The Fix

Part 4: Storage and Care

OK so you’ve built up a record collection (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). What were you gonna do, leave it stacked up on your floor? Not if you want it to retain its value, and in the long run, its functionality. No, this is an investment of time and resources, and you need to treat it right if you want it to last. Otherwise you’re going to end up like one of these scrubs on Craigslist wasting everyone’s time with “RARE VINYLS FOR SALE” that all look like they’ve been played with steel wool and barely survived an apartment fire. Don’t be that person. You’re better than that.

Storage
Always store records upright and in their jackets and dust sleeves. Do not store records flat, and definitely do not stack them on top of one another for long periods of time. Conditions like weight, heat, and exposure to direct sunlight can warp vinyl.

If you’ve only got a few records, they’ll likely end up on your bookshelf. No big deal. But many traditional bookshelves are not designed to handle the weight of a lot of records, and the last thing you want is to come home from work one day to find your shelf collapsed and your records messed up on your floor. Back in the ’60s and ‘70s, shelving units and home furnishings were more sympathetic towards record storage, because LPs were the dominant medium in recorded music, and every home had a number of them on hand. Nowadays, not so much, and a lot of the things we collect on shelves, like CDs and DVDs, don’t put the same kind of pressure on their environment.

To that end, there are still a number of standbys to get your records out of your floor space. The standard for lots of folks with decently-sized collections is an IKEA unit called the Expedit, which nests a set number of shelves, arranged cubically in rows and columns, within a reinforced frame of finished particle board. They’re boxy, sleek options for modern living spaces, but once you run out of space, it’s time to get a new one. My choice for shelving, also from IKEA, is their traditional Ivar system. It’s modular shelving made from solid, lightweight but sturdy unfinished pine, held into place with adjustable pegs and wiry metal cross braces. Use two of the cross pieces for each free-standing unit you’re going to use, one at the top of the unit and the other on the bottom. It’s important to reinforce these shelves in such a way. I’ve got these set up in my office, a full three columns of shelving for records, each one seven shelves high, and I store my boxes of 7” singles on the top. I’ve got to use a stepladder to get up there, but that sort of goes along with the college radio record library motif the room has taken on.

Whatever option you choose, make sure that the shelves you put your collection on are sturdy and do not buckle in the middle when full.

Sleeving Records
Cardboard record jackets, and the records within them, are susceptible to the elements to which they are exposed. These elements can negatively affect the condition and playability of your records, as well as any potential resale value they might hold. You’ve no doubt noticed the condition known as “ringwear” on record covers–a circular discoloration on all or part of the jacket that touches the outer edge of the record inside. This happens when bare record sleeves are pressed against each other. Plastic sleeving is an option that will allow you to retain the condition of your records.

Plastic sleeves are available from Bags Unlimited (a mail order retailer of collection protection equipment) and at many record stores that cater to vinyl. Place each record in its own sleeve, with the mouth facing upwards. You’d be surprised, but I’ve heard from people who had to deal with floods in the spaces where they keep their records, and one who had the sleeves open to the jacket’s mouth found that his entire bottom row of albums got destroyed by the rising waters. Keeping the open end of the sleeve in the opposite direction from the floor is the most foolproof solution. Lately, thinner mylar bags with resealable flaps have been introduced as a comparable solution, but I don’t think these are as sturdy, and can’t really recommend them.

Cleaning
Records should remain clean in order for the best results. Factors such as dust, dirt and liquids with a slow evaporation point can impact playback and damage your stylus. There are plenty of options, from a velour brush doused with cleaning fluid to a high-end wet-dry record vacuum with standalone turntable. Find the one that best fits your budget. If you’re a crate digger in particularly dusty venues, you might find that a professional cleaning vacuum will turn filthy records into ones that look and play like new, by removing dirt stuck into the grooves without merely pushing it around the surface.

I also found this reference guide online that was originally published in the ‘60s, but its information still holds true with respect to record care. Check it out here.