How to care for your vinyl record collection - tips from the experts

Do you still have your old vinyl records lying around somewhere? According to many fans of vinyl, nothing beats the sound of good old vinyl records. But to maintain the quality, you need to take good care of your collection. The longer you keep your records in new condition, the longer you can enjoy the music. Nobody knows this better than our Dutch Vinyl staff, who are all collectors themselves. Read on for his our expert tips and tricks on how to care for your vinyl collection.

Treating your vinyl

Vinyl records are always precious items, so treat them with care. When you take the record out of its sleeve, make sure you don't touch the grooves. When fingerprints are left on the vinyl, they can change the sound, and that would be a shame. When you grab vinyl, do so only at the edge and the label in the middle.

Protective covers

The paper inner sleeve can attract dust and will also scratch your vinyl like sandpaper over time. It is therefore advisable to keep your records in a special inner sleeve with an anti-static layer to ensure that no dust gets on them. Use a plastic outer sleeve for around the cover to protect it. Do not place the record in the outer cover, but behind it to avoid ring marks.

Storage

Your records should be stored upright. Never lay your vinyl flat, and especially not stacked on top of each other, because the records on the bottom will eventually be unable to support the weight, and will eventually bend once. A rack system will allow you to store them vertically.

Sorting

When you have a large collection of vinyl records, it can be frustrating when you can't find the record you want to play. Bring some structure to your collection by sorting the records into categories, using record dividers. Sort them by genre, chronologically or alphabetically. It will give your collection an even more professional look.

Cleaning

Clean your records regularly before and after playback to keep them dust-free. We recommend using a carbon fibre brush before each play to keep the dust away.

For records where some dust and grit has gotten on them you can use a special cleaning spray on your records along with a microfibre cloth. The next level of cleaning is using professional cleaning machines. It is incredible how much music you get out of your records once the dirt is removed by such machines. And don't forget to clean the turntable and the stylus as well. These also affect the condition of your vinyl records. Make sure the tip of the needle is always clean, as it picks up dust easily.

With some loving attention, your collection will survive the next generation. It is worth the time and effort because vinyl records are now highly sought after collectibles.

Thinking of selling?

If you are looking to sell thousands, hundreds or a handful of special records the team at Dutch Vinyl would love to see what you have to offer as we are always looking for nice collections and pay good prices.