Brand New CD
By KrazyKlingon
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
United States
February 19, 2007 8:02pm CST
So you get home from the store with a brand new CD, or the CD you ordered finally arrives in the mail. That would make you happy.
Then comes the BIG dissappointment. The plastic wrap on the CD refuses to come off! You don't really want to take a razor blade to cut it because it would probably ruin the jewel case, the case that the CD comes in. Finally, when you finally get a rip in that plastic wrap, & carefully start making headway, the piece you are holding onto just tears away. Finally, you're struggling, carefully clawing at the plastic wrap & have it come off in pieces. Then just when you get half of it off, you start trying to pull out the CD & casing from the rest of the stubborn wrapper. After more struggling, you finally get the wrapper off.
Just when you think you're done, you find another obstacle, that being that sticky scotch-tape-like thingie on the top of the jewel case that won't let you open it. You find that tab that says "PULL" stuck to the case also. Then you struggle to get that off, one sliver or small piece at a time.
By the time it's all done, you may find yourself too pooped out to listen to the CD that you were looking forwards to listening to. That seems to be an advantage of brand new.
23 people like this
30 responses
@royal52gens (5488)
• United States
8 Sep 08
I think I am one of those little old ladies. But this little old lady has a really sharp pocket knife. I use it a lot to open things. I love my pocket knife. It is so handy.
1 person likes this
@funnysis (2619)
• United States
2 Mar 07
I guess I am lucky I have never had that problem first to get the plastic wrap off easy you take a tooth pick and get under theedge on the end and poke the hole there that allows it to come off easy and as for the sticky tape once you found the tab pull up one side then pull the other side off in less the 60 seconds I am listening to my new cd sorry that you had a hard one its like a puzzle you just have to put the pieces together right.
5 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
22 May 07
I have found a real smooth way to eliminate the problem entirely...I go to ITunes and download the music. I get it immediately, no wrapping and nothing goes into a landfill.
The way I see it everyone wins when I do this.
3 people like this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
29 May 07
There used to be a few used CD stores in my area, but it seems that all of the ones I knew of have closed. The CD's were almost always in great condition, half the price compared to buying new, & no wrapping to have to go insane about.
2 people like this
@kelly60 (4547)
• United States
20 Feb 07
I know just what you mean. I really hate buying a lot of these new things for this reason. Usually when I buy things like this I take them home and hand them to one of my kids. They can get them out of the package. I'll take them once they are out!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
6 May 07
That's hysterically funny..oh, yes, those delightful plastic wrapping on CD's are the pits..and the scotch tape stuff all around...even worse is all the wrapping on DVDs
3 people like this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
14 May 07
How true it is. The wrapping can be a real pain, but when talking about it, it is hysterically funny.
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
9 Sep 08
I think you have finally figured out that it's not just getting to the CD that's tough as soon as you get home with your new item.
@Stiletto (4579)
•
29 May 07
LOL that was very descriptive! I have no patience so I just tear it off with my teeth rather than pick away at it. If you can get the little fold at the corner between your teeth to start it off it's pretty easy. I've swallowed a few bits of cellophane but it hasn't done me any harm ... yet!
2 people like this
@Stiletto (4579)
•
29 May 07
What bugs me about downloading stuff (apart from the fact you miss out on all the little bits and pieces that come with the "real thing") is I end up with just this tatty looking pile of discs with music all jumbled up on them - no labels, no idea what's on them. Of course I could be more organised but the fact is I know that won't happen!
I do download but I still buy a LOT of CD's and Records. I sell second-hand vinyl and CD's so I regularly attend Music Fairs where I pick up a lot of bargains. I'm trying to cut down on what I buy though as I'm supposed to be making money at these things - not spending it!
2 people like this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
29 May 07
I agree with that just downloading is not the same, because people want the actual CD, along with accompanying album cover art that at times also contains lyrics & other tidbits of information. Another thing is that despite only wanting two or three tracks on a CD, & you have no idea what the other tracks sound like, you may or may not be in for a nice surprise.
2 people like this
@jend80 (2071)
• United Kingdom
20 Feb 07
I cut the shrinkwrap off using a pen, down the slit on the front (next to the spine) where the case opens, that usually works ok. Fortunatly UK cds don't have that extra strip of tape, it's only occasionally on imported albums, that is fiddley and annoying.
Another thing that's annoying, trying to peel off cds that are stuck to the front of magazines with strong glue, without ripping the magazine or leaving the glue on it.
The best way is to try and cut the cd out of the shrink wrap with out damaging the case, then gently pull the plastic off the magazine, so hopefully the glue omes off with it, but this doesn't always work.
2 people like this
@petspets (476)
• Antarctica
3 Mar 07
I'm sorry you had to go through that exasperating experience. It was a kill-joy and made you not want to play the cd. I hope you had fun listening to the cd the next day. I had the same problem a few years ago. It was really frustrating. It could be that the shrink-wrap was heated a little longer than normal.
3 people like this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
15 May 07
PMSL - oh how very, very true. Your post had me laughing so much hun, simply because it is all true and fighting to get a cd out of the wrapper could qualify as an Olympic sport sometimes.
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
16 May 07
While in the process of trying to get to that CD, it is no laughing matter. However, the uncontrollable laughter sets in when talking & whining about how tough it is.
@nowment (1757)
• United States
22 May 07
Well I don't know if this was the reaction you intended but I sat here and started reading the post, then thought get to the point already but as the description went on I began to smile and finally chuckle. Can't help it but been there done that. Though I have found that if you take the tip of a nail file, or something with a slightly pointed edge to the top where the plastic is folded over, you know the thin side of the cd package, and stick it in there you and sometimes get the tearing started before the major frustration starts. Unless of course the major frustration already started because you order this thing by mail and before you struggled to get the plastic off the cd, you had to struggle to get the cd out of the mailer.
