Do you keep shrinkwrap on your vinyl purchases?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by richbdd01, Jan 27, 2015.

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  1. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    To warp the record the plastic would have to shrink so it would start to bend the sleeve, as the record inside usually has a few mm's room around the edge. It would be pretty noticable as the sleeve would start to bend quite a bit.

    I always kept the shrinkwrap on. Some is the type that is quite loose anyway, so that will be fine, others are the type that are quite tight. Out of hundreds of albums I only had a problem with one, a Blue Note album where the sleeve started to have a wave effect. Even on that one I took the shrink off and the record was not bent at all.

    It may be very different in certain climates though - the UK doesn't really get that hot that often.
     
  2. Rubber65

    Rubber65 Forum Resident

    I take the shrink wrap off and handle all my sleeves with white gloves to not get any oil or grime on the sleeves.
     
  3. Sunsales

    Sunsales Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida,USA
    Keep shrink wrap, except for gatefolds.
     
    clgoss77 likes this.
  4. Boyd

    Boyd New Member

    Never had any issues keeping the shrink wrap on. Like others have said, for a gatefold i take it off and store it if it has a hype sticker.
     
  5. mcenters

    mcenters Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta
    The only time I take off the shrink is for gate folds and if there is a thick security sticker on.
     
  6. Veltri

    Veltri ♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♪

    Location:
    Canada
    Not for new records, but if a used record still has it on I won't bother taking it off.
     
  7. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Until relatively recently, it was rare to buy a shrink-wrapped LP or CD in a shop in the UK. I can't put a date on this as it's still something I still don't see all the time and I think one in four of the last new records I've bought were sealed, whereas it used to be less than once in a blue moon - likely a deletion. Maybe some independents kept a quantity like this to one side as I'd occasionally find a used one with the wrap on, but opened (otherwise I couldn't describe it as used!) So it felt like it was something special and almost unique and I'd want to keep that on and house the whole thing in a plastic outer.

    Maybe because I stopped buying the outers (I could only get them mail order then, so didn't bother) I decided to discard the shrink-wrap as it wouldn't look good or nice getting a bit raggedy if I'd torn it when opening. I see my local HMV is selling them but don't want to begin buying them again to put on the LPs I have in my collection now as this would come to several hundred pounds! I can't just put them on selected titles - I used to have to do the lot, but then some places would give me them free if I were to offer to buy them, or sell me a load of them for £1 or so.

    I do store my collection carefully and treat them nicely (there's nothing of any particular value; but even so, they cost good money in the first place and all the time and effort and so on) so they shouldn't get damaged and nobody is here to maltreat them in any way. I don't bother with shrink-wrap any more but see why some do.
     
  8. Rodz42

    Rodz42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Nope, comes off immediately and put in a plastic sleeve. Hype stickers are cool, but not worth leaving the shrink on for............plus it all gets in the way of the beautiful cover art. It's distracting to me
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2015
  9. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    For me, the bottom line is there has to be something between the cover and everything else otherwise the covers get trashed over time. Plus some covers dont look so great when they have greasy fingermarks all over them!
     
  10. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    Yes, I always keep the shrink on a new vinyl purchase. Not only that, as a collector I also seek out older used LPs which still retain their shrink wrap (and hype stickers). I have encountered only 1 single example of an older record whose cover became tightened and the record warped as a result of leaving the plastic wrap on; I think that is largely a rare occurrence, and happens only when very thin cardboard is used for the sleeve. For the most part, if you slice open the edge of the shrink where the record slides in, that allows the plastic to breathe and prevents "warpage".
     
  11. mikemoon

    mikemoon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Only in a few situations do I leave it on. It's kind of silly when I think about it. So is collecting vinyl, I prefer listening to it. It's collects itself. It eventually collects you, if you're not careful.

    I do believe in taking care of the lp but taking it any further than poly innersleeve and 5 mil outersleeve stored vertical is too much for me. It is a collection but at the end of the day, it's a material object.

    I did start keeping some of the hype stickers a few years ago. Again, I can admit this is kind of stupid. Sometimes we do stupid things and have to admit it.

    Fingerprints on the cover? Can't we just wipe it off if it's bad. Damn paper towel has worked for me.

    Warning, don't each chicken wings while playing records, that's common sense...maybe.

    Isn't leaving the shrink on the artwork like the leaving a veil on those precious grooves you love to listen to?

    Music is made for enjoyment and I enjoy it as much as ever but I have to try and tell myself not to get too carried away in all this. This is not an easy task. It's easy to get carried away.
     
    Rodz42 likes this.
  12. quicksilverbudie

    quicksilverbudie quicksilverbudie

    Location:
    Ontario
    Yes use a razor blade to make the cut then the cover goes into a 3mil outer sleeve. I get a thrill when I see old LPs in shrink.

    sean
     
    dalem5467 and FrixFrixFrix like this.
  13. rudyy

    rudyy Active Member

    Location:
    El Centro
    I take off the shrink wrap, and hype stickers get cut out and put in the jacket or placed as a pseudo cover for a cassette recording of the album.
     
  14. Skydogg

    Skydogg Well-Known Member

    I take the wrap off. I don't like the way they look. Not all records have glossy or shiny covers. Some are flat paper, or have interesting textures that are meant to be felt and be part of the package. I don't like condoms either.
     
  15. clgoss77

    clgoss77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    One more vinyl fiend here that keeps the shrink-wrap on new vinyl, unless it's a gatefold. Especially if there are hype stickers.
     
  16. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    NO and when I buy used vinyl with the shrink wrap on it, I REMOVE it. I'm sure there are all kinds of great new plastics technologies but I have seen shrink wrap do horrible things to album covers over time. I'm sure I am breaking rules and de-valuing my records but I don't care. Personal aesthetics play a role in collecting!
     
  17. tyinkc

    tyinkc Senior Member

    Location:
    Fontana, Wisconsin
    No. I replace it with a heavy 5 mil clear outer sleeve.
     
  18. Rodz42

    Rodz42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    This ^^
     
  19. Mikay

    Mikay Active Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I remove it.
     
  20. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Shrink on, even for gates, lp's are stored on the outside in between the new sleeve I provide :)
     
    Devon likes this.
  21. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Location:
    los angeles
    I usually leave it on until it insists on falling off on its own
     
    Devon likes this.
  22. izgoblin

    izgoblin Forum Resident

    I keep it on except for gatefolds, even though I do place my records in protective outer sleeves as well. I dunno... it just seems to keep them more pristine.
     
  23. The Entertainer

    The Entertainer Forum Resident

    I remove it mostly because I don't like the way it looks, I don't like hype stickers either because they cover up the art, so that gets binned as well. Then they all get put in 3 mil polyethylene sleeves unless they are a big box set or something which I will just leave bare.
     
    Rodz42 likes this.
  24. relaxdrax

    relaxdrax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Novi, Michigan
    i like to keep the shrinkwrap for hype stickers, but if its a gatefold I'm kinda SOL.
     
  25. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    I usually get thicker clear sleeves for new records. Have oodles of used records. The best get clear covers. The rest are either waiting for one or on their way out of the collection. Shrink wrap can always shrink a little more, I usually tear it off.
     
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