Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I'm the king of procrastinators, but every now and then I actually follow through on one of my threats. This time it was my longstanding threat to get rid of the DVD and Blu-ray cases that have been taking up so much room in my relatively small apartment. I bought two 320-disc capacity CD wallets on Amazon, and after a few days' work, I got most of the discs out of the cases and into the wallets, making sure to leave empty spaces for new additions:

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/337/dq6c.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3338/x1ai.jpg

One wallet is for movies, the other for TV shows. Simple.

I know that a lot of cinephiles are probably horrified at the very thought of doing something like this, and I was worried that I would get all nostalgic about losing the cases and artwork, but I really didn't. I was so fucking sick of those cases, in more ways than one: taking up so much room, constantly having to find new space for them, having to re-arrange shelves with every new addition, putting up with case spindles that won't hold the disc at all because the plastic shattered in transit, and (I could post five topics about this one) cases in which getting the disc out is a chore because the people who designed it were more concerned with it looking nice than with it being functional. Now that it's done, my only thoughts are "good riddance."

(In case anyone is wondering, no, I didn't throw out the cases entirely. They're all sitting in a big box shoved in the back of my closet in case I ever need them, and I took out the paper sleeves and stuffed them in a big Ziploc bag that's sitting next to the box. It's a good thing I kept them, because I've had to dig them out on occasion, like when I give away a DVD that I own more than one copy of.)

Anyway, doing this cleaned up the shelves in my place considerably. The vast majority of my DVDs and Blu-rays went into the CD wallets, but I did keep one small shelf devoted to movies:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8269/0zlg.jpg

As you can see, I like to keep it loose with space for additions. There are several reasons why I may put something on this shelf with packaging intact instead of relegating it to the CD wallets: if it has nice packaging, if it's one of my favorite movies, or if putting the discs in the CD wallets would be redundant (for example, if a lot of discs are crammed together in a box set and no more space can be saved by removing them).

On the top shelf there are some small sets (Alfred Hitchcock, Alien, Chucky, Terminator, Universal Classic Monsters), the Monty Python's Flying Circus "16-Ton Megaset," and some single-film releases with nicer packaging (Apocalypse Now, Halloween 35th Anniversary, Nosferatu, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Steelbook, some Godzilla films). The middle shelf has Mission: Impossible on the left (the black film cans housing the DVDs were taken out of the huge cardboard box in which they came), Blade Runner (my favorite movie, sitting next to the hardcover book it came with), King Kong in the ridiculous metal tin case, some Criterion Blu-rays, a couple of multi-film sets (A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films), and some nicer single-film releases (Gladiator Steelbook, Taxi Driver). The bottom shelf has a few of those Mill Creek sets filled with 50 movies each, Star Trek stuff in the middle, and Tales from the Crypt on the right (the packaging on these is far too good to throw out).

Everything else went in the CD wallets. I had to make some tough decisions here and there. Should I keep the Mel Brooks Blu-ray set intact on the shelf, or spread the discs out alphabetically in the CD wallets? (I chose the latter.) Some of it was hard to throw in the closet because it was just so pretty, like the Simpsons and Futurama cases, but the more frustration I had with getting the discs out, the more I wanted the damn things gone. Now getting the discs out is just a matter of flipping to it in the CD wallet and pulling it out. I sacrificed some aesthetics for convenience, but my progressively rising blood pressure is okay with that.

P.S. Please, no requests for the cases I threw in the closet. As eager as I was to get rid of them, I like keeping them around in case I ever need them.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Nice...But I would NEVER not have my DVD cases displayed! Just my opinion-

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I'm in the early stages of a similar process. I should be done by 2019.

Lots of talk on this matter in our organization thread.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I could/would never do that. I like looking at them too much.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I am on the verge of doing this myself. I literally have more stuff than I have room for. I have been putting it off for as long as I can, but I've got to do something soon.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Good for you, Jory. Why do we collect things? Because we enjoy those things or the process of collecting. The minute it becomes a frustration is the moment we need to do something about it. I can't see myself taking the same steps you have, but it's possible I might sometime down the road.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I ditched the packaging LONG ago and have all my physical media in binders. I'm not an obsessive collector, I don't need to "see" evidence of my purchases. I just want the content, the rest can go pound sand.

