Warning to all record collectors!!! (outer bag/inner sleeve concerns)*

I checked a few of those RTI inners. Only found one that shows signs of white powder. Sure it will clean off. Next task is to swap these out for Mo-Fi or similar. I discovered I had used PVC sleeves to protect quite a few gatefolds and a few with delicate covers. Apart from the LPs that came supplied with PVC sleeves I have removed them more for convenience and space saving reasons. They also laminate to all but the roughest surfaces over time making them difficult to remove, especially the gatefold type. Have replaced them with the thicker polypropylene sleeves that I have used in recent years.

 

I'm a bit of a clean-freak, and I always found car windows to be some of the most difficult, for a variety of reasons, not just the off-gassing; weird, inaccessible angles with steeply raked windshields, back window hard to get torque to clean unless it is a big sedan, and then you've got to work around the headrests, center console, contortions, etc.
Getting it out to direct sunlight always shows the mess one makes.
Best alternative- open roadster, Brooklands screens and goggles!

 

So to clarify, these bags are not a threat whatsoever, or...?

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/p-4186-12-record-jacket-sleeve.aspx


Thank you.

 

I believe that's correct. They are polyethylene, not PVC. I use the ones in the link (or the 4 mil thick version).

 

Thank you, Seth. I use the exact ones in the link. Anyone else, feel free to chime in, thanks.

 

I am now replacing all my RTI thick pink-ish inner sleeves. I just checked several of the Rhino reissues that came with these from RTI, and they are all showing signs of inner sleeve problems. Fortunately at this point the problem is residue, which can be washed off. After handling the RTI sleeves my fingers are sticky in a way that reminds me of using the rosin bag back when I pitched in baseball as a kid. I am jumping on this as a result of another thread regarding Judas Priest - Nostradamus, which was a deluxe 3 record box set - the LP's were housed in shiny PVC inner sleeves which have chemically interacted with all 3 discs, much vinyl cloudiness is the result. Fortunately the records so far sound OK noise-wise, even though some of them look horrible.

 

I use the 6 mil ones around the actual jacket, put the original inner sleeve (or other paperwork such as a lyric sheet, poster, etc.) in a .2 poly and put the whole shebang in a 13 x 13 poly. Since I discovered the Diskeeper Ultimate inner sleeve, I've gone with that for sleeving the record itself. I insert the sleeved record between the jacket and the original sleeve (or if the album had a lyric sheet or other 'paper'), using that as the 'outer shield' for the sleeved record. In other words, I don't have to go into the jacket to get the record out, which saves on wear and tear of both.
I did discover another PVC outer- it came as an aftermarket jacket protector for an old UK pressing of Chicago II. Records were fine, but recleaned them, and everything repacked, as above.

 

You guys are killing me here. I have all my collection gone into storage for three years and I am reading how the Dylan mono lps have a bad inner lining that fogs the vinyl. There is not much I can do from here to change the damn things. Think I might have one or two PVC outer sleeves in there on a couple picture discs too. Might have to spend a vacation digging through the storage unit, I am having nightmares reading these posts! Hopefully temperature controlled unit will keep them stable for three years!

 

You shouldn't worry too much here - I have 2 copies of the Dylan mono box with the pink-ish inner sleeves and they are fine. I think temperature and humidity play a large role here. Some of my other RTI pressings have exhibited some visible dust/residue on the vinyl (Eagles Greatest Hits, Doors Live At Felt Forum). This is fortunately just on the surface and can be eliminated with a washing/cleaning of the record. The scary damage occurs with a PVC inner sleeve (picture discs, Judas Priest Nostradamus box). And even my Nostradamus lp's still sound fine even though they look ruined. I would look at replacing the RTI inner sleeves in the Dylan box eventually, but I wouldn't take a vacation to do it immediately.

 

Just to clarify- I know we've been talking about the PVC outer jacket protector problem- but this pink inner liner associated with RTI- is that even PVC? I thought the issue with those was just that they were sticky/added residue, not that they had an off-gassing problem. (FWIW, i chucked those not because of chemical leaching, but because I didn't like handling them).

 

What about PVC type sleeves and CDs? I have the McCartney Deluxe Wings Over America set and the CDs/DVD are stored in paper sleeves but tucked inside a PVC type sleeve. Would that eventually harm the CDs? I took them out anyway and tucked them in the front of the book. Just curious.

 

realized today that the copy of Love's Forever Changes that I got on RSD a year or so ago is in one of those pink inner sleeves. Tossed it (the inner sleeve) straight in the trash.

