All of a sudden: CARDBOARD CD Cases!

[muppetmayhem]

I have noticed lately that there has been an astronomical increase in the amount of CD albums being published with cardboard or paperback covers. This is insane! Metallica's Death Magnetic CD and AC/DC's Black Ice albums for example are paperback! ( I know that DEath MAgnetic was published in both plastic and paper) I don't know about anbody else but isn't this a little dissapointing? And the sad thing is that the consumer doesn't save any money for the cardboard case. If record companies are going to use paper material for album casing than they should pass the price cut on to us. I may sound a little overboard but nothing beats the feeling of buying a new CD and ripping the shrinkwrap of and pulling that annoying piece of tape from the top of the plastic case. You get a little booklet that has lyrics and/or photos. It just feels like you are losing the full experience of buying a CD when the case can crease and considerable more easy to damage. What are your thoughts

 

[frogboy4]

I believe the intention is environmental rather than economical. I always get upset with how easily jewel cases can crack. I kind of like the cardboard sleeves and cases because they remind me a little more of classic albums - just miniaturized. The big problem today is that nobody's buying albums anymore. They just download the songs they like online. MP3s will never have the quality of the source recording, but hey digital will never sound as true as a clean analog recording. It all just makes me want to buy a record player.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Yeah, I mean you're not really paying for the packaging as much as you are the music.

 

[Redsonga]

I like the plastic..I know it is evil but I just love the feeling of it *pets*

 

[CensoredAlso]

Honestly, if it's good for the planet, I don't mind a change.

 

[MrsPepper]

I've always hated the stupid plastic ones. I bring my cds with me places and the cases always crack! I've had a few cd's that came in cardboard cases for a few years now, and personally I like them much better! It's classier, they don't break, and it's more environmentally friendly.

 

[muppetmayhem]

I guess it would be more environmentally friendly than plastic which takes more energy to produce. But some of the money you spend does go to the material the music is on. You can often download an album much cheaper than buying it from the store. I just haven't noticed any difference in price from Cardboard sleeves and plastic cases and as long as it involves owning music on physical CDs, than I think there should be.

One thing I noticed is that it doesn't take long for a brand new plastic CD case to look like you bought it secondhand from Goodwill. After just 3 days my Three Days Grace CD as millions of faint scratches and fingerprint smudges... something you wouldn't notice on a cardboard case.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

A CD is cheep to produce. It takes manufacturers no more then 50 cents to produce a CD. The music is the main thing you are paying for.

 

[Redsonga]

Maybe I like them better because I am not in the habit of taking my CDs anywhere, so they don't get cracked :\

 

[Sgt Floyd]

You dont think they are cheaper? I got a Kiss CD with a cardboard case for $7.00 at best buy, but maybe because it was some kind of greatest hits CD

But I like getting the books in the plastic cases

And alot of the people who are downloading things are doing it illegally