You love records. I mean, who wouldn’t? The smell, the texture, and the sound all just add to the listening experience. You love records so much that, over the years you have amassed quite the collection, and they hold a special place in your home and your heart. But how do you move such a beast of a collection?
Fear not! We have some helpful tips to make your move less stressful. On your records, that is.
Before you pack your records away, make sure your records are ready for the trip. Invest in nice outer sleeves to protect the jackets of your records. These will prevent your jackets from rubbing together and rubbing the artwork off. A sleeve that many collectors recommend is the Ultimate Outer 2.5.
Box wise, many collectors recommend U-Haul’s Small Moving Box. The interior dimensions are the perfect size for a record, and they can fit about 100 (U-Haul will also buy back any unused boxes for the selling price of each box). U-Haul says the boxes can support up to 65 lbs, which should be plenty of support for records. One thing to note is that you SHOULD try to fill up each box all the way. Even though it may make the box very heavy, you don’t want your records moving and bumping into each other during the move as this could damage the records. Packing them tightly ensures that they will not move in transit.
Any standard moving truck will do, really. If you can afford to splurge for a temperature-controlled truck, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. If you are driving them in your own car, make sure to keep the interior cool, but not cold. This will provide another layer of protection against warping, which happens at higher temperatures. It may seem like it’s a good idea to put your boxes on top of everything, protecting them from getting crushed, but this actually puts the records in more danger. If the box falls, you could rip the seam of the jacket, or even crack your records. Putting your crates underneath something, tightly packed ensures that the box, and, by extension, the records, will not move during the drive.
Flying with records is extremely risky, as baggage handlers and the turbulence, as well as the low temperatures in the undercarriage of the plane could damage them. The general consensus among collectors is to ship them via boat. Many recommend USPS’s shipping as it is reliable and relatively cheap for international shipping.
While not entirely necessary, some collectors swear by certain inner sleeves. Wax Times has compiled a list of the best inner sleeve replacements.
And there you go! These tips should help you get your record collection from point A to point B in one piece…
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
