I had forgotten the joy of opening a new album

Sliding a Bic pen cap along the cover edge to open the shrink wrap. Ah, what a feeling. But, I had also forgotten the all-too-often experience of putting that new record on the turntable and finding my tone arm doing a dance on a warped record, or getting three songs into the first side and hearing the snap, crackle and pop of a scratched or defective record, requiring a return to Vogel's and Allwilks in Elizabeth, NJ or Just For the Record in Mishawaka, where I bought hundreds of poly liners that still protect my vinyl. CDs eliminated the crap shoot of quality control inherent in vinyl records.

Even a record I bought in the last two years, Austin's Mirror Travel's Mexico LP, originally arrived scratched. In this modern age, however, I simply sent them an e-mail and the label said to keep the defective copy and sent me a new one. I do know the label's owners, so that may have played a role.

The other good development of vinyl is the inclusion of a code in the package for a digital download, so even if you buy the vinyl you can via the computer load the album onto your portable device, as (once I'm rehabbed from knee surgery) I find I listen to more of my new music walking for exercise than at any other time.

How about the agony of opening a new CD?! *

As a former record store employee, I'll reveal the secret

method. Because, as HTown references below, it is now a useless relic and there is no need to keep it classified. Sort of like the Kennedy Assassination microfilm. Exactly like that actually.

All you had to do was unhook the CD at the bottom left, unfold it from bottom to top and simply peel the sticker away. Re-hook and you're golden. No picking at it until your cuticles bled. No slicing it and removing bits of sticky hell one by one.

Unhook, Unfold, Unpeel. You're welcome from 1999.

I had finally gotten that down to an artform

Then they went away.

If you used the groove between the case lid and it's pivot point on one side, you could slice open the plastic very easily and get it open.

Ahh, the good old days. I remember more than a few CDs were purchased at the bookstore on my student charge (along with bigger items and books) because the bookstore didn't send itemized bills home.

One great freebie we gave away at the radio station I worked

for was a gadget that had two guards with safety released blades. One side was for opening CDs, the other for DVDs.

Just drag the case through the correct side and voila.

I bought one of these that made CD opening much easier

Just slide it along the edge where the jewel case opens, and much easier to open. But I still hate those plastic jewel cases that have the sticky label sealing them closed inside the shrink wrap. Unless the CD is brand new, the label with the artist and title sealing the case closed always leaves a glue residue. For that, I use Goo Gone, which works great to remove that residue from the jewel case.

I loved Alwik's & Vogel's! Orbit Music in Mishawaka too.

My grandmother and I used to ride the bus to Broad St. Elizabeth in the 80s when the stores were still open. I think it was Vogel's that had the top 40 singles for that week on display on the wall.

By the 80s, those stores specialized in rap and dance 12" records.

Lots of other decent record stores in the area back then: Sound-A-Rama in Rahway, Scotti's in Summit (still going strong), Music Staff in Westfield, and I can probably name a few more.

Send me a email if you want...family is from Elizabeth and I am there now as I type this.

I knew you would appreciate the Broad St. references

Vintage Vinyl in Fords and Princeton Record Exchange were both great spots, but living in Union and Roselle Park, I didn't make it down to either of them too often. Google reveals both have survived and operate today.