A house isn't truly a home until you have all of your favorite records on display. Once you move into your dream house, you might find that there isn't an immediate place to set them all up, however. That might make you tempted to start stacking them up on top of one another.
No matter how much space you may save doing so, you never want to put long-playing records on top of other albums. It's a much better idea to stand LPs up side-by-side. If you have an empty wall but don't have any obvious place to store your records, you might want to start building a custom shelving unit to put them on. If you do, then invest in a good thermometer and hygrometer so you can be certain you don't store your vinyl in a way that's going to damage it.
Picking The Right Internal Climate
Wherever you store them, make sure that they remain at a relatively stable temperature. Records shouldn't be subjected to extreme heat and they shouldn't be allowed to freeze either. Even the most well-made LPs will warp if the mercury climbs over 140° Fahrenheit. You might be thinking that nobody's house would ever get that hot, but countless attics will actually exceed this temperature in the summer. That's why you'll want to instead store your records closer to wherever your listening post is.
Choosing The Best Storage Unit
Consider starting with a customized mobile vinyl storage system, which you can install next to your stereo without causing any difficulties for your speakers. A solid storage unit will ensure that your LPs all stay standing up straight even if you loan a few out to your friends. Enthusiasts who have a number of 45s in their collections can get a special holder that places all of their singles in a line along a spindle. They can then gently rest this next to the LPs they have standing in their storage racks.
Keep your records a few feet away from your speakers as well as your dishwasher or dryer. Excessive vibrations can actually introduce cracks in the top surface of an LP. The problem is much worse for collectors who specialize in 78s since these are usually made from shellac and most of the ones they find on the open market tend to be extremely old.
Divvying Up Your Collection Safely
Separate records of different types and sizes with a divider so they don't crush one another. Ten and twelve-inch records have a tendency to smash into each other, which will eventually damage them. Put any electronic transcription discs, such as those used to record vintage radio airchecks, in a separate area. That will keep them from running into one another and chipping the edges.
Don't forget to come up with an organizational system so you can find a particular record without having to go hunting for it. Some people like to put all of their albums in alphabetical order while others prefer not to have the ballets of Léo Delibes right next to classic heavy metal albums by the band Death.
