What's the best way to pack a sealed record for international shipping?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by acemachine26, May 29, 2021.

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  1. acemachine26

    acemachine26 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bangalore, IN
    I recently ordered the new Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders album 'Promises' from somewhere in Europe to India via Discogs. It came completely warped with seam splits, managed to get a partial refund but was still quite disappointed since one side is unplayable.

    If I were to request sellers to unseal new records, take out the inner sleeve with the vinyl and keep it behind the album cover when shipping, would that reduce the risk of it warping and any damage to the album cover?
     
  2. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    Yes on possible damage to the album cover seams, but that won't save you from warping if the package is left to get too hot.
     
    acemachine26 likes this.
  3. acemachine26

    acemachine26 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bangalore, IN
    I think the warping was caused by the entire box being bent sometime during the shipping process. I think if the record was placed separately, maybe it wouldn't have warped as much. Also it was a 140g record, I should've ordered the 180g variant.
     
  4. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues

    I sell and send more than a few records all over the world. If a buyer requests that I unseal a sealed record, I do that for them. The record is placed on the outside of the cover (obviously.) If the record has a printed inner sleeve, I take the record out of the printed inner sleeve, place the printed inner sleeve back inside the album jacket and place the LP inside of an additional, brand new generic white paper inner sleeve (yes, I go as far as to protect both the cover and the printed inner sleeve from being subjected to any potential seam-splitting during transit.)

    All records should be sent by sellers in RECTANGULAR SHAPED LP mailers (square mailers are, in my mind, completely obsolete... and only obtuse, clueless or absolute cheapskate sellers use them and find them "acceptable" at this point in time) with however many LP-sized cardboard filler pads are necessary to keep the contents snug. Good, sturdy, corrugated cardboard mailers will keep a record protected and flat from all but the most over-the-borderline-of-reasonable-handling/intentional abuse.

    As for warping, if a record is properly flat at the time of shipping, only extreme heat or prolonged sun exposure could possibly bring such calamity to a record.
     
    Nephrodoc, zongo and acemachine26 like this.
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