Those stupid plastic things (teeth?) in CD cases that always break

[king ubu]

The Storming of the Verve Palais?

Am I the only one here to read Jazz Loft's emails?

http://www.jazzloft.com/p-48742-cd-digipak...ement-hubs.aspx

CD Digipak Spindle Replacement Hubs

Artist: CD Accessories

Label: No Label

Price: $4.00

Year: 2008

Format: Accessories

Quantity: Package of 5 replacement hubs for $4.00.

Do you have any digipak CDs where the teeth on the spindle have broken so that the package can no longer hold the CD? Here's your solution. These are clear adhesive CD hubs that will renew your broken digipaks. Just peel the backing and stick the hub in the center of your jewel case over the original spindle. Your digipak can now hold the CD securely again!

CD Hubs - Clear Vinyl. 1 3/8" diameter.

[king ubu]

And what about those thin double cd cases? In my experience one if not both of the cds doesn't release without a lot of bending and swearing.

Yes, a well-known Mosaic issue... I still prefer the older fat two to four CD cases, honestly (but then the insert sometimes was a bit wobbly).

btw, I've never bought or tested those thingies from Jazz Loft, but the idea certainly is smart!

[crisp]

I tend to rank CD cases in the order of (1) Mini LP (2) Digipak and (3) Jewel case, with the latter being the absolute worst.

If I get a Digi with broken teeth, I just return the CD to the package carefully, file it and forget about it -- only to have the disc fly across the room when I take it off the shelf years later. Still prefer them to jewel cases, though.

However, my number one pain is the sticky strips across the tops of American CDs. It's pot luck whether you get one that comes off easily or one that comes off in a million picky little pieces leaving a swath of glue across both sides of the case. At the weekend I opened four new CDs in a row that all had the latter problem. Almost had to lie down afterwards. Why do manufacturers put these things on? What's the point of them?

[BillF]

However, my number one pain is the sticky strips across the tops of American CDs. It's pot luck whether you get one that comes off easily or one that comes off in a million picky little pieces leaving a swath of glue across both sides of the case. At the weekend I opened four new CDs in a row that all had the latter problem. Almost had to lie down afterwards. Why do manufacturers put these things on? What's the point of them?

Well said!!

[king ubu]

Italian stickers are even better!

I guess it's about the germs...

[Hardbopjazz]

I learned to always shake the CD before I buy it. If the CD is moving around in the case, the teeth are broken.

[bertrand]

Where can you get paper sleeves for CDs in case of broken teeth in a digipack?

Bertrand.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Where can you get paper sleeves for CDs in case of broken teeth in a digipack?

Bertrand.

Pretty well any computer shop that sells blank CD-R or DVD disks, I imagine.

MG

[bakeostrin]

I tend to rank CD cases in the order of (1) Mini LP (2) Digipak and (3) Jewel case, with the latter being the absolute worst.

If I get a Digi with broken teeth, I just return the CD to the package carefully, file it and forget about it -- only to have the disc fly across the room when I take it off the shelf years later. Still prefer them to jewel cases, though.

However, my number one pain is the sticky strips across the tops of American CDs. It's pot luck whether you get one that comes off easily or one that comes off in a million picky little pieces leaving a swath of glue across both sides of the case. At the weekend I opened four new CDs in a row that all had the latter problem. Almost had to lie down afterwards. Why do manufacturers put these things on? What's the point of them?

I think the strips are an anti-theft device. They appear designed to make it tougher to open up a CD. The idea underlying the design being that it would be tougher to open the case in the store, steal the CD and leave the case empty. Some shops house all the CD's in plastic anti-theft holders. As I recall the Tower Records on the Sunset Strip in LA just put them out on the shelves. I remember that happening when they switched from long boxes.

I rank jewel case ahead of the digipak w/spindles, digipak w/a pocket. The latter has issues of ruining the CD. The former has the design defect that is the subject of this thread. Jewel cases because they are completely modular, easily replaceable, has the digipak beat in that respect also.

[bertrand]

Where can you get paper sleeves for CDs in case of broken teeth in a digipack?

Bertrand.

Pretty well any computer shop that sells blank CD-R or DVD disks, I imagine.

MG

Well, I can get plastic ones there, but they don't have the paper. I'd like to find ones similar to the paper sleeves used (for example) in the mini-LP reissue of the Gryce/Byrd Jazzlab at Newport recording.

Bertrand.

Edited November 19, 2009 by bertrand

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Where can you get paper sleeves for CDs in case of broken teeth in a digipack?

Bertrand.

Pretty well any computer shop that sells blank CD-R or DVD disks, I imagine.

MG

Well, I can get plastic ones there, but they don't have the paper. I'd like to find ones similar to the paper sleeves used (for example) in the mini-LP reissue of the Gryce/Byrd Jazzlab at Newport recording.

