector i can say that shrink wrap continues to slowly shrink which it why it warped LPs. It will also eventually warp cardboard, labels, plastic, etc. I've bought older DVDs where the case plastic and label were "wavy" from this effect. Unless the shrink wrap is very loose, I'd advise you remove it and use acd-free plastic sleeves if you want additional protection.

I don't know, without first seeing exactly what you guy's methods look like, this practice sounds kind of silly to me.

I'm also confused as to what you mean by keeping them on your digipacks. What sort of digipaks are you talking about? the 7-disc fold-out ones or what?

Any that slide out of an outer sleeve (i.e. Fight Club, LOTR: EEs, Simpson and South Park season sets, etc).

They look (most of the time) far better with the glossy shiney wrapping still on them, rather than a crap looking cheapo card slipcase! they look glossy and new and better than a bland piece of crap card sleave thingie, and it keeps them brand new forever! my WickerMan Wooden Box still stinks of burned wood! as the wrapping has kept in the stink of burning years later!

I had over 4,000 lps from about 1973 to 1985....no warpage. I converted later to plastic sleeves....yes. but for a good part of 6 years....had no problem. in fact...most of my LP's now, which I kept...are in mint condition. but true....if they are too tight and left for many years...you got problems. btw...I had a solution to a warped record if it ever happened. an oven, 3 sheets of quarter inch glass plates and some rice paper works wonders.:thumbsup:

worked on records from friends, anyway.

'nother thing to keep in mind: I bought all my wax from Peoples Music here in Des Moines. what he would do is this....he would remove the shrinkwrap from the factory...and RE shrinkwrap each LP in a looser form. it gave about a quarter inch on each side....which never really seemed to tighten. smart guy he was. I coverted to sleeves anyway...only because I wanted them to be re-sealable, just like my dvd protectors. even at 12 years old...I was no rookie.:D:p

I had a custom sleeve made for my Evil Dead/Book of the Dead dvd....the rubber one. open the sleeve now and you get an unhealthy dose of fumes. that thing is lethal.:lol:

I use custom sleeves for my snappers to protect the cardboard from being scuffed. You remove the cardboard cover to install and it fits perfectly, as opposed to dropping the the entire snapper into a bag. Good stuff.

Standard snapper

Fold-out snapper

i too was doing that with lp's starting late 70's up until about 10 years ago when i stopped buying lp's.
still no warped records.
i also wrap a piece of scotch tape around the edges to help keep from riping.
then did the same with laser discs.

now i do it wth dvd's.
i even use the origional shrink wrap on digipaks that dont have a slip sleeve.
like the all in the family set and fawlty towers.
i just put a little extra piece of tape at the top and bottom to use as a handle for pulling the shrink wrap on and off.

as luck would have it i work at a place that has a shrink wrap machine so i can shrink wrap anything like the disney sets that have a slipcase but no wrap around the outside slipcase.

I usually have my dvd's opened by the time i get home from the store!

I also open them... to protect them from dust, I put all my DVDs on a shelves with glass door.... So far they are working fine!

So this is what a Howard Hughes convention sounds like? ;)

i keep all of the digipak/special cardboard packages in their original shrinkwrap. usually, they contain some stickers and i like to keep them as well. if it's a package that absolutely requires me to slice it off, i will, but will then put it in a plastic bag (make for comic books, magazines, etc.) to make sure it doesn't get shelf wear. this harks back to my comic/card collecting days. i found this even helps my ebay results when i put something up for sale, as it is as complete as it can possibly be short of it being factory-sealed.

my gfs have learned to live with my funny habits. friends get a laugh out of my trying to explain my anal-retentiveness, and some have even seen the light.

it's funny, a few weeks ago one of my coworkers bought LOTR:ROTK:EE and i asked if i could open it up to check it out. i sliced open the slide using a scissor, keeping the shrinkwrap intact on the slipcover. when i returned the set to him after a half hour or so, he asked why i hadn't opened it up yet. i told him to check again, and he was amazed of such care (or was it idiocracy?)

wait, wait, wait...let me get this straight, you guys actually open your DVDs? I was under the impression that when you "collect" DVDs you are supposed to leave them exactly as they are purchased. you wouldn't buy an "insert whatever comic Vol. 1 here _________" and read it and contaminate it with your grubby little hands would you?

I guess I'm the only nutjob that is currently having NASA design the perfect DVD room for my collection. ;)

So let me get this straight. You leave the plastic on your DVD cases? The shrink wrap? Why? To protect the case from what? How is it going to get damaged when It's sitting on the shelf?

I admit that I leave the shrinkwrap on the more expensive discs, such as boxsets and those with sleeves...guess it's just an unconscious holdover from miscellaneous collecting.... :lol:

Ever heard of "shelf wear"?

And again, change your inaccurate signature. :p

I hope you made "shelf wear" up. Oh and your right I have to change it. To 10-2. ;)