You can get notebooks with CD/DVD sleeves (at a store like COmpUSA or Office max) and dump the CD cases. Box them and put them in the attic if he balks at trashing them. The notebooks are sooooo much smaller and easier to keep organized.

I keep my cds in shoes boxes that I have covered with kraft paper. The boxes are labelled - "Kids Music" "Classical a-l" etc. They look fine on the bookshelf. Of course, you can always buy nice looking boxes for them rather than recycling shoeboxes. You can fit quite a lot into a shoebox.

I'm a big fan of bookshelves--makes "getting out" AND "putting away" easy.

Because after all, the point is not JUST to have them put tidily away today.

it's to have them stored in such a way that it's easy to USE them, AND to put them away.

And I'm sick of dust.

So I'm going to recommend this bookcase w/ sliding doors

Or any of these:
http://www.thejungles.com/cdapcab.html

and at this link are ones w/o doors
http://www.thejungles.com/cddvdtower.html

You might also buy some "color-coding stickers" (dots, by Avery, sold at Staples and places like that) and stick them to each CD. Then, he can remove the sticker every time he plays a CD. That'll help him see that he doesn't really want to give space to the ones he hasn't been touching.

I think I'm going to do that to DH. But first I need to get him to agree to toss some LPs.

Here is a link that might be useful: a big selection of bookcases for CDs and DVDs

I don't care for the "books" that hold just the discs. There are some questions about whether the plastic used for those holders affects the longevity of the disc. Besides, I would want the cover art/lyrics sheets/whatever to stay with the CD. There is any number of attractive CD racks/shelves out there, and they don't have to be expensive.

One suggestion I would make is that, once you get whatever it is you get, leave some blank spots intentionally. I don't suspect your brother suddenly will stop buying CDs. And you (or he) don't want to have to rearrange half the collection every time your brother gets another CD.

"Can anyone recommend something to store way too many C D's ? "

Define way too many... Are we talking dozens or hundreds or thousands?

I am another who dislikes the binders and keeps mine in the cases. Which does HE prefer?

Does HE want them alphabetized by artists, separated by genre, something else?

I think these questions need to be answered...

My spouse put them all on a computer and got a stereo receiver that would play them in mp3 format across the local network. There's a goofy option for ya!

That's interesting...I was just thinking that if I put CDs in binders I'd never use them. I guess that sums up why my house looks the way it does. I have to be able to see stuff to use it, or I forget about it. Therefore it should be easy to get rid of all the stuff that's hidden away...or not!

Hundreds are on a somewhat flimsy "x " type case in his living room; they are always spilling onto the floor.HE hasn't stated anything, one way or the other.....don't think he cares if it's clean or messy. Perhaps I can convince him to store some away.Thanks for all the suggestions.
salbwil

if he doesn't care about clean vs. messy, then encourage him to put them on a shelf so they don't get CRACKED!

And I'm not a fan of storing some away--either he wants them around, in which case they need a place to go, or he should toss them. Stuff that's "stored away" if stuff that is superfluous. There are exceptions of course (christmas decorations, maybe childhood scrapbooks). But other stuff, stored away, might as well be in the garbage.

My vote: just get it some sort of home that keeps it from falling on the floor.

I keep majority of my cd's in a binder. It holds 240 discs. The cases are stored in the basement. I like it because I can store the binder in a drawer out of sight, plus I can grab the binder and have most of my collection with me on long car trips.

Like a previous poster, I have most of them ripped to a hard drive, and use an older pc as a media server hooked to my stereo. I don't even have to mess with the discs anymore, most of my stuff is on the pc now. I keep the cd's around because my car player doesn't read mp3's....but I hope to change that soon.

Just thought I'd mention that quite a few cd's are too "artsy" to show the title/artist on the cd itself. So beware if you take a cd away from its case ...

I use a sharpie to label any cd that's not adquately labelled. Darned if I'm going to spend my time matching cd-artwork to cd-case-artwork.

Before DH and I married, I bought binders and put the CDs *and* the liner notes in them--and tossed the jewel cases. It took several binders and I left spaces so I could add new CDs as I acquired them.

We're in the process of ripping DH's CDs as well. In the new house, they'll all go in the basement out of the way.

--Beth

I was hoping someone would have invented an easy way to store CD's alphabetically. I have mine color-coded by genera, then by artist, using colored stickers. It works OK, but it's primitive at best. They are in revolving holders.
If anyone sees an apparatus for this purpose, let me know. I don't want to do away with the jewel cases.
Thanks.

We have at least a thousand CD's in a cabinet in their original cases. We used to have more but DH finally got rid of those he no longer needed. They are all in a cabinet and organized alphabetically by artist's name. Except we only worry about the initial of the last name. It became too much work to put the CD back in the exact spot so this way, it really takes a quick scan to find the CD among the other artists with that initial. Sets, such as Time Life classical, jazz and movies are separated from the artists.

we alphabetize by artist's last name.
we don't worry about genre--folk-rock, heavy metal, whatever.

Except for two categories that are broken out: Christmas and classical. (well, 3; bcs I have a set of Christian music, but I actually almost never listen to it). They're very small categories, and I don't worry about alphabetizing, because I go to them for specific occasions, and I don't know who they're by.

Thanks for your responses. I'm one who doesn't like to waste time looking through dozens of CD's for the one I want. I know it's because I'm a former librarian! I want to go find one, like a book in the library! HaHa.
I guess I'll stick with my stickers. Just surprised no manufactuer has developed an easy way.
They seem to have everything else!

My biggest gripe about CD's is not even having the name of the artist on some CD's. And the ones that do have it, they're not always easy to read. And when it's part of a 2 or 3 set CD, why don't they put 1 of 2, etc? If a collection is small, it's probably no big deal, but when it's large and you, who is not the collector, try to help put them away, there's no way to do it properly.

I just bit the bullet and bought a glass door CD case that mounts on the wall. I'll be using it in my basement, but it is fairly attractive and comes in two finishes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bertby

I never would have thought of shoe boxes, but that idea is like what I'm seeking: long, narrow bins that would hold 20-30 CDs in their jewel cases and easily slide out on the shelves of an enclosed chest. The bins do not need to have lids. I just need something that will let me pull out lots of CDs at once from the recesses of this chest.
Has anyone seen a product like this?

Rubbermaid makes them in plastic. Rubbermaid's "Photo & Media Storage Box" holds 37 CDs in cases

You can buy them at lots of places, including Bed Bath & Beyond (though not online--couldn't find it on their site, but I KNOW I bought one at their store)

Thank you, Talley Sue! That is exactly what I'm looking for.