Case Shortage!

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Just heard from my supplier, polylinecorp.com, that there is a DVD case shortage. I won't get a shipment till X-mas!. Some big manufacturer of cases when out of business in June and everyone is scurrying to fill orders. What are others doing?

[hech54]

there is a DVD case shortage

Not over here. I've never seen so damn many different quantity-pack variations than I have
in the past two weeks. MediaMarkt has them stacked everywhere....even at the registers.

[lordsmurf]

Go to Microcenter, or order from Meritline or Effectuality
List of stores http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/buy-dvd-cases.htm

Honestly, the quality of cases has been getting crappier each year.

I wonder which manufacturer it was. Got any details on it?

PolylineCorp is way overpriced, I haven't used them in probably 6-7 years now. I check back one a month, but they ask too much.

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To follow up: I bought 100 single "Premium" cases from one of the suppliers recommended to hold me over. I paid $0.36 each with free shipping. Sounded like a good deal. They were the most expensive cases offered by this supplier. I got them in and am not satisfied. They are very poor quality- cheap and flimsy. I have not bought any cases from the "consumer market" for years and forgot how bad things are out there. I won't give the name of the supplier. They are also selling a "Standard" case for $0.24!!!! I can't even imagine what crap those are!!!!!!!!!!

I have been buying DVRAMP1B-100 from polylinecorp.com. for years. Polyline has a Good, Better, Best rating system. These are rated Better. They are $028.5 at my quantity plus shipping which is UPS Ground.

The 100 I bought to hold me over I will sell on ebay. I would not send them to my customers. They are that bad. A lot of people on this site probably don't know any better and are using crap cases. There is good product out there at a reasonable price.

[lordsmurf]

Don't be surprised if your next batch of cases from Polyline is lesser quality than you remember from last time. That happened to me with Effectuality once last year. It happened to me with Polyline several times, too. There are a lot of variables, mostly the manufacturer and their plastics supply.

Cases can range from sturdy and odor-free, to rubbery and smelling of gasoline/petrol. Plastics can be brittle, the hubs from be misshaped, the cases can warp media. Or there can be no errors of any kind.

Cases from Meritline are great one time, and crappy the next.

The best cases I've come across in recent years are the single and double discs Memorex cases sold retail in office stores. Expensive at $1 each, but very nice.

[StrunkWriter]

I just wanted to clarify about the "case shortage." A major U.S. Manufacturer of DVD cases did go out of business and its assets were sold off. However, the shortage is only for the name brand items that manufacturer carried. So, there is a shortage of THINpak, authentic Amaray, ALPHApak, etc. You can still find tons of Amaray-style DVD cases.

The good news is that another manufacturer purchased the moulds and is working on recreating these items. I don't know if they would be sold under the same brand names or not.

As for consistency, look for DVD cases made of 100% virgin polypropylene. These cases are more expensive but, because they are made from new plastic, are heavier and resist breakage better.

Recycled plastics and blended plastics (virgin and recycled mixtures) can be inconsistent by nature. The major variable is the quality of the recycled product. Manufacturers of blended products adjust their mixtures based on the quality of the recycled plastic. The stinkier a case is, the more recycled content it contains.

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To follow-up: My DVRAMP1B-100 cases came in from polylinecorp.com before x-mas as promised and were great as usual. Interesting to note that they weigh one third more than the "Premium" crap cases I ordered to hold me over.

Polyline DVRAMP1B-100 case 2.4 oz
"Premium" crap case 1.8 oz

2.4 / 1.8 = 1.3333333333333333 (One third more)

That explains why the "Premium" crap cases seemed flimsy. Neither had a bad smell.