All packaging gets tossed almost immediately.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

When I had more movies I did something like that years ago by buying hanging file cases that hold five to six hundred discs and put the artwork in binders. It saved a lot of space and for the most part I was about content more than looking at a wall of cases. There was also the issue of me being picky and all used films cases had to be replaced with new cases and some new ones if they were damaged or had spin glue.

I find most cases to be an inefficient use of space.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I can't say that DVD and Blu-ray cases are all good or all bad. I had to weigh some pros and cons when deciding to do this. The pros are saving space and not having to deal with annoying packaging that makes removing the disc difficult. The cons are having to get out a huge CD wallet to select a disc instead of taking a relatively small case off a shelf, having to go find a plastic case or paper sleeve for a disc if I want to give it away or sell it, and not having readily available lists of special features and TV episodes. Some TV shows put the episode titles on the discs, but it's unfortunately common for them not to. Some shows come with a little paper insert that I can fold and put into the CD wallet, which is nice, but too many shows put the episode list on the reverse of the cover sleeve, which is incredibly annoying even if you keep the case.

As for the value of the packaging, obviously I like it when it's nice, or else I wouldn't be keeping so many cases on my one remaining DVD shelf. I like Steelbooks, even though their overlapping disc design for 2-disc sets annoys me. I love the Alien Anthology book, the Halloween 35th Anniversary book, and the Tales from the Crypt packaging is too good to let go. (You can't see it until you open it, but each case has episode listings done in lovely comic book style artwork.) I keep the Criterion cases, since they always come with nice booklets. Blade Runner, Nosferatu, and the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films come in standard cases, but I keep them on the shelf because I'm in love with the movies. King Kong has to stay on a shelf because that ludicrous tin case is just too good to toss. Other packaging, like Monty Python's Flying Circus, Mission: Impossible, and the Mill Creek public domain horror and sci-fi crap, I have no special affinity for, but they keep all the discs crammed together in a small amount of space, and putting them in the CD wallets would be pointless. Like I said above, I had to make some decisions. Why put the four Mission: Impossible films in a wallet but not the four Terminator films? Because fuck it, that's why.

Anyway. I know that this isn't the right thing to do for everyone. It was just right for me. I was running out of space (I have a hard enough time finding room for all the books in my place, let alone DVDs) and I was getting sicker every day of dealing with cases that were either broken during shipping and wouldn't hold the disc or designed by some dipshit who didn't care if the disc could be removed without breaking it. (Seriously, I can't remember the last time I bought multiple films without having at least one case which had either a broken spindle or a spindle that held the disc in a death grip.) If you want every wall of your home lined with shelves proudly displaying every plastic case you've ever acquired, more power. But if anyone else has been seriously considering doing what I've done, you now know the pros and cons.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Big mistake to put the dvd and blu-rays in binders like that. They WILL get scratched up eventually. It would be better to save the artwork that can be saved and keep it in a folder, leave the big box sets to themselves as you probably don't and can't minimize that kind of artwork, and put the discs into cd jewel cases.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

^Sorry to burst your bubble there but I've had my Blu-Rays in binders for 6 years now, and not a single one of them have been scratched up or damaged in any way.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

/\ Great, now you're on his list.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I've heard conflicting accounts of people getting scratches from CD wallets. It seems to depend on which brand you buy. I tested mine by taking a DVD and a Blu-ray that I didn't really care about (the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack of Sucker Punch, which might be the worst movie I've ever seen... it was a $5 blind buy) and repeatedly putting the discs in and taking them out, inspecting them afterward to see if there was any damage. The Blu-ray had no scratches whatsoever, which isn't surprising, since Blu-rays have a scratch-resistant coating on them. The DVD had some minor scuff marks on it, but it's nothing that would affect playback. Every disc I ever got from Netflix looked far worse.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

One reason I picked hanging file cases vs binders is adding new discs is much easier.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I've been putting my DVD's and now my blurays (select titles) (I've just gone past the one thousandth bluray title) into CD slips and then into a custom built file drawers

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

For me, the covers are half the fun- sometimes more!

