Do you keep shrinkwrap on your vinyl purchases?

No, and I also don't put my records in sleeves. I definitely don't save any stickers or anything like that. If an obi strip looks in any way cool, I might hang on to that, but generally speaking, that goes in the trash, too.

 

i bought an 80s punk compilation last year with the shrink still on (it had been opened). when i took the shrink off it had left a nasty residue on the cover.

 

I like to but if there's the slightest damage to the seam of the shrink, then it will only cause trouble and the plastic is coming off.

 

No, and I cut out the hype sticker (or obi) and put it inside the album. The only things I put in protective outer sleeves are audiophile albums, things with weird covers (die cuts or covers that may be damaged by slipping them in and out of the storage rack) and colored vinyl.

 

yes, and I used to put the album in MFSL bags and bag the cover as well...ah, over that nonsense!

 

I get all that, and agree. Treasure all I own and store them accordingly.
But I still take shrink wrap off, so that it cannot damage my records. I have had records stored correctly and upright with shrink wrap, and have found over the years that a tightly shrink wrapped album cover has warped over time. So I removed it, and always do so now.
And I care little how long you have been at it.
My experience differs from yours, please accept that.

 

I like finding a record i want still in shrinkwrap, but then i can't wait to get rid of the damn thing.

 

No, not anymore. I actually had a moment of clarity one night and ripped a ton of shrink off. I decided this is ridiculous, what's the use? I bought them to enjoy them in all their glory, not resell them.

It's a bit like covering the couch in plastic, isn't it? At what point do you take the damn thing off and just enjoy the couch? Like, in 20 years or something, I'll uncover it and act like it's brand new? Haha.

Life is short. Enjoy it now, while you can.

 

No shrink wrap, no sleeves.

 

Yes I do and never had any issues with records warping. Saves the jacket too. Then again, I usually keep all my new vinyl sealed and rely on the accompanying CD.

 

100% behind this analogy. Spot on.

 

I refuse to coddle "vinyls."

That's like calling shrinkwrap "shrinkwraps."

 

I leave the shrink on unless it is a gatefold...then I want to see what I'm missing. Either way, I put the album in a MoFi sleeve and the jacket in a thick outer.....after a proper clean of course

 

Shrink wrapped but opened.

Darryl

 

Shrink stays on. Then in an outer sleeve. All ephemera kept. All clippings pertaining to record stored inside protective outer sleeve. Download card kept after use.

Box sets, gatefolds, etc where shrink cannot be kept on --all hype stickers carefully exact-o'd and kept with set.

Records with "audiophile" type loose bags instead of shrink? Case by case basis- if no hype sticker then it goes in a new plastic outer. If it does have hype sticker, it stays on and goes into loose fit outer plastic.

About the only thing that gets recycled is a plain paper inner. Any customization of any sort on inner destines that inner to be kept with album, albeit in a superfluous role.

 

As for sleeves, if it came with one, I'll keep it on--unless it's an old beater of an album, in which case I'll use take it off and put it on a more deserving LP. But sleeves aren't something I'm going to buy.

 

I've always taken off the shrinkwrap from my vinyl records. I'm not sure if I got them all off from my last purchase though (which was in Nov. '99).

 

please stop that. there is a thread on that subject... you can express there.
here we call that VinylE. and english - like french- is a living language.

 

On vinyl, yes. On CD, no.

 

I do, I like it to look minty fresh. I still put it in a sleeve. My friend and I refer to ourselves as "Cellophane Junkies" because of it. I really enjoy the tangible parts of vinyl and I like to keep the hype stickers and other stuff too.

 

Shrink wrap off. Covers go into protective outer sleeves. Vinyl goes into protective inner sleeve. If inner sleeve is unique then I keep that also.
That being said , I am still working through my archives to achieve this and have a long way to go.
However , new purchases of both new and used vinyl get the sleeves as soon as I listen to 'em.

 

As often as I can.

I then use a vinyl cover with the opening side matching the album opening.

http://www.planetedisque.com/fr/poc...chettes-protection-vinyle-150-microns-pe.html

I cut the cover so its size matches exactly the album cover,
then I use a second vinyl cover

http://www.planetedisque.com/fr/poc...es-protection-vinyle-33t-150-microns-pvc.html

with the opening facing up.

that way the record has no way of moving out of its cover and when I remove this 2d vinyl cover, my sweaty fingers dont touch the album cover itself (or the shrinkwrap)

of course, I use Nagaoka inner sleeves,

http://www.planetedisque.com/fr/sous-pochette-vinyle/29-50-sous-pochettes-nagaoka-no-102.html

then slide these into a regular paper sleeve

if the album has a special inner sleeve I prefer not to use it to store the record so it doesnt tear

 

Depends. I like the historical aspect of it as well as stickers. Seeing a Bon Marche price sticker on an LP reminds me of the days when the best department stores had a hi-fi & record section. If its an original '60's LP still in shrink, and the shrink isn't causing any problems, even if its not real tidy, I definitely keep it on. Part of its history. If it has hype stickers etc. again, I keep it on provided it isn't badly torn and catching dust etc. If so, I save the sticker. I have a Blood Sweat & Tears LP in NM shrink with a large bright pink hype sticker listing several of the hits. Very common low-value Lp but not with the shrink and sticker. Still have my Rolling Stones / Some Girls with the 'Miss You' hype sticker plus the Peaches records price sticker which is designed like a peach. Its amazing at this stage in time how rare some of this stuff can be.

 

The opening end of the record cover always ages more on my records, it gets that worn look. So I take it off now and put them in a plastic sleeve. Also it just looks wrong keeping the album all shrunk up. Let the thing breathe.

 

I slit the side and keep the shrink on, unless it's a gatefold. Even then, I have a couple of GF records that I've slid out of the shrink to look at, then slid it back in.

I've never had one in the wrap shrink up and endanger my sleeves or records.