Record/Disc Storage Sleeves and Bag Recommendations

I've just read about "fogging" on some records and discs from using certain storage bags and sleeves (chemicals from bags leaching into the records and discs). What storage bags and sleeves do y'all recommend for LPs, 45s, 78s, CDs, and Other optical discs? It would also be great to know how others store their music collections.

 

This will certainly open a can of worms!

 

I recently read through some threads here and decided to try out Clear Bags based on some reviews. I ordered some 12 5/8 x 12 5/8" no flap album outer sleeves and am very happy with them. Single albums with typical covers fit snuggly in this particular size but the albums are easy to get in and out and they look very nice compared to the poly bags I've gotten in the past. Thicker or gatefold sleeves probably won't fit in this size but they have lots of sizes and styles to choose from. The material is similar or the same as the old school Japanese resealable album sleeves I used to buy so they're crystal clear compared to poly sleeves and seemed to be around the same price as I was seeing in various places. They are perfect for UK sleeve style 12" singles and have around a half inch of space on the side and top.

I think they regularly have 10% off sales and the current code for September is: STOCKUP

I don't think any of my album sleeves have ever been affected by any of the various outer sleeve types I've used over the years so I can't comment on that.

 

You want High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) inner sleeves. These are slick so, they don't add static from rubbing against the sleeve when records are inserted and removed.

You do not want PVC bags. This is what leaches into the vinyl as it's a similar material.

I buy 3 mil Polyethylene outer sleeves with no flap. Flaps are mostly not helpful. The ones with adhesive are worse. They can stick to you jacket and ruin the artwork. Outer sleeves aren't really good for anything but preventing ring wear. Anybody that thinks they are for anything else, is silly. 3 mil are preferable because thinner ones split at the seams. Thicker ones just take up more space. You can buy "better" sleeves. PE sleeves do get cloudy. I don't care about this. I take the jacket out of the sleeves to play the record. I can look at the artwork then. Some people like to display their record, so crystal clear ones might be better for them. You can go with a 2 mil crystal clear outer sleeve, but they will split unless you buy premium made ones. I won't pay for those. I buy over 100 records a year, this would be too much added cost for me. But, if you have a small collection, I guess it would be feasibly cost effective.

One thing that gets me are the people that store their records outside the jacket buy inside an outer sleeve. The jacket is protection. Yes I want to protect the artwork, but I also want to protect the vinyl. The jacket's primary purpose if for this. To me these people are silly as well. I think the idea came from shipping records. Yes, they should be shipped this way to prevent seam splits. But once they are delivered, there is little chance of a seam split if it's just sitting on a shelf. I would rather the unlikely seam split than any chance of a chipped record. I keep the record in the jacket.

I don't store CDs in bags unless they are digipacks. I do use ultra clear sleeves with flaps for these. CDs aren't as awkward to insert into outer sleeves. I also sleeve SACDs. Same sleeves. All my optical discs have been ripped, so I hardly ever actually use the physical format. And yes this includes SACDs which are ripped to .ISO files. I will play them on occasion on a 2nd system. Sleeve seams are also less likely to split with CDs. This is because the seam is actually in the center of the jewel box sides and not at an edge as they are with records.

I do vinyl sleeve box set. This is actually a chore to find the right sleeves. Flaps are actually helpful with box sets. In some cases a resealable flap is helpful. Other times they are not. They do sell sleeves for almost every box made. The only box in my collection that isn't sleeved it the Beatles Mono set. I'd rather have the individual records available. The box for the Beatles' mono set is a pain to open and close to get the albums out. So I really don't care as the actually box is in a closet.

 

I use MoFi/QRP inner sleeves and 5mil polyethylene outer sleeves for my collection of some 3000 LPs and box sets (no outer sleeves on boxes). I've never had an issue with them.

 

Depending on the climate where you live has an effect on records and sleeves. I live in a semi-arid climate and so those lined inner sleeves which Mofi and records pressed by QRP don't work out real well here. The high quality virgin vinyl has always presented a problem with static electricity. Brand new sealed records have such a large charge of static electricity that I can hold the inner sleeve by the bottom corners with the open end straight down and the LP won't slide out on it's own. Sliding a vinyl record in an out of a plastic-lined inner sleeve creates static electricity like rubbing a rubber balloon on a carpet. Plastic and vinyl that is statically charged will attract dust and dirt also likes to stick to it. This can scratch the records sliding them in and out.
I try to keep all my records in their original inner sleeves as long as the sleeves are intact. Otherwise, especially if they had an inner sleeve custom to that particular record, I use the common plain white inner sleeves the Sleeve City or Amazon sells. I have never ever had a problem with original or plain white inner sleeves. The records that I bought new date back 60+ years.
Years ago, I started putting my albums and 45's with picture or unique sleeves in plastic outer sleeves with the records stored in in the plastic cover, inside original or plain white inners sleeves, outside of the album cover.. I've used several different types of plastic outer sleeves and have never had a problem with yellowing or wearing like the ones libraries used to used. Currently I am using the Ultimate 2.5 mil outer sleeves that Sleeve City sells. I have used the regular 3 mil outer sleeves in the past on 100's of LP's. I would warn against using the self sealing flap outer sleeves. More than once I have had the plastic stick to the album cover when removing it and tear the paper. If, by chance, I get a record in a resealable flap outer sleeve, I carefully cut it and pull the record out that way.
For 10" 78's, I almost never store them in their original sleeves because they are all flimsy. Especially in the 1950's, they started putting some 78's in picture sleeves, and I want to protect them. What I have been using for decades are like the Gold Kraft Paper sleeves that Sleeve City sells.
For the 7" 45's, I use the plain white regular weight sleeves, if not in their original sleeves. With 1,000's of 45's, most of mine are in their original sleeves. Depending on how the 45's are used, back in my radio station days, we used heavy green paper sleeves because they could stand up to the DJ's handling them. They were also large enough that the 45 in it's original sleeve would fit inside.
For CD's, I keep them in their original jewel cases. For those that came as 2-3 CD sets in those more than double wide jewel cases, at least the 2-3CD sets, I have special regular size jewel cases that they all fit in. For the boxed sets of up to 6 CD's, I put the CD's from them in special double cases. I know that I have over 2,000 CD's and am out of room to store them in 2 stacked shelving units that total about 8 ft. high and 5 ft. wide.
For my DVD's and Blu-ray's, I have 3 Sony 400 disc changers and the cases the discs came in are stored in office cardboard boxes in the attic.

