Cardboard box? No. Tall stack in the garage? Definitely not. A very special corner of the attic? Strike three. When it comes to storing and organizing vinyl, some of the most cliche spots are actually the worst offenders in causing warping, scratches and cracks. Give your vinyl collection a little love this month by taking the time to properly store and organize it. Here’s a simple guide to get you started:
Four Basic Laws of Vinyl Storage
1. Store in a temperature-controlled space: By now you’ve probably seen those little Pinterest bowls made of vinyl records heated in an oven over a bowl. Sure, they’re cute – until you accidentally make one of your own by storing vinyl in a hot attic, your car or even the garage. Vinyl does best at around 65 to 70 degrees, so keep it inside with you in a cool, dry place to prevent warping and moldy covers.
2. Avoid proximity to heat sources: When choosing a place to store your records, avoid anywhere that’s close to direct sunlight or a radiator or heat source. Even if your collection is lovingly displayed indoors, heat from any of these things can just as easily damage your records.
3. Never stack your records: Creating album piles is a cardinal sin of vinyl collecting. Always store your records upright, as even leaning them heavily on one another can create too much pressure, causing your records to warp or scratch. Plus, when you want to find one to play, it’s much easier and less damaging to just slide one out than to have to dig through an entire stack.
4. Replace old and damaged sleeves: It’s usually recommended that you remove the plastic wrap from records as soon as you get them so it doesn’t shrink or damage the album cover. You’ll also want to keep some acid-free plastic inner sleeves handy so you can replace damaged or moldy ones and keep your collection as clean and safe as possible.
The Best Containers
You know you need to store your records inside and keep them in an upright position, but what are some good options for album storage? Thankfully, it’s really common to incorporate vinyl into the overall decor of your space, so the options are pretty limitless. Of course this will depend on the size of your collection, but here are a few cool options that caught our eye.
If you scan Pinterest or take a look online, you can find tons of great ideas for DIY vinyl shelves made of everything from pallets to crates and plywood.
2. The Magazine Rack
You can read the rest of this article on the Pledge Music website here
…and if your crates, record racks, expedit unit (or whatever it is that you store your records in) are looking a little bit on the empty side, you can find a huge range of new release vinyl, vintage vinyl and rare collectables at eil.com
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