 |
|
Keep your fingers on the record's outer edge and never touch the grooves.
|
Vinyl Record CareCompact Discs and MP3 files may be the kings of today's audio storage world, but for millions of music lovers, there's nothing quite like lowering the tone arm on a good, old fashioned vinyl record. Seventy-eights, Forty-fives and LPs still dominate the collections of many record enthusiasts, and offer unique delights from otherwise unavailable recordings and performances to wonderful cover art. How can record collectors protect their music and their investment by keeping vinyl records in pristine condition?
Chris Penn, the owner of Dallas' Good Records, is a real fan of vintage vinyl and knows all there is to know about caring for it. Here he offers his tips for keeping your old records in tip-top condition so you can enjoy them for years to come and preserve their resale value:
- Sleeves. Keep your records inside the protective paper or anti-static plastic sleeves, and keep the sleeves inside the album jackets.
- Store side-by-side. Store the albums library style, vertically and side-by-side. Stacking records flat in stacks can lead to spills and cause them to warp.
- Temperature. Heat is very damaging to vinyl records, so keep them out of sunlight and at room temperature, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. When in doubt, pick the standard "cool, dry place."
- Never touch the grooves. When taking the record out of the sleeve, hold it with two hands around the outer edges, never allowing your fingers to touch the grooved surface. Use this same two-handed method for lowering the record onto the turntable. IF you must hold a record with one hand, try placing fingers on the outer edge and in the center ring, but again, never on the tracks themselves.
For more information on caring for and enjoying vinyl records, check out the following organizations and websites:
The Care and Feeding of Vinyl
www.care-and-feeding-of-vinyl.com
Dragon Discs—Vinyl Collector's Guide and Resource Kit
www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/6784/index.html
The Record Collector's Guild
www.recordcollectorsguild.org
The Library of Congress: Music Storage Guidelines
lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/care/record.html | 
)
