Posted on

How To Store Your Vinyl Record Collection

Women sat next to a large record player against a background of rock and roll pictures

Storing your Vinyl Record Collection

How you store your record collection can make the difference between records in mint condition and dirty, dusty, warped albums that have only sentimental value. Those 7 Inch, 12 Inch and LP records have been hard to acquire, the challenge is to keep them safe.

It doesn’t take much time to set up a good storage area for your vinyl, and as time passes, you’ll be glad you did.

Here Are Some General Rules For Good Record Storage

  • Always store vinyl records in an upright position, on their edges. Records stored horizontally eventually bend and warp.
Records Stored In An Upright Way
  • Never place records in direct sunlight or heat; this too will cause them to warp
  • When moving your records around, never leave them in a hot vehicle
  • Keep records in a cool, dry place (not the basement or garage, which tend to be moist and damp).
  • Ensure that your storage area is clean
  • Use anti-static record sleeves to reduce dust accumulation

Vinyl is incredibly heavy, never underestimate how much an accumulation of vinyl can weigh.

Consider carefully the type of shelving you will be using. Shelving units weigh approximately 35 to 45 pounds per shelf and feet, while 78s weigh even more. If your shelving isn’t sturdy, vinyl records can easily cause shelves to collapse. When choosing shelving for your collection, pick a material that won’t bend, like steel or oak.

Storing Record With Strong Shelving

Your records should never be stored in high temperatures, ideally never let your collection get above 22c or around 70 degree fahrenheit. Try not to let temperature fluctuations in your storage area be too wide and extreme. Look for no more that 5 to 10 degree movement in the temperature variation.

Try and avoid humid environments and humidity generally. Your records will last longer the more temperate the environment that you provide for them.

Colin Davenport