In a world of high technology, streaming services, and digital music, most consumers aren’t buying CDs, much less vinyl records. Unless you’re a collector, that is.
If you collect albums, you probably understand the nostalgic charm of listening to a vinyl album while admiring the cover and hearing the old turntable play your songs.
However, whenever you finally have a magnificent vinyl collection, you might wonder how to keep these beloved objects in perfect condition. No one wants to spend thousands of hours or dollars seeking the perfect vinyl collection only to have it break down. Here are a few tips from the LAWSON & CO experts to ensure your vinyl lasts as long as possible.
Clean Your Vinyl Disks
Every investor should clean the vinyl disks while building their collection, especially when playing one for the first time. Disks can be dirty or waxy for many reasons, and even like-new records can have some residue on them. To make sure that your needle remains clean, clean your collection.
You can brush them with a carbon fiber brush to remove any dust built up in the cracks, although you need to make sure you can use the brush on vinyl. Consider buying a vinyl cleaning machine for deeper cleaning. You can get one for a few hundred dollars, and they vacuum clean your record with robust cleaning solutions.
Finally, clean your turntable and stylus because a dirty stylus will damage the disk and the quality of the sound. Specialized stylus cleaners can do this for you, and they don’t cost too much money for all the good they do.
Store Your Vinyl Records Properly
While it might seem tempting to throw your records into a milk crate and call it a day, this won’t support your records’ durability or look in your home. Get sturdy shelving options that won’t rip up the vintage covers or the vinyl record packaging and store them in a climate-controlled cool environment.
Plastic record sleeves explicitly designed for vinyl are easy to find, and they help keep dust and grime away from your records. Plus, if you store your albums close together, you won’t have to deal with the records rubbing against one another.
Treat The Vinyl Carefully
This goes a bit without saying, but it’s always good to have a reminder. Treat your vinyl carefully. Have a gentle hand with all of them. Especially when you are taking vinyl records out to play and putting them back into their storage. Or, and this is a big one, if you are just moving them around to show the collection off. Take care of the vinyl pieces in your collection. Then it will last a long time so you can play and listen to their songs any time you like.
Our LAWSON & CO. team has expert knowledge on preserving your vinyl collection and more. Ever wonder what your collection is worth? Call our property professionals today at 317-745-6404 to talk about getting an appraisal.
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