Description
It’s here! They’re finally here! After years of countless requests, tweaking, adjusting and improving, we are so proud to present our secret recipe for giving our records that extra bit of TLC and polish before we send them out to subscribers. Here’s whats included 👇🏻
Crystal Clear “Blake Sleeve” Outer Sleeves
Trust us when we say this, but we think they are the best way to not only protect your records, but give them a fresh lease of life with the ultra-clear style.
Why this material?
Have you ever been in a record shop and they use the ultra heavy, thick PVC record sleeves? These have traditionally been the choice of record collectors. However, PVC-based products can cause contamination and serious damage to your records. As your records are also made from PVC, the two items can merge given the wrong climate. The result is a misting effect on the record, which is audible as hiss. Not great for a product designed to protect your music, no?
For a long time, we tinkered with polyethylene sleeves. These were much lighter, didn’t have the same ability to damage your albums, but that misty look it gave your stunning album art just left us feeling underwhelmed.
So when we discovered crystal clear polypropylene OPP, we knew we had found our winner. Acid free, super clear and firm to protect your albums- it really does give your albums a fresh lease of life.
Hey, wheres the seal?
Longtime subscribers of ours will know that for a long time our sleeves had a re-sealable flap, which we loved because it made the second-hand records we were sending feel like more of a finished product with a seal to open. However, over time- and experience, we found that actually using the seal reduced the long-term usability of the sleeves, and we got feedback of customers switching away because of sleeves or albums sticking to the seal when being used.
Again, we began our journey into solving this problem, and discovered the blake sleeve. Now if someone had told us this years before it would have made life easier, but what is business if not a constant problem solving machine? Blake Sleeves were made of OPP or BOPP, they had no sleeve, and were designed for a super clean tight fit, ready to be used with our without an inner record sleeve.
We’ve found that since ditching the seal, listening to records has become substantially easier whilst retaining the sleek feel and protection the OPP sleeves bring.
Which size should I get?
Regular Sleeves
90% of the records we send out from the 50s to the 80s fit perfectly within the regular sleeve. These are measured at 32x32cm and provide a great tight fit for most of your vintage albums. Even some of your old gatefolds might just fit in here, but we would recommend a size up.
Gatefold Sleeves
These come in a smidge bigger, but not enough to make your gatefolds feel like they are in a baggy sleeve. At 32.9×32.9cm, we recommend these for big 2nd hand doublers (think ‘Wings Over America’ big) and most new releases on thicker card. I tested the latest ABBA, Killers and Bruce Springsteen re-issues, and by the time we had the albums in the rice paper inner sleeves, the gatefolds were our preferred option.
Rice Paper Anti-Static Mo-Fi Style Inner Sleeves
We are so proud to present the recipe that makes our subscription box records look so damn good. From our friends at SpinCare, we are proud to stock their anti-static inner sleeves with rice paper finish.
Why do I need these?
In this age, we see so many albums where time has not been kind. Tattered sleeves, missing inners and scratched records. As hunters of musical gems, our top priority is to retain as much quality of albums when they get into our hands. Inner sleeves are the most common to find missing or in horrible condition- so we love to house these inside the album cover, and keep the records in separate, anti-static record sleeves.
In addition to preserving the inner sleeves, these also protect the record, as well as upgrading the listening process. What do I mean? Paper sleeves can decompose over time, leaving debris on your record. Your stylus won’t be happy with this. In addition to this, paper and cardboard sleeves (cardboard particularly) can be very “rough” and can leave hairline scratches on your records just upon removing them from the sleeves. Plus, paper sleeves are not anti-static. Charged records attract dirt, which needs to be cleaned prior to playback.
With these rice paper sleeves, you upgrade the experience with non-charged vinyl and an easy slip out with an outer sleeve. You protect your record from damage, and you also protect your original inner sleeves. What’s not to love?
Recommended Usage
With both the outer and inner sleeves sleeves, we will have the outer sleeve opening facing upwards. This prevents the record/inner goodies from falling out when in storage.being moved We will then have the inner sleeve holding the LP behind the album cover, with the opening again facing upwards. As long as your record storage has protection from above (eg KALLAX from IKEA) we believe this is the optimal way to store, and more importantly listen to your records, making listening a genuine breeze and a quality of life upgrade to any frequent record listener.