Best way to store discs

[helpme3948]

I have an increasing amount of burned discs and commercial discs, too. I want to store them as well as I can without it being expensive. I have plenty of CDs and DVDs just sitting around that need some kind of protection and I need to burn a lot more discs to backup things. This discs (both commercial and burned types) have things like games, music, documents, movies, and RAR archives. I don't have an external HDD to backup to right now but I will be getting one in a month or two so I can use both methods of backing up.

What would be the safest way to store my collection of discs? I have a disc album, but I'm sure the plastic is going to scratch my discs, so I'm going to return it. I know paper will scratch, too. I even tested both of them with a wrongly burned disc by rubbing the disc against each material. Individual cases would be very expensive and take up too much space. Would Tyvek sleeves be the best option? I hear they don't scratch discs and I have seen them online for pretty cheap. However, I don't know if there's one brand of Tyvek sleeves that is better than the others or if there are bad brands. I'd be storing the sleeves in a shoebox I think. A pack of 100 or so would be good for a while I think, but more would probably be cheaper in the long run.

Any advice?

Edit: I'm thinking of this: http://www.amazon.com/100-Tyvek-Sleeves-Window-Flap/dp/B000UEUJBQ/ref=pd_cp_e_2

They're actually cheaper in 100 packs than 400 packs.

 

[pjmelect]

To get the maximum life out of a CD you should store it in a cool dark place with low humidity. The cover material of the sleeve is not important as I have not seen any scratches on my CD’s from any of the commercially produced plastic or paper sleeves. All of the scratches on my CD’s have been caused by either bad handling or from dirt on the CD tray.

 

[helpme3948]

To get the maximum life out of a CD you should store it in a cool dark place with low humidity. The cover material of the sleeve is not important as I have not seen any scratches on my CD’s from any of the commercially produced plastic or paper sleeves. All of the scratches on my CD’s have been caused by either bad handling or from dirt on the CD tray.

I took a CD and rubbed it against an old paper Starcraft sleeve and it produced many, many scratches. Small ones of course, but scratches nonetheless. I realize they'll get scratched no matter what, but I'd like to minimize it.

 

[sminlal]

I've used paper sleeves and I've used binders - neither have given me any problems. As long as you take care not to get any dust/ debris in the sleeve or on the disc, and avoid pressing the DVDs against the paper/backing as you slide them into or out of the sleeve, you shouldn't have any problems. Storing them flat is supposed to be bad for them, so try to keep your sleeves or binders upright.

I say this based on a collection of over 300 DVDs that I've burned over the past 5 years and having inspected every one of them carefully both visually and scanning them for raw error counts regularly over that period of time.

 

[helpme3948]

I've used paper sleeves and I've used binders - neither have given me any problems. As long as you take care not to get any dust/ debris in the sleeve or on the disc, and avoid pressing the DVDs against the paper/backing as you slide them into or out of the sleeve, you shouldn't have any problems. Storing them flat is supposed to be bad for them, so try to keep your sleeves or binders upright.

I say this based on a collection of over 300 DVDs that I've burned over the past 5 years and having inspected every one of them carefully both visually and scanning them for raw error counts regularly over that period of time.

Okay, thanks. I do think I'll get the Tyvek sleeves, though. They might cost a bit more than paper, but they'll last longer and everything. They'd still be (from my research) about as much as the binder I'm returning (it is poorly designed and forces you to rub the discs against the plastic when you put them in/take them out).

 

[helpme3948]

Best answer selected by helpme3948.