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I converted my collection over to slim cases long ago. Printed up custom artwork for each title and condensed everything down to the slimmest case it would fit in.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Ditto here! rotfl

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I've done something similar but instead of a regular DVD/CD case I purchased a bunch of Unikeep binders http://www.unikeep.com/collections/media-storage/ These are nice in that they are hard cases, w/ a plastic wrap over them that allow you to create your own covers. So far I've created my own custom covers for about 40-50 titles things like; 3rd Rock from the Sun, Die Hard Collection (need to update this one though), Foyle's War, my Harryhausen collection, etc. Some have turned out better than others but it's been kind of fun overall. Just need the templates (available from the website above), an editing program, a little creativity and a printer that can do legal sized color prints. Although I've only done the full wraps for the 10/20 disc cases, for the 40/48/80 cases I just print a spine.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

A thread on Home Theater Forum addresses this issue under this thread title:
Warning: Be Careful How You Store Your Collection

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

If you choose to do this I would highly recommend keeping the trapsheets stored away as they don't really take up much room when they're flattened in a pile.

By completely tossing out the packaging your discs really become worthless. Yeah, most titles are only worth a buck or two complete but it's still a buck or two more than they are worth as a disc-only.

As the years go on, more and more titles will become out-of-print and could fetch a decent price - if you have the original packaging.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

No bubble burst. Blu-rays have anti scratch coating....

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

^ Yeah, like I said, I kept the cases and sheets, stuffed away in storage in my bedroom. I've already had to dig them out on a couple of occasions to give away a movie that I owned more than one copy of.

As for the other packaging that people have been suggesting, I went with the big CD wallets primarily because they were so inexpensive compared to the alternatives. I only spent about $16 each for them, and the customer reviews on Amazon were positive enough for me to take a chance. I really like these kinds of sleeves...

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/2638/xhn6.jpg

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/9854/k1wf.jpg

...which hold two discs in a very thin sleeve and preserve the artwork, but they were just too expensive for the amount of discs I had. Like I've been saying all along in this topic, people should do whatever's right for them. I'm just showing off something that worked out pretty well for me.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

nice!

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

That is WAAAYYYY too much work. I need to do something. I like the slim case idea, but the artwork doesn't fit in it and I don't want to cut it or create my own artwork. I wish somebody made slim cases that were wider on the horizontal side so that the artwork would still fit into the case without cutting it.

Right now, I have some in shelves, some in boxes and some of my collection is in CD sleeves in alphabetical order with the inserts in a file cabinet. That is only for stuff I pick up at thrift stores that's not worth much or if the disc is not "perfect".

Wish I had the room to do this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHVICOcR4G...ary02small.jpg

but even a bedroom would not be enough.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Be careful of warping, especially in the 320 capacity folders. I have several of these myself, and if the discs are too tight in the binder, they probably will warp around the edges unless perfectly aligned with the discs below and above them.

Also, you didn't have to lose the artwork. I pulled mine out, folded them along the edge in half, and store them in a seperate box. Then, if I ever would sell any of the titles, I could reconstruct perfectly the movie using a spare DVD and/ or BD case and the original packaging artwork / inserts.

In all, I'm extremely happy with the space saving results and there has been NO scratching after 10 years in the case of my oldest binders. I'm just very careful about inserting and removing the DVDs out of the folders.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I would be a bit wary about using binders. I've heard a few stories about them damaging discs; doesn't seem like keeping optical discs pressed tightly together in plastic sleeves seems like a good idea.

With blu-ray discs, I'd be even more concerned that the anti-scratch coating could react with something in the plastic they're pressed against.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Still salivate at the thought of something like this, but realize it will never happen.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Jeeeeeeeeeesus.

Odd, though... this person has enough money to buy all those movies, and doesn't buy a larger TV? I don't have half that many films, and even I saved up for a 1080p 46-inch.

I'm one of those people who are obsessively careful with DVDs, so if anything happens to them in the CD wallet, it'll be the wallet's fault rather than mine and I'll report it back to this topic immediately so others can avoid my mistake. So far, though, it's working out fine.

As for the artwork, those paper sleeves are currently sitting in a huge Ziploc bag near where I'm storing away the empty plastic cases. At some point I'll take them out and stick them in a box or binder or something. They aren't terribly important to me. But like I said, I'm keeping both the cases and the artwork in case I need them in the future.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

The initial startup is a pain, but once you get over that hump, doing 10 or 20 at a clip, it is really a breeze. Do it while you're watching a disc or TV and it really flies by. I did my, at the time, 1000 title collection in the span of a weekend.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/p...ia_storage.jpg

For over 7 years I have ditched cases and moved to DiscSox. They are not cheap, they cost 35-40 cents each. They hold 2-discs in double-sided protected sleeves that hold the entire original coverart and all inserts. DVD and Blu-ray sleeves are available, I use the "Pro" sleeves. The artwork is completely clean, no extra folds. You can pull them out of the sleeves, put them back in a case to sell or display.

