Taking Care of Your Vinyl Record Collection:
You just inherited your family’s record collection. Or perhaps you’ve finally realized that with the huge stack of records lying on your bedroom floor, you might need to find a place for your vinyl so that it doesn’t become a casualty of your Sunday morning walk of shame. Whatever the case is, you know you have no idea how to take care of or protect your collection.
Have no fear. Read on and you shall become an archival record collector that will be able to hold their own with audiophiles everywhere.
Step 1:
Find a Place For Your Collection
Dedicate a specific area where you will store all of your vinyl records. It should be an area that is relatively stable in terms of humidity and temperature. A moldy basement or a humid attic is NOT the place for your prized Iron Maiden records. Remember, vinyl is plastic, and plastic melts in the heat, and that will make your records unplayable. I also recommend having your collection in a relatively dark place, since direct sunlight will fade the spines on the LP covers that are exposed to it over prolonged periods of time.
Step 2:
Find a Storage Container For Your Collection
Once you have a place, you need to decide how you’re going to store the records in that place. A dedicated shelving unit or wall unit may be your answer. Milk crates are probably alright for your less prized vinyl, but it will not keep your records in good condition if you consistently take them in and out of the crate and they are not covered with a protective plastic cover. Be very aware of the fact that whatever touches your record collection should be as pristine as the record in order to keep it that way. Dust those shelves, get rid of the cobwebs, and dry that wall unit before you put your collection in it.
You can read the rest of this great article written by Martina Fasano on the Sound Convictions website, here’s the link
You can read more about caring for your record collection at eil.com
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