I still have some CDs from the early/mid 1980's that play, and I think this is because of two reasons: 1) Not many people owned players back then, so pressing

I still have some CDs from the early/mid 1980's that play, and I think this is because of two reasons: 1) Not many people owned players back then, so pressing plants weren't under much pressure from high demand, so pressing quality was higher. 2) I stored them in their jewel cases oriented vertically on the shelf, supported by the plastic fingers of the case - so no sagging from being stored horizontally. And this was indoors, away from sunlight. So far as home-burned CDs, they haven't lasted as well. Mostly because I didn't take as good care of them - I didn't have $18 or more invested in them (typical new music CD price in the 80's & 90's) so they were just tossed in a drawer.