Scary thought! Scary that stores might be flogging of faulty stock and scary that you have discs still sealed, years after purchase!! @:
I completed my R.E.M. 5.1 CD/DVD-A collection a little while back (apart from the 'Document' DVD-A) and they were all fine. I think only one of them was a sealed copy but that was all ok. Hopefully, yours is a 'one off'.
not that scary, the resellers now are probably oblivious that they're faulty! they're probably just glad to have a load of "new" stock of something that was all sold out not long ago!
I've got all sorts of stuff sealed not just CDs! video games, DVDs, I'm such a voracious shopper (*) and hoarder (!) there's never enough time to open and play around with everything! that and stuff I'm less enthusiastic about but still like normally works its way quite naturally to the bottom of the pile.
(* case in point: several years ago a local video store was closing down, so I went back a few times hoovering up as many things as I could.. the last receipt was for over £800.. and the majority of those are still sealed in their original shrinkwrap or whatever in the back of a cupboard round here somewhere.. it is a bit mad but I'm sure I'll get around to playing them all one day..you're a long time retired so with any luck I'll have enough time! if not, I'll just bin 'em, it's only money - I've got no kids and you can't take it with you so they say!).