If Music Could Talk

This is one for the OCD vinyl collectors out there I need a bit of help please.
I keep all of my 7” vinyl collection (the valuable ones) in the same 7” clear plastic sleeves.
Because of my OCD I need to use the same ones (plus they are the best available) but I have run out.
All of the ones I have I suspect I bought in UK (probably Sister Ray etc..).

The sleeves are not the thick plastic bag type they are more rigid with a heat seal on 3 sides and open top, slightly opaque. They are usually used for shop display.

I need to buy some but can’t find them in NZ and searched on line but like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Be grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction or if you are in a vinyl shop you could ask the question for me.

Looking for sleeve on the left not the usual plastic bag type on right.

Sorry not sure where you can get those. In past times bc I would.
I have got most of my old vinyl in pvc sleeves but mostly with the u at the top. I was disappointed to be told that apparently they are bad news and can damage the vinyl hence why the flimsy plastic ones are used now. I was also told that as the vinyl had been kept in them for so long no point in changing now as the damage was done.

FarawayTowns wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:19pm

Sorry not sure where you can get those. In past times bc I would.
I have got most of my old vinyl in pvc sleeves but mostly with the u at the top. I was disappointed to be told that apparently they are bad news and can damage the vinyl hence why the flimsy plastic ones are used now. I was also told that as the vinyl had been kept in them for so long no point in changing now as the damage was done.

I always bought those old vinyl LP covers back in the day (going back to late 70’s onwards). When CD came along records kept in a box in storage snd never saw the light of day. When I got new turntable couple of years back and went back to vinyl I got them all out again.
The vinyl covers had deteriorated, discoloured, gone wrinkly etc.. but when I took the records out the covers and vinyl were as they were in as good as condition as when they went in!!!

101Walterton wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:38pm

FarawayTowns wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:19pm

Sorry not sure where you can get those. In past times bc I would.
I have got most of my old vinyl in pvc sleeves but mostly with the u at the top. I was disappointed to be told that apparently they are bad news and can damage the vinyl hence why the flimsy plastic ones are used now. I was also told that as the vinyl had been kept in them for so long no point in changing now as the damage was done.

I always bought those old vinyl LP covers back in the day (going back to late 70’s onwards). When CD came along records kept in a box in storage snd never saw the light of day. When I got new turntable couple of years back and went back to vinyl I got them all out again.
The vinyl covers had deteriorated, discoloured, gone wrinkly etc.. but when I took the records out the covers and vinyl were as they were in as good as condition as when they went in!!!

My 45's in PVC covers were/ are the same as yours. It was later that I told that pvc can make the vinyl misty and sound distorted unfortunately when I checked that's what happened to some of mine. I never considered it was down to the PVC sleeves just age. I found that the brown spots ( foxing?) on the sleeves is more of an issue for me.

FarawayTowns wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:51pm

101Walterton wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:38pm

FarawayTowns wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 7:19pm

Sorry not sure where you can get those. In past times bc I would.
I have got most of my old vinyl in pvc sleeves but mostly with the u at the top. I was disappointed to be told that apparently they are bad news and can damage the vinyl hence why the flimsy plastic ones are used now. I was also told that as the vinyl had been kept in them for so long no point in changing now as the damage was done.

I always bought those old vinyl LP covers back in the day (going back to late 70’s onwards). When CD came along records kept in a box in storage snd never saw the light of day. When I got new turntable couple of years back and went back to vinyl I got them all out again.
The vinyl covers had deteriorated, discoloured, gone wrinkly etc.. but when I took the records out the covers and vinyl were as they were in as good as condition as when they went in!!!

My 45's in PVC covers were/ are the same as yours. It was later that I told that pvc can make the vinyl misty and sound distorted unfortunately when I checked that's what happened to some of mine. I never considered it was down to the PVC sleeves just age. I found that the brown spots ( foxing?) on the sleeves is more of an issue for me.

I’ve only recently started using the 7” ones above, my singles were never in covers.
My LPs were in cheap pvc but seem to have not only survived but been protected from age, damp, storage etc.
Maybe I got lucky.

Just pulled this one outas example.
PVC cover almost 40 years old trashed- cover and vinyl as new

101Walterton wrote: ↑

29 May 2020, 8:27pm

Just pulled this one outas example.
PVC cover almost 40 years old trashed- cover and vinyl as new

I had loads of vinyl in those style covers, also for decades(!) and they went wrinkly. When I read about the possible damage caused to the records I had a look through mine and found the wrinkling was in a circular area only, same size as the record. It really did show that somehow the hard plastic of the outer cover and vinyl inside the record sleeve were reacting with each other. It takes years I suppose but it does occur, and I found slight ‘misty’ colouring on the record surface which won’t budge. So I switched to the flimsier sort of plastic covers to replace ones where I found the circular wrinkled areas.
Mind you other ‘hard’ plastic covers of equal vintage are fine. It seems to vary. Maybe different weights of vinyl, or colour, or differences in the chemical make-up from different factories etc.

Oops- double post

Polyethylene which is what most modern outer sleeves are made from are fine.
PVC though is bad. It will over time react with the vinyl record and as JohnS has said cause misting on the record itself and this chemical reaction will affect the sound performance.

My advice would be to ditch those ones you seem to like and replace them with the lighter polyethylene ones. Some of those 2 tone singles you have are valuable and will only become even more collectable as years go on. Play it safe mate.

Cheers John, FT and Marky for your advise.
My OCD isn’t happy but you are right I should change covers.
It’s a shame because for display the PVC ones are so much better than polyethylene which make it look like a second hand shop rack.
As you said Marky some of these individually are currently at crazy prices (not that I would sell) so need to look after them.

101Walterton wrote: ↑

10 Jun 2020, 4:34pm

Cheers John, FT and Marky for your advise.
My OCD isn’t happy but you are right I should change covers.
It’s a shame because for display the PVC ones are so much better than polyethylene which make it look like a second hand shop rack.
As you said Marky some of these individually are currently at crazy prices (not that I would sell) so need to look after them.

Yeah a few years back I had to replace a couple of thousand not much fun but sensible.