Outer protection record sleeves

What do they smell like? None of the Amazon reviews mentioned a smell.

 

I need to locate some thicker sleeves that will accommodate some of my triple gatefold albums. Recently ordered some standard Sleeve City outers from The Needle Doctor which are real nice.

 

Like those baseball card binder pages, or like one of those plastic shower curtain liners. I’m sure no Amazon reviews mention it, because it makes sense that plastic would smell like plastic. It is fairly strong upon first opening, though.

 

I'd like to find some that are ;

- tight on single albums
- not made of PVC (i.e. safe for jackets)
- solid (will stand on their own)
- as clear as possible

My understanding is the Ultimate 5.0 from Sleeve City fit the last three criteria but not the first one.

Is there anything that'd fit all 4 out there?

 

These are possibly what you are looking for: LP outer sleeves that are strong and durable and super clear.

 

^^^ I just watched that video. Those will probably due. Thanks!

 

Question...
A lot of people who put their records in plastic sleeves seem to put the actual record (in it's own sleeve) just outside of the record jacket, on it's back inside that plastic outer sleeve. Wouldn't that press against the back-cover, causing worse ring-wear?

 

This is exactly what I do and have done for about 5 years...no ring wear as of yet but then again, I don't cram my records into my Kallax cubes until completely full. I keep about an inch or so of space in each cube, if that makes sense.

 

No. Even if it did it would only cause ringwear on the back, not on the inner gatefold or front like when stored normally.

 

I am probably in the minority here, but I prefer no outer sleeves, although I do replace all inner sleeves if they don't come with nice lined ones. I can't stand the way the outer sleeves look after a few months and they start to get nasty. I also don't mind some ring wear, and tbh the way my records are stored, the ring wear is minimum even after years. I never plan on selling my records either, so resale value isn't important. As long as the cover is acceptable and the record plays great, then I am happy.

 

For me, I use outer sleeves, not to prevent ring-wear, but just to protect the edges of the record jacket when I slide it out and back into the shelf - doing that just a few times without a sleeve can wear away the edges of the record jacket.

 

I think it could actually reduce ring wear, but I don’t like it because I don’t feel like just layers of plastic is enough protection for the record if it’s put behind.

 

You do need to find sleeves that don’t get cloudy, etc. Some of the ones on the market aren’t great. Personally, I prefer the look of whatever happens to the outer sleeve, which can be replaced, over the look of a jacket full of fingerprints and wear that would have been prevented by the outer sleeve. But if that doesn’t bother you, skipping the outer sleeve probably does simplify life just a bit!

 

Just seeing this thread now and it got me thinking...

The average LP plastic sleeve is about 2mm thick, so that means if I got rid of all the plastic sleeves in my collection, I would save 23 feet space. Not to be sneezed at, especially if you have started to place LPs on the floor due to lack of shelf space.

HHHhhhhmmmm!

JG

PS: It would also make it much easier to read the spine!

 

2mm thick? I would re-check that...

 

Are you saying too little or too much. I see plastic outers being advertised at 2-4mm?

JG

 

2-4 mil, not millimeters. there's a difference.
A mil is a measurement that equals one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inch. One mil also equals 0.0254 mm (millimeter). Thus a mil is not the same thickness as a millimeter.

 

I am still blushing with embarrassment! Thanks for clearing that up!

JG

 

Quite alright. We're all here to learn, among other things.

 

I would just hate to have someone de-sleeve all their records, expecting to gain 23 feet, then finding they could get about ten more LPs on the shelf!

 

Of course that should have been 2-3 feet. Here i go again.

JG

 

I use these
50 Vinyl Record Sleeves - 12.75" x 12.75" 3 Mil Clear Album Sleeves - Fits 12 Inch Single, Double, and Gatefold LPs - Protect Your Record Collection https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06WRTDZNZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GD3bGbXG5PWCC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

I just assumed you had an absolutely massive collection!

 

One of the first pieces of advice I ever got was... never assume anything.

JG

I might just get rid of the plastic sleeves anyway. A lot of them are grotty at this stage, also it is hard to read the spine when I am looking for something in particular.

Most UK LP covers are laminated, whereas US covers were not, so ringwear was an issue.

Great thread!

JG

 

I bought a 100-pack of big 180 gram outer sleeves from Bags Unlimited, and they just showed up today.

These sleeves look great, and they fit even the bigger stuff in my collection (the 4-LP set of Tom Petty's Wildflowers, the big Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street edition, etc.).

They're a bit big for my older non-gatefold LPs, but not detrimentally so.