all-time practices for Long term vinyl record Display & storage

Over the years, we've spent a lot of time digging and a ton of consideration building our record collections. And while we may buy vinyl records for their stellar audio quality, or the multisensory feel of the medium, it's not uncommon to collect a few records purely out of sentimental value besides.

record-wall.jpg

When certain albums grab our attending, whether for cute cover fine art, a unique color vinyl variant, or bright memories of an intimate testify, whatever the reason, sometimes nosotros just want to display them out in the open instead of storing them away. Egotists might say "records don't belong on display" but feel free to ignore the trolls – you practise you.

Whether y'all want to play-and-display or you lot're on a mission to mount an eclectic vinyl tape wall in your home, nosotros've got your back.

But what you might not realize while you are admiring that Neutral Milk Hotel album (or your ain personal fave) when it's up on the wall or out in the open, is that your album sleeve and the vinyl record itself are both fighting against a pesky destroyer called... gravity.

Thankfully, we've got your dorsum here too. Simply information technology's important to understand why long term brandish of records comes with caution.

The Weight Of The Warp

Gravity is an astonishing (and terrifying) affair. When you're a tape collector, it shows up in many forms, affecting both the record and the album cover. If you lot don't pay close attention, gravity wins. Every. Single. Fourth dimension.

Vinyl records weigh more than we realize. That weight tin hands translate to a warped cover, or worse off, a warped record. The virtually mutual way to show off a tape is leaning information technology against the wall or propping it up on a shelf. This does a disservice in two means:

1. The more an album leans, the greater risk for it to get-go angle and warping.

ii. The album cover will begin to sag and bow or even become unshapely if left for as well long.

At that place are of grade means to fix a warped record and flatten out your album covers, only allow'south endeavor and go along our vinyl properly stored in the first place and so gravity can't begin to piece of work its blackness magic. Nosotros take to be mindful of a few all-time practices when storing or displaying our records.

Pretty please. Don't do this.

Pretty please. Don't do this.

Avoiding the Leaning Tower of Vinyl

Let's go the biggest atrocity out of the mode. If your records are horizontally stacked on top of each other in a box, in the corner of your living room, or anywhere else, Stop. Stop reading this immediately and become turn those records upright.

Records should not be made into leaning towers of vinyl. Notwithstanding easy or tempting it may be to start stacking, every tape you place on top of another record adds weight, and when the belfry shifts, it opens up opportunities to scuff those record covers and the records themselves.

The higher the stack, the more than room for damage. Don't risk creating rings, creases, or general wear and tear. Don't hazard transforming amazing album art into a regular former slice of cardboard. Worst of all, don't chance your records getting scratched or cleaved, because there is no coming back from a crack in the stack.

Let Your Albums Breathe!

Letting records breathe without too much lean

Letting records exhale without as well much lean

As summer heatwaves sneak in, those of us who live in humid climates know the barbarous effects of rut and wet, and it's no surprise that to stay in tip-top shape, our records demand room to exhale.

If you go on your records stored vertically on the shelf, requite them some animate room by ensuring they're not smashed as well tightly together. This helps avoid the pinch of the record sleeves.

Similarly to the above, make sure albums don't lean too much or nosotros once more chance warp and scratches. Letting our collections breath allows them to avoid excess humidity, keeping them pristine no affair the season. AND bonus points – it makes it easier to scan the collection. For fifty-fifty better protection from the elements, invest in high quality inner and outer sleeves besides.

If you're thinking almost displaying records on your wall, keep them out of any straight sunday rays (indirect light is perfectly fine) because the exposure to direct sunday will risk increased heat on the record, potentially leading to warp, and the UV light will crusade the album encompass to fade more quickly than nosotros might realize.

Car record players… it was a real thing. We can't make this shit up.

Car tape players… information technology was a real affair. Nosotros can't make this shit up.

Speaking of heat and sunlight, when y'all pick up new albums from your favorite local record store, don't leave records in your auto for too long. Effort to make tape shopping your concluding finish of the 24-hour interval, specially during summertime months, and get those records back within for safekeeping. Unless your car has a record player of grade.

Making The Near Of Any Vinyl Record Storage Method

Record Props display vinyl vertically on the wall with support at the center of the record where it's most stable.

Record Props brandish vinyl vertically on the wall with support at the heart of the record where it's well-nigh stable.

One of the reasons we created Record Props was to help manage all of the to a higher place risks when it comes to displaying vinyl records. We go along the album embrace naturally flat and vertical against the wall, and when the record itself is on display, information technology'southward perched in a vertical style past the most stable part of itself by blueprint – the middle pigsty.

No thing your choice of storage or display, here are a few extra tips on how to keep your records in the best shape possible.

Vertical Shelf Storage: If you proceed your records stored vertically on shelves, try to find a happy medium – somewhere between being "smashed together" and beingness "so loose they're practically falling over on each other." Information technology's non rocket science, just far too often we run into records leaning on harsh angles. Go on those records upright! The goal is this: Equally upright as possible, without falling backwards.

Wall Display: If you're keeping a few records out on brandish, avoid the sagging and bowing with i of the post-obit methods:

Cover Your Albums: The most protective thing we can all do to go on anthology covers pristine is insert them into outer sleeves. Outer sleeves come in a wide array of thicknesses and clarity. Our personal fave is Diskeeper's Ultimate Outer v.0 for their extreme sturdiness and crystal clarity (check information technology out here on Amazon). You won't find whatever clouding with these covers. And if you adopt not to go to this extent for every single album in your drove (yous're not alone), endeavour the post-obit…

Cascade albums to help avoid bowing naturally.

Pour albums to help avoid bowing naturally.

Cascade your albums: Endeavour cascading your albums then that they overlap one another just a bit. This volition help go along those covers naturally pressed flat. Unfortunately, in that location volition always be one outlier in forepart. You can place a new, unopened anthology in front, or any album that nonetheless has its shrinkwrap intact (or over again, an outer sleeve).

Squeeze your covers: If you just have one album on display, endeavor using a condom-coated paper prune or similar lightweight squeeze to prevent an anthology cover from opening too widely when gravity sheds its ugly confront.

Paper clips come in all colors and then you can even lucifer the album encompass if you're OCD like us. AND bonus points again – colored paper clips are typically made with rubber coating which will help preclude harm or scuffing on the album embrace. Just unbend (loosen) the clip before applying. They are super minimal and act every bit a perfect companion to keeping covers closed and gratuitous of whatsoever bowing or sagging, which in the long term adds stress to the embrace.

An unclasped album on display for 24 hours.

An unclasped anthology on display for 24 hours.

Carefully clasped shut at the opening edge.

Advisedly clasped shut at the opening border.

Don't Forget To Play.

All in all, we're aiming to accept great care of our records and so they can be effectually for as long as nosotros are, or passed onto future generations too. Just don't forget, records are meant to be played, handled and enjoyed.

If your records are suspended effortlessly on your record display wall, or placed vertically with room to breathe, in that location's no crushing, no gravitational pull, no trouble. And when the day comes when y'all want to begin working on a vinyl tape wall display, we're hither to help yous get that shrine underway.

Continue spinnin' yall.