Storage Solutions : Vinyl Record Collection
bumbleberrypie asked:
Hello! I’ve searched the world over to find good storage/display options for all the records I have (vinyl). I haven’t found anything that I can buy so I figured it’s time to get creative. Bookends may even suffice. Any ideas?
aspectsofmatthew asked:
i was wondering if you have any advise how i should keep my vinyls.
I love that more than one person asked about how to store their vinyl collection! Yay records, but how to store these bits of vinyl goodness? I found more options than I though, but not a lot of DIYs. To make up for it I’ll post something for every price point.
When storing records a few things have to be considered. The first is weight. A sizable record collection weighs quite a bit and is guaranteed to bow a couple shelves in its lifetime. The next is height, records are tall and deep so average bookshelves don’t work like they do for most media collections. The next consideration is climate conditions. Records are a lot like medications in that they are best kept on the cool side with little to no fluctuation in temperature. Last but not least you need to be able to retrieve them easily and it is always nice to display at least a portion of your collection isn’t it? Whew! That was a mouthful. Now how about a couple eyefuls?
First up, the unassuming cardboard box designed just for 33s. Now, I wouldn’t recommend stacking these too high, but the price is right at $9.95/1 $39.95/5 or the best deal is $79.95/10. This option really is just about affordability, as it offers no protection from any elements, makes it somewhat cumbesome to enjoy and/or show your collection off. Storage capacity: 50 LPs
If space is at a premium though, you could always keep the bulk of your collection in the boxes and keep your favourites at hand and on display with a simple crown moulding shelf. This is the only DIY I found that did not require any cabinetry skills. Storage capacity: Varies according to wall space available.
Weighing in at £20 and up is the peppy iCube. Comes in a vast array of colours and finishes and you can get double models. Storage capacity: 100 LPs
First in price but last in size is the Expedit book case from IKEA. I have read that each cube holds 80 albums leaving room for browsing. That is a lot of record storage for 129.99. Storage capacity: 1280 LPs
Second up in cabinets is this unit by Sefour.Available from Amazon for $169.99. I really like this unit for two reasons, the first being the shleves are are not shelves at all but two metal bars. That means the chance of having bowed shelves is little to none. The second is the slim nature of the tower. You could fit this in most bedrooms and apartment sized common areas. Storage capacity:500 LPs
The LP Bin is one of my favourite because it stores records like a record shop, from front to back. The price point is $249.00 and comes in three finishes, wood grain, black and white. Storage capacity: 560 LPS.
These are just a few options, there are really a lot of options out there for vinyl storage, but unfortunately minimal for DIY. The only thing I can recommend for DIY versions, is to frequent thrift shops and flea markets for solidly built furniture that is deep enough to house your records and strong enough to hold them up. Refinish it to your heart’s content.
For more ideas you could check out Amazon, Flickr and Google.
I hope this post inspired you, and please share with me pictures of your solution! Cheers,M.