And yes by time you are done, you just don't want to listen any more, and this is not only true for cd's but also for DVD's.
thanks for the smile and laugh.
2 people like this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
24 May 07
Well - if someone is NOT careful, getting all that wrapping off can cause damage to the actual product itself. The thing is to just take your time & be careful.
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
23 May 07
From my own experience, it's really not a laughing matter when in this type of situation. Thinking about it, it can be funny, but I did sort of wrote it for the laugh. It does seem that CD's & DVD's are not the only things that give people a hard time in opening. Sometimes this shrink-wrapping is just as annoying as those pop-ups.
1 person likes this
@nowment (1757)
• United States
23 May 07
Oh I agree, it is not funny at all when trying to get those packages open, but it was a good smile and laugh and even a laugh at myself when I read what you posted.
In fact LOL I had just struggled to open books I had gotten in the mail.
I don't know if you are familiar with paperbackswap, lol but basically when getting books from the site, you are getting a book wrapped in paper, and with enough tape to keep the dang thing from opening during a hurricane, a knife can't seem to slip in to get some of these open.
However the books do arrive in good condition, and the wrapping is not torn LOL.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
4 Apr 07
i gave you a big + for this one.
i hate hate HATE the wrappings on them.i have taken my knife to the edges to get them open.
some of them are like those cube mazes to get all of it off.
there's a store near me that adds the hard plastic boxes on the outside also in addition to all the inner wrappings..ARGH!!
3 people like this
@weemam (13372)
•
15 May 07
My son Ross bought a CD last week i ASDA he noticed when he came home that they had left the plastic security tag thingy on it , Ross has CP and tried to get the box open but it burst a bit but the stupid tag was still on lot ,
WE took it back a couple of days ago , the girl asked him if the CD were oh , DUHH! he had just explained he couldn't get it open , he said I can't tell you BECAUSE I couldn't get it out of the case , .
How stupid can some people be and this was a supervisor , They were OK though and he got a replacement . I have a nail file I use to open CD's its much easier and no scratched cases xx
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
16 May 07
That happened to me twice. The first time, the store left the store security case on, it was a new cashier. I knew she was new because I used to go to that store on a regular basis. Being that I did not see that she put the whole CD into the bag after ringing it up, when I walked out of the store, the alarms almost plastered me to the ceiling. While we all laughed, I felt bad for her, & made her feel better by saying, "Things happen. Just laugh along with us."
The second time, the manager herself intentionally left the store case on it. That was to get me back for when she was working on something at a table, I crawled around it so that she did not see me, & then I jumped up like a jack-in-the-box & scared her out of her wits.
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
16 May 07
At least you guys made it all the way home with the security thingie still on the CD. Me - I ended up plastered to the ceiling that was WAAAYYY up there (It was apparently a two-story building but inside, it was just the one floor.) when the alarms started blaring crying "THIEF!" I actually think it was that loud not only to alert the ntire store. It was also to scare the would-be thief into a stiff shock to keep 'em from getting away with it.
@Eskimo (2315)
•
24 Sep 07
There is too much packaging these days anyway, which causes massive pollution and fills up rubbish bins as well. Its time everything had the minimum of packaging to protect it. It also seems that the packaging is designed not to be easily removed or to cause damage when removing it.
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
25 Sep 07
About the minimum packaging, that does bring up another point. It is true that overdoing it with the packaging seems to be a problem.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Yes, if that kind of thing happens you just feel so frustrating. The worse thing happen to me with CD every now and then is with the CD I get from Netflix in mail. I will be waiting for a movie and when I open the envelop there will be a broken CD. I just feel terrible at that time.
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Well - I don't hink Netflix would be sending it out like that. It sounds to me like the mail carrier (assuming that it is the US Postal Service that delivers the CD's from their place to you) that keeps breaking them, probably by mishandling.
Either way, it can add to the frustration when after being careful & patient when opening the package, the CD is broken anyway.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
15 Dec 07
LOL Yes I hate the way they package CD's these days.
I run my lighter across the plastic to melt a bit of it, then try to rip it off.
And have you bought a Barbie doll lately!?
The youngster is just wanting to play with her new toy and while you are trying to untwist 10 twist ties and un-sew her hair from the box, and... well the child will be a squalling mess or have completely for gotten the doll my the time you get it out!
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
15 Dec 07
It seems that the packaging of a lot of things is done in such a way that it's at least difficult to get at the item itself. I purchased a Western Digital Paasport hard drive, but probably from getting it out of the plastic packaging, I probably damaged it. Being that I had just bought it, & I was able to get it replaced for free, it still costed in time & gas to go to the place I purchased it from, & get an exchange. The way things are packaged today, it can be hard to not cause damage to the specific item while trying to get it out of the package.
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
23 Apr 08
Yeah - not just CD's. Quite a few DVD's are just as bad also. Someone else also mentioned that plastic that things now come in, something I didn't think of at the time I started the discussion. Only way to open up those things is with a pair of shears, or ruin a pair of scissors.
@CallieWVU2 (520)
• United States
10 Jul 08
Actually I think it's kind of fun, although I hardly ever buy cd's anymore, but I do buy DVD's/BluRays, it's like a puzzle sometimes, I do get frustrated, but I still enjoy myself, that may sound weird...but maybe I just like tearing into stuff... I don't really know.
1 person likes this
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
11 Jul 08
Now that's a great spirit, nice, positive attitude. 
Next time I find myself needing to open a brand new CD or DVD, I got to try to remember this.
Next time I find myself needing to open a brand new CD or DVD, I got to try to remember this.