Bertrand.

Funny - I can't get the plastic ones here - I wish I could.

MG

[bertrand]

Maybe we should arrange an international trade

Bertrand.

[crisp]

I learned to always shake the CD before I buy it. If the CD is moving around in the case, the teeth are broken.

Me too. However, there's not much you can do about CDs bought online.

I think the strips are an anti-theft device. They appear designed to make it tougher to open up a CD.

If so, then they work! Those four CDs I bought took half an hour to open and the gummy strips wrecked the jewel cases.

DVDs from the US have those strips on, too. On one DVD I bought, the paper cover liner had slipped inside the Amaray case before the sticker was applied, so the sticker couldn't be removed without tearing the cover.

Essentially those strips force you to wreck the thing you have just bought. Not good.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

If so, then they work! Those four CDs I bought took half an hour to open and the gummy strips wrecked the jewel cases.

DVDs from the US have those strips on, too. On one DVD I bought, the paper cover liner had slipped inside the Amaray case before the sticker was applied, so the sticker couldn't be removed without tearing the cover.

Essentially those strips force you to wreck the thing you have just bought. Not good.

crisp ... Bestine, rubber cement thinner (I'm a big proponent of this and surely I'll be rubbing velvet in the home because of it) will take it all off, even the stuff stuck to the cover.

[crisp]

I will investigate. Thanks!

[papsrus]

I learned to always shake the CD before I buy it. If the CD is moving around in the case, the teeth are broken.

Me too. However, there's not much you can do about CDs bought online.

I think the strips are an anti-theft device. They appear designed to make it tougher to open up a CD.

If so, then they work! Those four CDs I bought took half an hour to open and the gummy strips wrecked the jewel cases.

DVDs from the US have those strips on, too. On one DVD I bought, the paper cover liner had slipped inside the Amaray case before the sticker was applied, so the sticker couldn't be removed without tearing the cover.

Essentially those strips force you to wreck the thing you have just bought. Not good.

I use the old finger roll technique, and that usually works pretty well to remove those things quickly. I just peel back a corner then start rolling my fingers underneath it to slowly peel it away from the case. Still some glue residue left, but the strips usually roll back and away from the jewel case pretty quickly.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I learned to always shake the CD before I buy it. If the CD is moving around in the case, the teeth are broken.

Me too. However, there's not much you can do about CDs bought online.

I think the strips are an anti-theft device. They appear designed to make it tougher to open up a CD.

If so, then they work! Those four CDs I bought took half an hour to open and the gummy strips wrecked the jewel cases.

DVDs from the US have those strips on, too. On one DVD I bought, the paper cover liner had slipped inside the Amaray case before the sticker was applied, so the sticker couldn't be removed without tearing the cover.

Essentially those strips force you to wreck the thing you have just bought. Not good.

I use the old finger roll technique, and that usually works pretty well to remove those things quickly. I just peel back a corner then start rolling my fingers underneath it to slowly peel it away from the case. Still some glue residue left, but the strips usually roll back and away from the jewel case pretty quickly.

And, as I've explained before - to EVERYONE'S disgust - if you rub your thumb behind your ear and get it a bit greazy, it's even more effective. :rsmile:

MG

[Ron S]

And, as I've explained before - to EVERYONE'S disgust - if you rub your thumb behind your ear and get it a bit greazy, it's even more effective. :rsmile:

MG

And if you stick your thumb IN your ear, then you don't even have to listen to the CD.

[ornette]

I always called them either inner hub spines or hub-holder teeth. Getting banged around in the mail isn't good for them, that's for sure.

The four-foot drop from my letterbox to the floor and Caiman's thin card packaging was a lethal combination.

Caiman were always the worst offenders in my experience.

(Aside - whatever happened to Caiman? No longer visible on Amazon UK.)

'Tines' is my word for them.

[gmonahan]

I will investigate. Thanks!

Two other products that work really well are "De-Solv-It" and "Goo-be-gone." Both have a lemon juice solution. Gets it right off.

gregmo

[mellowT]

I think the strips are an anti-theft device. They appear designed to make it tougher to open up a CD.

If so, then they work! Those four CDs I bought took half an hour to open and the gummy strips wrecked the jewel cases.

I find the easiest way to remove the strip at the top is to unhook the hinge at the bottom, rotate the plastic cover up and then separate the front from the back. I can usually get a completely intact strip removed with no residue this way.

I know a seller on eBay who does this, but he only unhooks the hinge leaving the strip as is, copies the disc, puts the hinge back, slips the jewel case back into the original cellophane (after a careful slice to begin with), uses a couple of short pieces of clear tape, and sells the disc as "new". He can fool 19 out of 20 people this way.