 

Good move - I've spent most of the day replacing those pink-ish RTI sleeves. Specifically several Hendrix releases, all the Van Halen reissues, Chicago, The Doors, The Dylan mono set, Joni Mitchell, even Robert Plant/Allison Krauss. Most of the lp's needed to be washed but play clean afterwards. Everyone with these pink inner sleeves from RTI (mostly Warner Bros. and Sony Legacy) needs to replace them! Fortunately I had a bag of 50 'rice paper' style inners from Sleeve City. Even if I use all 50, it amounts to about $18.00, which is less than the cost of one of those records I am saving/protecting.

 

A large number of 45 rpm reissues pressed at RTI have these pink inner sleeves also. I had to replace 30 or 40 double albums from Music Matters, as well as a number of AP and ORG jazz reissues. Plus the Grateful Dead studio box set from Rhino, etc.

 

Agreed. Probably living in Scotland in a mild, non humid climate has helped too and the fact that I keep my lp's in the lounge where it is climate controlled. I have quite a lot of PVC sleeves I bought for my most prized albums and did a random check last night and the ones I looked at that have been in the same plastic covering for up to 25yrs are fine. However I do have Judas Priest's Nostradamus boxed set and immediately had a look at that. The plastic on the 3rd disc was sticking to it so I removed it and can clearly see all the markings people are talking about. Plays fine but clearly damaged so direct contact is an absolute no no. Hmm maybe that is why there always seems to be a swishing sound on the few picture discs I have like one of Thurston Moore's solo albums and a couple of other things. Will need to deal with that. Won't be buying any more PVC sleeves in the future now either ways and may transfer some of my most prized albums to the softer plasticy sleeves.

 

So does the Ogdens Nut Gone Flake reissue - I checked it - nothing so far but Ill be keeping my eye on it

I did have a Great Rock n Roll Swindle in one of those gatefold outer sleeves - it had stated to go wrinkly and I though the worse but nothing had happened to the vinyl.

 

Add the Jimi Hendrix box 'Winterland' and the Rhino 'Woodstock' box to the list of vile pink inner sleeves which need replacement. At least RTI seemed to stop using those several years ago, moving to nice paper inners with plastic lining inside. I am always happy to get those with my new lp's.

 

RTI are now using a clear version of the pink inner !

 

I just noticed that the sleeves in the Woodstock box don't look pink - they are clear - but they are otherwise the same. Did the chemical agents that made the earlier ones appear pink create the residue over time? Possible, but I'm still replacing all of them. With the older pink ones you can often feel the rosin-like tacky residue on your hands after handling them - I haven't actually noticed this with the clear ones. Still, they are stiff and not gentle to the records, so off with their heads!!

 

Perhaps with less residue, but nonetheless still with sharp edges that make it easy to scratch the records when inserting the vinyl in the sleeve.

 

"Ok guys, we're attempting to press some of the world's best vinyl here, for fastidious audiophiles who are willing to pay $30-60 for an album. Sure, we could use the same soft, poly inner sleeves all the other companies use, but I want something really different here. You say you have a line on some inners that are dangerously sharp, AND leave a sticky residue all over the surface? That IS different...and that's why they pay us the big bucks!"

 

Damn, I have both of those. Have to check and change them before work.

 

Bill,

The Cisco AJA was not PVC, it was a thiner, more flexable mylar. I just played it last night. As mentioned those Simply Vinyl outer sleeves are the best example. In addition, I have a David Bowie - Aladdin Sane - 1999 UK pressing ALL analog Millenium pressing, which is also similar to the Simply Vinyl.

 

10-4. Thanks DK.

 

Chiming in here...

This has been a hot issue for years, if not decades, in several collecting circles because of the tendency of plastics to degrade over time and cause paper products to break down.

PVC is the Devil- I think that's been adequately covered.

Vinyl and polyethelyne are good if they are of good quality. Lower grade polyethylene will yellow after a while - if anything ever starts to yellow, GET IT GONE straight away. Not 100% sure if it will release anything that will harm vinyl in the way PVC does, but it for sure speeds up acidifcation/breakdown of paper products like sleeves and inserts - and why take chances? Heat is bad news for polyethylene, and speeds up breakdown. Before the days of newer materials for comic book bags, fastidious collectors would change the bags out on their collection every five years or so lest the bags do more harm than good. You can also smell it when it's breaking down - it's a subtle but very distinct smell, but I'm at a loss to describe it.

My opinion - Polypropylene sleeves (like the Sleeve City ones) are a good bet - they *can* get a "wrinkly" appearance over time, but that's actually a function of them being stacked with other things and warping a bit- doesn't mean anything chemical is happening. Probably because the same stuff that makes other plastics stretchy and resilient isn't in the polypro.