I just purchased CD-R Gold (Badged Packard Bell with credits to HiSpace).

I have not seen Gold CD-R's for sale for some time. The problem with cheap CD-R's is that the varnish they use to protect &/or print on the CD can contain various acids and the plastic that separates the varnish/inks may be porous and after less than 10 years (maybe 4-5) the acid eats away the aluminium (OK aluminum if you insist).

When I first read this in the New Scientist they remarked that Philips had found this with commercial CD's in the very early days of their invention and modified the inks/vartnish/layers for more expensive ones. The problem with branded CD-R's is that even well known names "buy in" so you only have the name as a guide, not a guarantee.

CD-R Gold come-in at about the equivalent of a US dollar (with jewel case) and finding them is the harder part. I don't know how long they last but one is not gambling a lot for a longer run into posterity. I was going to donate a couple of my CD's and CD ROMS to EFDSS as they contain some collected songs & versions.

So with one box on the shelf at PC World (in UK) I took the lot. They tell me they are not old stock and they will re-stock. However as per my experience with red shoes (or anything similarly rare) you buy when you see or you regret it for ever.