Vinyl Collection and Long Distance Move

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by THD, Jun 26, 2011.

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  1. THD

    THD Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    I'm moving 800 miles in a month and my movers will likely have my belongings in their possession for at least one week and as long as two weeks. Long stretches of that time will likely be spent in environments that are NOT climate controlled.

    Any ideas for dealing with a 150 album collection? Packing them in the car is not an option. Is shipping my only responsible option?
     
  2. Vinyl-Addict

    Vinyl-Addict Groovetracer Manufacturer

    Location:
    USA
    Pack them in tight fitting boxes in the upright position. As long they are tightly packed, they shouldn't warp, but make sure they are always in the upright position and not on their front or back. Good luck! :)
     
  3. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    I agree with Vinyl Addict. Direct sunlight is the big enemy of vinyl(which won't be an issue in a moving van). Last time I moved I packed my albums in storage boxes from Bags Unltd. and let the movers pack those boxes into larger boxes. They told me they could not insure boxes packed by me, but if they packed the boxes into other boxes I'd be covered. I'm not even sure that's true but it made me feel better. I've moved quite a few times over the years and have never had any problems with records or gear. It's been a different story with some pieces of furniture. Good luck:)
     
  4. thewho

    thewho Forum Resident

    Location:
    Corvallis, OR
    I've moved from Seattle to Florida and have used Small Uhaul boxes that fit records nearly perfect! They are like $4 each too! They have them at pretty much any place that rents Uhaul trucks but you can also check online. With 150 records maybe you could just keep a box or 2 with you?
     
  5. Vinyl-Addict

    Vinyl-Addict Groovetracer Manufacturer

    Location:
    USA
    Milk crates work great for LP's, if you can find them,
     
  6. sambamaster

    sambamaster Forum Resident

    Well, let's see. I've been collecting LPs since 1964, have moved coast to coast at least twice, Portland to Texas, you name it. I was in the retail LP biz for many years. I owned a mail order company importing records from Brazil, Mexico, etc, and shipping them all around the globe. I have NEVER seen records shipped upright. NEVER. I have never sent my 5000+ plus collection this way...always flat, in standard LP boxes the industry commonly uses for this purpose. Shipping them otherwise is a bit risky in my opinion. Upright I mean. And...150 records is child's play. Find three 50-count LP boxes, seal them well, and ship them UPS, 3rd day air if you are paranoid. Most of my retail experience was in Texas and Memphis. It gets hot there. I never saw heat damage from shipping. And actually, the moving van you are dealing with should be insulated enough as well. Unless you are moving to Saudi Arabia. Or Texas. I'd say, ship 'em FedEx Ground or UPS. We used to get plenty of boxes sent "media mail" rate, i.e., days in the USPS, and never an issue.

    But, whatever you do, don't ship them vertically!
     
  7. acdc7369

    acdc7369 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    My uncle kept his LPs packed in a box in his attic for almost 20 years. We pulled them out last year and none of them were warped because they were packed tightly. They all played perfectly fine. If they can survive 20 years of a temperature range from -15 degrees to 115 degrees, they'll be fine as long as you pack them tightly upright in a box.
     
  8. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Just throw them out and buy CD's when you get to the new place .
     
  9. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    I had a moving company transfer several thousand records 3000 miles across the country 6 years ago during August with no problem.
     
  10. rockitman

    rockitman Forum Resident

    why would anyone want to return to a substandard listening format like cd ? :laugh:
     
  11. krlpuretone

    krlpuretone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grantham, NH
    Get 4-5 13x13x13 cube boxes from Uline and you are good to go...
     
  12. goldwax

    goldwax Rega | Cambridge | Denafrips | Luxman | Dynaudio

    Location:
    US of A
    Agreed. I work at a label that issues vinyl sometimes, and I have never seen records come out of the plant shipped upright. They are always placed flat in in 30- or 50-count boxes.
     
  13. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    Very interesting. You know some people used to warn about leaving a stack of records flat in your music room. Maybe they didn't have any evidence what so ever but were just neat freaks. I have never had any damage problems from short term flat storage. And I have decades of experience with that.
     
  14. motorcitydave

    motorcitydave Enlightened Rogue In Memoriam

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV, USA
    Yeah, really.
     
  15. Kustom 250

    Kustom 250 Active Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    You get more ringwear on the covers if you leave 'em flat for long periods of time. But I've not seen actual damage to the vinyl.
     
  16. goldwax

    goldwax Rega | Cambridge | Denafrips | Luxman | Dynaudio

    Location:
    US of A
    I think the rule is something like this:

    Shipping: flat
    Storage: upright
     
  17. Tone

    Tone Senior Member

    As long as they are packed tight, it doesn' matter it they are flat or upright, and heat shouldn't be a problem if they aren't in direct sunlight.

    USPS Media Mail will be your best rate by far..... DO NOT pack over 35-40 lbs. That's the key. They will get treated badly by people who can't lift them.

    "Find three 50-count LP boxes," as Sambamaster said, and seal them well with stiff cardboard on the top and bottom.
     
  18. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Key point here...pack them tightly. The main reason why things break in transit is lose packing.

    Anyway you can do what i did. I bought DJ lp carrying cases (metal ones with locks) and used those for my important lps. You can get various sizes but 3 x 50lps should do it for you. Those will keep them safe during transit even if you get them sent via courier delivery to your new place.
     
  19. THD

    THD Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    Oops, forgot about this thread for a couple days. Thanks for all the replies guys, I really appreciate the advice.

    Sounds like 50count LP boxes with LP's packed really tightly within are the way to go here. Any suggestions or better yet links to sources for these?
     
  20. stumpy

    stumpy Forum Resident

    Location:
    South of Nashville
    There was an almost identical thread on this a couple of months ago. Using a mover and everything. BUT, I guess we covered it all again. :)
     
  21. ktc1

    ktc1 New Member

    Location:
    Dundee, IL, USA
    But what happens when the UPS guy sets the box down on it's side? I would think for shipping, and teh short duration they will be boxed, just making sure they are tight would be sufficient.
     
  22. Tone

    Tone Senior Member

    Lots of places to order, check amazon.

    Or locally you can find some heavy duty 'medium' 12 x 12 x 12 boxes, put 50 records in them, cut the seams and fold the box sides onto itself and tape well. This will give you some extra padding....... Worked for me.
     
  23. nicholas029

    nicholas029 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    Had the same question several years ago. pack upright then double box them with peanut foam between the boxes. This provides both shock and thermal protection. This time of year, thermal is the most important variable.
     
  24. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    I've packed and moved vinyl a dozen times in my life. As I recall, the standard-sized boxes United uses ("used"?), while a bit heavy, will nicely hold over 80 LP's snugly, with perhaps a quarter-inch of space (which can be eliminated by stashing a couple albums sideways to the stack), and with an extra sheet of corrugated cardboard in the bottom and maybe top. Absolutely no glitches.
     
  25. Mike from NYC

    Mike from NYC Senior Member

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    Flat or upright depends on how the carton is positioned and the type of carton, meaning the dimensions and how much room there is for shipping the cartons.

    I bought cartons at Lowes which are 16x12x12 and depending on how I pack the pod they can either be vertical or horizontal.
     
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