subject: How to Package a Vinyl Record for Shipping [print this page] How to Package a Vinyl Record for Shipping
While some people are too young to know what a vinyl record is, others of us remember the days of listening to LP's on the scratchy old record player, otherwise known as the Vitrola. Vinyl records can scratch and/or break easily, so they must be handled with care. If one needs to ship an album via a parcel courier, they must do so thoughtfully and with a lot of protective padding. The following are some tips on how to properly package a vinyl record for safe shipment.
First, take a damp cloth and clean the record in the direction of the groove to remove any debris. Do not soak the record with water, but keep the cloth moist enough to pick up foreign particles. Then, place the record back in its sleeve and place the sleeve into the record's jacket.
You should then take a piece of thick cardboard and lay the album cover on top of it. Trace around the cover to create an outline. Do this again with another piece of thick cardboard. Then, using a sharp utility knife, cut out the square that you just traced. Lay the album on one of the cut squares, and place the other square on top of the album. Taking a few pieces of clear tape, tape the ends of the cardboard to each other, thus sealing in the album so that it is unable to move.
Then, fill the bottom of the shipping box with packing peanuts or line it with a few sheets of bubble wrap. Place the cardboard protected album into the box on top of the protective material and fill the remainder of the box with the peanuts or bubble wrap. Seal up the box with shipping tape and write the word "fragile" on the outside of the package.
Now that your package is all set to be shipped, you can go ahead and set up a pickup. One of the best resources to use is the comparison and booking website You can even book a pickup right on the site and have shipping labels emailed to you so that your package is all ready to go when the parcel delivery service comes to the door.
When sending recorded material via a parcel courier, it is always a good idea to enact a lot of precautions to ensure a safe delivery. After all, if one is to listen to the material, it needs to arrive in one piece.