What about larger sets? I buy single 2-disc CD-type sleeves for 3-4 disc sets. For bigger stuff, I use 4-disc sleeves in addition to the 2-disc/artwork holder. They tuck nicely into the Pro sleeves.

I store my DiscSox in inexpensive IKEA media boxes (2-pack for $5-6). They come in all sorts of colors, black, red, green, and white. Each box holds 50-60 movies. That shelving unit is 5' tall, 10" wide x 12" deep. It holds about 450 movies. I'm up to 20ish boxes, most hold 1-2 letters. I have one tray that they sell that holds movies that I have out to watch, or to be returned to the boxes. The one tray holds 40-50 movies easily... looks super neat.

I display box sets, digibooks, and criterions, only. I keep about 50 cases in storage, so I have them. I also keep most special cases (3-disc/4-disc/5-disc... or more). I sell my excess Blu-ray cases periodically, they pay for about half of my DiscSox. (Thanks OCD collectors who hate eco cases or want all Vortex or Elites. :) )

I only buy the DiscSox on sale or when free shipping promos hit. They show up cheap on eBay or J&R or Container store as well. Generally a 25 pack is $13-14 for me.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I was just looking at something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A1H93INMGOOKRG

It would be hard enough ditching the cases without losing the covers and artwork.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I've always wanted to try something like this? anyone ever try these:
http://www.jazzloft.com/p-48874-spac...d-sleeves.aspx

btw, someone else sells these too, just can't remember who one of the big media accesories places.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Those look like they're intended for a binder or a box like what Beebs posted above. I do like that they allow the cover art to wrap around the disc.

Beebs, could you post a picture of one of your boxes open? I'd like to see what they look like with discsox sleeves already inside.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I am thinking of reducing the cases because of space they consume (if I win the lottery then I'll just by a mansion and then space won't matter) but until then I want to keep the art work, so using slimline CD jewel cases are not for me, but I was thinking that while solutions like dvdsox look quite a good idea, has anyone come into a problem where the discs have slightly warped and then have encountered playback errors, or for that matter any other regrets when slimming their media. It's just that in the cases, they are stored as flat as possible, and by reading a few sources around the net they recommend to keep them in the cases. So It would be a wasted venture if one were to go down this route (DVDSOX) then later discover a flaw and then go about undoing everything revert back to putting their movies back into cases. I have about 80-100 films.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Be careful of your flippers. I briefly did the binder thing and the space saving is amazing. But, I noticed the flippers were getting some wear from being exposed. I compromised and moved everything into slim CD cases. Works great for me.

http://www.shamray.com/cdshelf.JPG

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

thanks, and your collection looks smart with all the same colour tone of the cases. But they look like they don't accommodate the movie artwork. In some ways for instance I've only seen 3 movies last year 2013 that I would buy, and about 20 that I just haven't got round to buying since I started collecting. I think for the most part maybe my collection won't grow that much. I've been collecting movies on DVD since 2000 so I would say that unlike some collectors I keep only movies I like and will watch again. 99% of movies I watch I don't even contemplate keeping, and I trade them in for a part exchange price to trade on films I haven't yet seen. Otherwise if I kept every dvd I got, I figure it would top about 2000. So in that respect I suppose I'm not in a fix for space like really big time collectors.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

I did this to my collection with similar binders in the past, but kind of miss having the full artwork. So I'm thinking about trying this idea:

• 3-ring binders (zippered to keep dust out)
• Regular sheet protectors for the artwork, inserts, ads, etc
• CD/DVD inserts that hold 4 discs per side for the discs

I'll still keep the unique packaging, either on the shelves or in storage with the discs transferred to binders, but I can toss a couple thousand plain cases.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

no no binders. there is no whole punch or anything like that. A box I would imagine or just like cases. I have can-am cabinets but they are full and could use a way to reduce space. They sell the same ones for CDs. Thought about those too. Here is the cd version. there is a video too.
http://www.jazzloft.com/p-34281-spac...d-sleeves.aspx

again not shilling or anything, but this is the closest to a solution I have found but don't want to commit unless I can get feedback from someone.

Re: Ditching the cases and saving space
 

Let me know if you find a good 3-ring zippered binder that allows for adding/removing pages. (with large capacity)