4 Ways to Look After Your Sleeves Records

Handle your vinyl

Vinyl records are precious objects, so you always have to handle them carefully. When you take them out of their covers, make sure you do not touch the grooves. If you leave traces on the HDPE record, they can modify the sound, which would be a pity. At the moment of manipulating the picture disc, you must only touch the edge and the middle label.

Protect the covers

The inner protective record sleeves can trap dust and over time also scratch your vinyl like sandpaper. Therefore, it is recommended to keep your discs in a special inner sleeve with an antistatic layer, to make sure they do not catch dust. Use a HDPE record Inner sleeves around the outer cover to protect it. UK experts like Sleeves-n-more do not place the disc on the outer cover, but behind it, to avoid "ringwear".

Storage

You should keep your disks straight and upright. Never place your vinyl picture disc record sleeves horizontally, and above all, do not stack them one on top of the other, because those below will end up not being able to support the weight and could even bend. A shelving system will allow you to store them vertically.

Classification

If you have an extensive collection of protective records and record sleeves, it can be frustrating not to be able to find the one you want to hear. Give your collection a little structure by sorting your albums by categories, using disk separators. Organise them by name, chronologically or alphabetically. In addition, this will make your collection look even more professional.

Guide to buy and take care of your vinyl records

In any large town or city, there are many places (even in the street) where you can get a second-hand blondie cd box set or vinyl albums, but it is always advisable to buy them new in a physical shop, or used, but in a recognised place. You can find out through recommendations or adverts in UK papers and online for the real record store goldmines, such as Sleeves-n-more.

If the vinyl records are new, there are not many details to look at, but if you go to buy them second-hand, look at the label that appears in the middle of the LP, and make sure it belongs to the record outer sleeves or is the one you are looking for. If what you are looking for is a collection disc, check that the seal distinguishes it as "first edition". Although it seems obvious, check that it is not scratched.

Cleaning and maintenance

It is recommended to clean the disc every time it is used. If it is dirty, the grooves can be damaged. To clean them, first remove the dust with a brush made of carbon fibre bristles, passing it gently over the surface. The record protective sleeves must also be well maintained.

To make a better cleaning operation, you can prepare a mixture with isopropyl alcohol, perchlorethylene (which helps remove the static), and a few drops of shampoo. Apply the spray mixture and wipe with a cotton cloth with one-way movements.

Try not to tear or bend the protective sleeves and never hold the disc by the grooves. The grease and acidity of the fingers (even if they are clean) makes the dust stick more easily and deteriorates the vinyl.

Store them in the protective record sleeves in a dry and cool place, always standing. If you stack them horizontally, the discs can be bent or left with marks.

How to Pack and send Vinyl Records

For record sellers, it is very important to know how to pack them correctly. You can reduce the number of discs that break or damage your record outer sleeves if you follow some advice. If you do it right, you should be able to send thousands of discs a year with less or no damage.

Get the materials. Do not use old boxes that you have on hand just because you can put a disc inside. If you use a box that is too big, you will have to pay more in shipping costs due to the weight. In addition, the black disc could slip inside and be damaged. Several UK companies manufacture boxes of similar design that are ideal for disc shipments. Others like Sleeves-n-more have fantastic varieties of record sleeves too.

Control your spending, and aim for around £1 per package including the box, bubbles, plastic bag, tape and cardboard pads.

Place the disc and record protective sleeves in a plastic bag. The bag is a good way to keep the disc and lid separate. Many collectors prefer that vinyl does not move inside the lid during transport, as this can rub a hole through the edges.

Place plastic bubble wrap around the disc and black record sleeves. This cushions the spine and the right edge, and prevents it from moving around inside the box. For the most valuable discs, use 12-inch (30 cm) cardboard pads to stiffen the box. Place them on the top and bottom of the disc, outside the bubble wrap. 

Close the box. The boxes for mail discs are very good because they are the exact size to place comfortably from one to six vinyl discs and record protective sleeves (depending on the style) and you do not need to cut the cardboard. Just fold the flaps, apply tape on all three seams and you're done.

Reasons to Keep Your Record Sleeves in Good Condition

If you still own records then you probably appreciate how special these items were and how collectable they can be nowadays. To the right buyer the right record can really be something special. To make these records all the more special it’s imperative that the record outer sleeves are kept in pristine condition. 

Record outer sleeves UK are as valuable to the right buyer as the record they are protecting within. Well loved sort after record protective sleeves can display an amazing piece of icon artwork or photography, that represents a piece of music history.

To show real appreciation for these now out of fashion items, Sleeves-n- more always recommend you store record sleeves carefully, never place any objects on top of them and keep out of direct sunlight, as this will cause artwork to fade over time.

There are many places to perhaps sell your records {singles/albums} and if you have looked after your protective sleeves you’ll find that you may get some interest, depending on the age, condition and the artist they represent. 

You may also wish to pass down to future generations the records that were special to you and your family. These records and their all important record outer sleeves, can become family heirlooms that will be treasured for generations to come.