How do you properly store records on a shelf/expidit ???

FunkyFlatulentFunkyFlatulent 1,106 Posts
edited December 2011 in Strut Central
I'm just staring at my records right now and the thought popped into my head. For those with expedits, book shelves, etc..

Do you find it best to pack them in the whole length so they're all standing perfectly straight up with no space? Do you leave a little space in the middle and have them sort of lean both ways?????

I find that if I don't really full the shelf to the max they start leaning one way or another. The lean left.or right.. or both start to cave into the middle from both sides.

Do you guys put the spines sticking out or do you put the spine in first?

Thoughts? Opinions?

  Comments


  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    Spines facing out, filled up enough that they stand straight up with enough room to pull a piece easily.

    Kindly,
    parallax

  • thanks for the reply parallax. Anyone else care to comment?

  • waxjunkywaxjunky 1,849 Posts
    parallax said:
    Spines facing out, filled up enough that they stand straight up with enough room to pull a piece easily.

    I guess you could put the spines backwards if you were worried about light fading the colors, but then there would be some trial and error every time you went to pull a record.

  • parallax said:
    Spines facing out, filled up enough that they stand straight up with enough room to pull a piece easily.

    Kindly,
    parallax

    This is the way to do it. It shouldn't be too hard to remove a record, but they shouldn't lean.

    If light is an issue this should be resolved with curtains etc.

  • Spinewise - for me - it's one of two ways, either spine facing out with the LP outside the sleeve, or spine down on the bottom with LP inside the sleeve. Pack 'em tight enough where you can slide one out easily. Sometimes, if a record is just a little warped I'll bookend that one between the rest of the records and the wall of the shelf. If it's tight enough, maybe the slight warp comes out over time?

  • phatmoneysackphatmoneysack Melbourne 1,124 Posts
    I do as above, except for 12s, which I put in crates that fit inside the expedit.

    I do this because I have a 2x4 expedit on its side with my TTs on top.

    Its annoying and fiddly to squat down and flick through the spines for 12s. Much easier to find what you want by sifting through a crate.

  • I take the record, inner sleeve and jacket and sandwich them together in a mylar sleeve with the opening at the top. Does that even make sense? It helps when you're putting the records back on the shelf. The mylar sleeve won't bunch up.

  • leonleon 883 Posts
    phatmoneysack said:
    I do as above, except for 12s, which I put in crates that fit inside the expedit.

    Its annoying and fiddly to squat down and flick through the spines for 12s. Much easier to find what you want by sifting through a crate.

    Most of my records are stored this way, in crates, just because of the reason mentioned above. Also, to actually read the spine you have to tilt your head, which hurts my neck (yeah i'm soft).

    Are there good reasons why i shouldn't store them in crates?

  • vertically

  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    I put mine spline down with the opening of the sleeve on top. If you put spline side out the plastic sleeves tend to slide off of the records when you slide them in and out of the shelf.

  • It looks like I may have to go vertical. lol

    Are you guys filling the shelf as full as you can for the most part?

  • FunkyFlatulent said:
    It looks like I may have to go vertical. lol

    Are you guys filling the shelf as full as you can for the most part?

    Mine are packed pretty tight vertically.
    Almost hard to pull out sometimes.
    :oh_my:

  • spine on bottom but not packed very tightly as my shelves will snap they were custom built into my closet years and years ago and can't hold a lot of wait so i've got the ones on the left leaning to the left and the ones on the right leaning to the right with always a little space in the middle which sucks cause i can always use more space for more records...

  • I do this as well. Spines out and packed in not too tight but enough to where they don't lean. I've had a record start to warp because of leanage.

  • Treehouse said:
    I take the record, inner sleeve and jacket and sandwich them together in a mylar sleeve with the opening at the top. Does that even make sense? It helps when you're putting the records back on the shelf. The mylar sleeve won't bunch up.

    This is how it should be done.

  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    I leave space in each box so that I can flip through the records and see the covers. Do the plastics bugs opened at the top as well

  • TheKindCromang said:
    Sometimes, if a record is just a little warped I'll bookend that one between the rest of the records and the wall of the shelf. If it's tight enough, maybe the slight warp comes out over time?

    That's actually worked for me. I bought a copy of The Mothers of Invention's "Absolutely Free" and there was a warp that made it difficult to play the second side. So I stacked it in a tight bunch of records and didn't reach for it until a few months later. To my surprise, the record now plays perfectly and the warp is practically gone.

  • mattBmattB (FTB) Anywhere 673 Posts
    Im not going to able to sleep well at night anymore knowing there are people out there who file with the spines facing down.


  • mattB said:
    Im not going to able to sleep well at night anymore knowing there are people out there who file with the spines facing down.

    Just out of interest, what is the logic behind this?

    Short people & high shelves?

  • mattBmattB (FTB) Anywhere 673 Posts
    plainstone said:
    Tall people, low shelves and mirrored floors

  • This is a classic soulstrut thread.Kinda cracks me up

    All of these threads should be compiled into "proper care of your record collection" guide.

    Next thread "How to organise your collection" By Year? By Label? Genre? aphabetically? I am confused please help

  • DJ_WubWub said:
    This is a classic soulstrut thread.Kinda cracks me up

    All of these threads should be compiled into "proper care of your record collection" guide.

    Next thread "How to organise your collection" By Year? By Label? Genre? aphabetically? I am confused please help

    Well I ask because my old method of take random record, use, toss to the side and fuck it up wasn't working. lol


    I'm also disagreeing with everyone on the spines out. The spine is thick and made to me pushed against the backstop/wall. If you have spine out to see the name you're pushing the frail opening end into the back and smooshing (google says this isn't a word) it against the wall. That seems odd to me.

  • But there's no backing on a Expedit anyway.

    Spines out, flush with the shelf.

  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    CinisterCee said:
    But there's no backing on a Expedit anyway.

    Spines out, flush with the shelf.

    Exactly. Any other way just doesn't make sense to me.

    Do the 'spines down' folks also file books on their shelves this way?

    Kindly,
    parallax

  • has anyone tried spine in spine out alternating each one so they are totally flat. Many people say boxing records this way for storage is the way to go.

  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    parallax said:

    Do the 'spines down' folks also file books on their shelves this way?

    No, I don't keep my books in plastic sleeves. If the plastic sleeves didn't slide off some when refiling it wouldn't be an issue having the spines out.
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