 

From the Library of Congress:

"Grooved Discs: When possible, replace record sleeves with a high density polyethylene sleeve (e.g., DiscWasher V.R.P., Mobile Fidelity Original Master Sleeve, Nagaoka No. 102 Anti-Static Record Sleeve); the Nagaoka sleeves can fit inside paper sleeves when an original paper sleeve needs to be retained"

From Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials - Collections Care - (Preservation, Library of Congress)

I'd take that advice as definitive. Having read that I stocked up with the MoFi ones. I actually tried the Nagaoka ones first, and while good they are really flimsy - hence ended up with MoFi.

 

Outers: Blake sleeves from ClearBags.com, cheaper on amazon if buying 1 or 2 packs at a time. I use far more single Lp sleeves (even for doubles) than the larger ones, now they have additional sizes also. I prefer a flap with adhesive on the sleeve, not the flap, as I live next to a dusty construction project and in an apartment building where there is always potential for bed bugs from neighbors. They also make your album covers look stunning, unlike regular poly sleeves.

Put your record jacket in with the opening on the same side as the sleeve opening so you pull the flap open and pull out the inner sleeve. If you accidentally get something stuck to the adhesive, use a hair dryer to release it (remove records first)

Inners: diskeeper 2.0 inners from sleevetown.com, also cheaper on amazon.

Best luck to ya!

 

You generalise and call me (and others) silly as I 'Do' think outer sleeves are of benefit other than just against ringwear.
1. They prevent rubbing particularly on the bottom seam beingbslid in and out of storage.
2. They can stop or lessen corners becoming dog eared and creased from bumps and accidents.
3. They can protect against insects and silverfish particularly in more humid climates.
4. Helps protect in said humid climates
5. Can strongly reduce the chance of age spots.
6. Protects against accidental spillages.
7. I do not know if there is a treated material that can reduce spine fading from sunlight????

 

Do you buy the BLP1 sleeves? I think I bought the flapless version (BLP1NF) of the ones you are talking about. I'll buy the resealable flap ones in the future if the adhesive is similar to the Japanese resealable sleeves because in the rare occasions when the cover got stuck to the adhesive strip, I was able to peel it off with absolutely no damage to the cover. They used a very light adhesive. I've never had a problem with seam splitting on the Japanese resealable or the similar sleeves we used to sell at Tower Records. I haven't used these Clear Bags sleeves for long but they seem very similar so I imagine they'll hold up nicely.

I used to buy the Polyethylene sleeves for most records because back in the 80s and 90s they were considerably cheaper than the Polypropylene sleeves that Clear Bags sells but that doesn't seem to be the case these days. At least when I checked a few months ago, the Clear Bags sleeves were the same or lower priced than the HDPE sleeves others were selling when you factored in shipping.

I just noticed they'll send out free samples in case anyone wants to check them out before buying: ClearBags - Promote, Protect and Preserve

 

I'd love to find sleeves that protect against that because I've had that problem even with indirect sunlight.

 

As I was having problems with the Mofi inner sleeves creating static electricity , mostly, I think, because of my semi-arid climate, I contacted Mofi and they confirmed that this could be definitely a problem. The ONLY replacement inner sleeves which I have not had a problem with are the plain white ones. Records which when new came out of their poly lined inner sleeves charged with static electricity, after wet and vacuum drying cleaning on my VPI RCM, eliminating the charge, being placed in new plain white inner sleeves, years later, when I pull them out, they are as clean as when I stored them plus they still have no static electrical charge. If, by chance I stored them in their poly lined sleeves, from Mofi or whomever, they come out charged with static electricity. The only exceptions are the U.K. pressings from the 1960's and 70's, which came in poly lined sleeves, and they don't seem to have a problem creating static electricity.

 

Yes I use mostly BLP1 and some BLPD. And yes same or lower price than the typical poly sleeves like Bags Unlimited I used to pay $20/100. I can’t say enough good about these.

 

Use Mofi/Nagaoka Inners & 90% in 4.0mil polyprop outers with 10% in 4.0mil mylar

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Please explain what you mean after your & symbol?