To Open Older Sealed Vinyl Or Keep It Sealed??

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by gates69, Dec 15, 2012.

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  1. gates69

    gates69 Music Junkie Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Just wondering what the thoughts were around here. Not talking about anything super rare but yet it's still kind of cool to find stuff still sealed. But another part of me says they were made to be played.
    What is your criteria for deciding to open or not open?
    Thanks
     
  2. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    I'm a music lover, not a museum curator. Open the damn album.
     
  3. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Open it and play it!
     
  4. appledan

    appledan Resident Rockist

    Location:
    Ohio
    Open it.

    I kept a lot of vinyl that I purchased on eBay sealed for years, only to finally open them and find that some were broken. The whole concept of sealed vinyl no longer appeals to me.
     
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  5. Runt

    Runt Senior Member

    Location:
    Motor City
    Hahahaha...this debate has raged here on and off for years. I have quite a few sealed vintage albums that I'll never open...because I'll never find them sealed again. Or if I do, they'll cost a fortune. Many of them I already have as opened vinyl (or on multiple CD copies) so it's not like I can't actually listen to the music.
     
  6. Tremaindous

    Tremaindous Forum Resident

    Open it, store it, whatever. It's yours.
     
  7. Thurenity

    Thurenity Listening to some tunes

    It you want to play it and enjoy the music, then by all means open it. If you bought it strictly as an investment, then leave it sealed.

    If you're unsure, then maybe flip a coin? :D
     
  8. Pennywise

    Pennywise Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Sewers
    Send them to me, and I'll open them. :D
     
    bluemooze, AlienRendel and Myke like this.
  9. Tremaindous

    Tremaindous Forum Resident

    Send money and I'll let you open my sealed stock! No, let's wait until the economy picks up.
     
  10. Remurmur

    Remurmur Music is THE BEST! -FZ

    Location:
    Ohio
    I buy music to play and enjoy .

    Everyone can do what they want, but collecting sealed, never to be played copies definitely ain't my thing...
     
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  11. gates69

    gates69 Music Junkie Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Hey I never thought of that. Great idea!
     
  12. Eobard Thawne

    Eobard Thawne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I once asked a record dealer that too when I bought a SS copy.

    He said it's up to me, wheither I want to listen and enjoy it or keep it as a collectable.

    I ended up opening and listening to it.



    I do notice that w/ older skrink wrap ones that it almosts sticks to the jacket to the point where it's like a second skin.

    I heard it's actually bad and keeping the air and chemicals that were in the jacket etc. Could cause damage...?
     
  13. Well, at least the record was there. I bought the Wilco - Being There reissue, set it aside for a month or two and when I opened it, the first lp was missing. Nothing I could do....
     
  14. nmycon

    nmycon Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    I've heard that too... but it's actually the opposite...

    Anything made out of paper/cardboard will yellow with age as time goes on if it is exposed to air

    Thats why usually when you find sealed albums (especially from the 50s/60s) their jackets remain nice and white, even if the end is slit but the shrink is still covering the rest of the jacket, it will usually be nice and white except around the opening of the jacket, where it may have yellowed a bit.

    There are plenty of chemicals in the ink/paper/cardboard/glue/laminate/etcetera... the jacket won't do any harm

    The one other thing I've heard is that opening the album but keeping the shrink on will cause the shrink to continue shrinking and will bend the jacket/warp the record over time. It certainly doesn't seem to happen with older shrink wrap, as I have plenty of records that still have the shrink wrap on and are straight as an arrow.
     
  15. whaleyboy

    whaleyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    I buy records to play, sealed or not. When I am ready for them I crack the seal and drop the needle.

    I can understand collecting sealed items for the fun of keeping them sealed - but I can't help myself :)
     
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  16. gates69

    gates69 Music Junkie Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Most likely I will open them and enjoy them. As I said they aren't anything of great value. Just wanted to get some thoughts from the gang :)
     
    bluemooze likes this.
  17. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    The way I see it, there probably aren't many, if any sealed copies of the album you're looking at still around. If you don't want to keep it in that condition, sell it to someone who does, take the cash from the sale and buy 10 other albums along with it too. chances are there are plenty of cheap and mint condition examples of the record you seek. couple that in with the chance that the record in there may be poorly pressed, or ruined, and then the now-unsealed record has no value whatsoever.
     
  18. MusicIsLove

    MusicIsLove formerly CSNY~MusicIsLove

    Location:
    USA
    Sealed copies are nothing more than dust collectors unopened. They're meant to be played so open it and play it.
     
    DK Pete, bluemooze and Spek like this.
  19. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    I faced the same dilemma a year or so ago. I found a sealed copy of the 4-disc Chicago at Carnegie Hall box set. $25. Still has the hype sticker on it. I decided to wait until I have my new audio system installed. That day is coming very soon...
     
    DK Pete likes this.
  20. Open them and then buy a resealing machine like they used to use in the back rooms at Tower Records
     
  21. Josquin des Prez

    Josquin des Prez I have spoken!

    Location:
    U.S.
    I never acquire a record I don't intend to play. I collect because I'm a music lover and not for the sake of collecting alone.
     
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  22. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    If I have duplicates and they are sealed in those heavier poly type bags, I've left them sealed. If they are sealed in shrinkwrap, which usually puts stress on the package, I open them, clean the record, resleeve in a good inner sleeve and shelve if I am not listening to it immediately. I do keep finding sealed records I never knew I owned, which is kind of fun.
     
  23. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It depends. An originally sealed Beatles album from the 60's should be left sealed. Unless you hate money - and are so financially comfortable you could care less. For the price of one sealed Beatles LP you can buy a bunch of NM opened copies of the same album.

    The other example are some collectible LPs. Say you have a sealed one, and you know you can locate an opened one -- which you 'know' the condition or grade of. Sell the sealed copy and buy the used, you'll probably have money left. If you unseal it and the record is warped or damaged - its not going to be worth much.
     
    MrRom92 likes this.
  24. MusicIsLove

    MusicIsLove formerly CSNY~MusicIsLove

    Location:
    USA
    So? Records aren't income and shouldn't be treated as such or investments. Instead of contributing to vinyl inflation (Especially of Beatles vinyl), open them and play them or don't bother with acquiring them at all. Doesn't matter if it could fund music purchases. It isn't about financial investments. That just hinders others' music enjoyment by contributing to the problem.
     
    Spek likes this.
  25. Josquin des Prez

    Josquin des Prez I have spoken!

    Location:
    U.S.
    Except that I will never acquire such an album for the very simple reason that I won't pay the stupid amount of money for it, just as I'm also never going to buy an original Blue Note for some 4 figure sum. I might pay $100 or so for a record if I really want the music badly enough (I paid $85 for a copy of Nick McGegan's Handel Water Music on Harmonia Mundi), but I rarely spend more than $50 or so for new 45 RPM remasters.

    I see some really silly prices asked for vinyl. I have a copy of the Bach Solo Sonatas and Partitas I saw going for an asked price of $400. I think that's a ridiculously inflated price.
     
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