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Clean sleeves and anal retentive

jwrosenthal

jwrosenthal

Super Member
So I clean all of my records with my VPI and after cleaning, place them in new sleeves. I chuck the old, plain sleeves as they are usually brittle and yellow, but if the sleeves have artwork, or advertising like the 50's RCA and Columbia sleeves that advertise for their own needles and turntables (very cool) I keep them in the jacket with the new sleeve (a tight fit but it usually fits).

It dawned on my this weekend, that I am going through all the trouble of cleaning, and buying new sleeves, but I'm putting old sleeves back in the jacket with the new ones (just to keep them with the correct records). If the old ones are yellowed from high acid content paper, mold, etc....am I just contaminating my newly cleaned records/sleeves by craming them in with the old ones?

Any conservators here know anything about chemical/biological migration and if I should NOT keep the old artwork sleeves in the jacket with the new one?

James R.
(being overly anal I know)
 
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If you're being overly anal, James, then so am I. I have the very same question and thanks for posting it.
 
Well, if the new sleave is high quality, acid free paper then it ought to be adequate protection as long as you keep the old sleve outside the new one (which I think you do).

On the other hand, you're taking the newly cleaned record, placing it in a high quality and expensive new sleeve and stuffing the whole assembly in the old, dirty and deterirating cardboard jacket anyway. So worrying about the old sleeve seems the least of the trouble. :D
 
thisOne said:
Well, if the new sleave is high quality, acid free paper then it ought to be adequate protection as long as you keep the old sleve outside the new one (which I think you do).
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Or plastic... as long as the new sleeve is protecting the disk from the old one, it's all OK.
 
Poly-lined sleeves will also work.

Like you, I save original LP sleeves in certain instances. Some, like the Rolling Stones' "Let it Bleed" sleeve, add to the value of the LP.
 
Granted I chose an expensive way to go but I figured I might as well get the most out of my cleaning and preservation efforts so I have been using the Rice paper lined plastic sleeves sold as being MoFi or VPI sleeves. I really like the way they treat my LP's.

NOW when I think about having all my LP's nice and clean in sleaves that cost more then many of the LP's I'm slipping into them I wonder if I am nuts. ( I have gotten huge numbers of LP's for under .25cents each.
 
I put the original sleeve and new inner sleeve outside the cover and out everything inside the outer bag...that way the cover doesnt get abused too much..
 
jwrosenthal said:
So I clean all of my records with my VPI and after cleaning, place them in new sleeves.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm missing something, but if you were truly anal-retentive about record cleaning, wouldn't you VPI every record just before playing it, rather than cleaninng them and then putting them into any kind of storage where they would just pick up particles again before their next play?
 
Holst said:
Or plastic... as long as the new sleeve is protecting the disk from the old one, it's all OK.
Click to expand...

That's what I use. Takes a little longer to put the albums away, but seems to preserve 'em better.

Certain cherished LPs, I use a plastic sleeve outside the jacket as well.
 
gkimeng said:
Maybe I'm missing something, but if you were truly anal-retentive about record cleaning, wouldn't you VPI every record just before playing it, rather than cleaninng them and then putting them into any kind of storage where they would just pick up particles again before their next play?
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Now that's really anal!! I RCM once, then just use a carbon fibre brush before each play...seems to work well for the particulates. Now if someone created a double folding mylar jacket, one side for the album cover and original inner sleeve, and the second side of the folder for the vinyl record in an archival sleeve, then we may be onto something...problem with that design, the protective materials would end up costing 10 times what we bought the damn records for in the first place!!!

Where does the madness end???!!!:screwy:

James R.
 
jwrosenthal said:
Where does the madness end???!!!:screwy:
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It doesn't, that's why it's called a hobby. The madness is already there, now you just have to self justify the cost. :dunno:


But really, if you guys were serious, there is a laser record player out for about $3k. Nothing touches the playing service ever. It would be interesting to play a record before and after cleaning.
 
thisOne said:
Well, no vinyl lovin' audiophool should be without one of these...
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Well, that's not anal, that's just practical for transporting records....and quite stylish I might ad!!

In fact, my wife thinks I'm nuts for going through the hassles I do to listen to a record, but I just sit quetly as I wach her change purses.....the purse to be stored is lightly cleaned with a damp cloth, then stuffed with paper to maintain its shape, then put into a soft cloth bag so to not be scuffed when stored.....and I'm anal!!!:scratch2:

James R.
 
cfranz said:
It doesn't, that's why it's called a hobby. The madness is already there, now you just have to self justify the cost. :dunno:


But really, if you guys were serious, there is a laser record player out for about $3k. Nothing touches the playing service ever. It would be interesting to play a record before and after cleaning.
Click to expand...


Nah that takes all the fun out of it. Want laser, go CDP. We like friction.
 
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