An' me CD collection de Bob Marley

January 20, 2009 3:55 AM

I have about 300 CDs, and no CD space. Given that I would like to keep the booklet and inlay cards, and would rather have my music in hard copy as well as digital, what's the best storage solution for me?

I am in the UK but would be happy to buy, say, a CD wallet online if it suits my needs. Basically I'm looking for something less bulky than plastic jewel cases. I also want hard copy for sentimental value/difficulty in replacing, so while digitising them might be one solution it will not be the only one for me.

posted by mippy to home & garden (11 answers total)

I don't know the name for them, but local music stores sell CD holder pages for three-ring binders. There are four CD pockets per page, and you can put a booklet and CD in each, or keep the two in separate pockets. This storage system is much denser than CDs on a bookshelf.

Maybe use this for the CDs and booklets here, and save the jewel cases with inlay cards in a closet?
posted by zippy at 4:02 AM on January 20, 2009

I recently got rid of all of my CD cases and kept the inserts. All of you CD's should fit in a case like this, the inside of which contains pages like the ones zippy describes. You could put the inserts behind each CD in the folder, but I have found that this is inconvenient if you want to take the inserts out and look at them. It is a bit hard to put them in the slots in the first place. You could just keep the inserts all together in a box of some kind. Mine sit in a a few neat little piles on a shelf.
posted by inconsequentialist at 4:15 AM on January 20, 2009

Are you sure you have no space? Since you probably have them all ripped and very seldom need to access them, how about a five inch shelf right up next to the ceiling?

Well, five inches below the ceiling.

300 CDs would only be a couple of walls that way, and would even look cool.
posted by rokusan at 4:27 AM on January 20, 2009

When I moved out to the US, I picked up a couple of ring-binder type carriers to move my large (300 or so disc) DVD collection from Maplin:

256 Disc - £17.99
192 Disc - £14.99

You may find them cheaper online (try Play.com, for example).

One thing to watch for - although they're nearly all "3 ring binder" design, there's no standard spacing for the holes - buy 2-3 identical ones if you can't find one big enough and you will be able to swap the "sheets" of CD/Booklets between binders without having to repunch holes to get them to fit (not fun, trust me).
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 4:49 AM on January 20, 2009

In a previous thread about the same thing, I thought pdb's suggestion looked perfect, though I haven't got round to ordering any yet.
posted by cincinnatus c at 5:17 AM on January 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

look for the cd/dvd wallets/folders here, I keep a few for archival of work materials (some hundred data CDs and DVDs) and found them cheap and dependable.
posted by _dario at 6:19 AM on January 20, 2009

Well, the booklets get *REALLY* bulky, and frankly they're a major PITA to deal with especially when you can get the very same info on the web in digital. That said - the big, beefy CD holders 100 and more are your only safe bet. From one who's totally been there and can vouch. Download the liner notes if you need them and just save the CD's in vinyl book format.
posted by watercarrier at 7:02 AM on January 20, 2009

Agreed- those $1 cardboard storage boxes from Office Depot hold a metric ass-load of CDs. (OK, retail they're more. But when they are on sale they approach $1.)

If I remember right, they hold something like 200 cds. That's packed full to the rim with two layers. What I did was cut the boxes height down so they only held one layer, and were easier to shove under the bed.

Reasoning- I hate CD wallets. Just a personal kink. But also, I'd rather expend the effort that's required for setting them up and pulling the inserts out and taking apart jewel cases, instead on ripping the CDs to mp3 or flac and having them available electronically. But that's just me.

Also, I've kept cds in wallets before, and found that after years of storage and moving around, the cds tend to get scratched, or abraded from being in constant contact with the sleeves. And they fall out.
posted by gjc at 7:32 AM on January 20, 2009

From someone who's been traveling with CD's - thousands of miles at a time - nothing beats the holders that Nice Guy Mike cites. They keep your music clean and safe - and cushioned. You need cushion. There's nothing else that can keep the discs in that kind of shape. Go for the manageable size - not the super size - so you know where everything is. Bonus tip is to label what you have on the inside so you don't have to fumble around in a frenzy.
posted by watercarrier at 7:51 AM on January 20, 2009

I like DiscSox pro sleeves - they are individual sleeves that hold both cover booklet and traycard, and 1 or 2 cds (for those double cd sets). You have to find your own box for them, but they avoid the incredibly frustrating "binder page shuffle" game entirely.

Plus, you have cover and traycard at your fingertips. You can grab a single cd or a couple of them real quick to lend out or take with you, too. Nice company.
posted by Aquaman at 10:25 AM on January 20, 2009

I bought some of the sleeves mentioned by cincinnatus c and am really liking them. Need to order more.
posted by kbuxton at 11:25 AM on January 20, 2009