For an LP jacket, Mylar is generally considered better than Polyethylene. Whether a flap is
desirable or not may depend upon the item's storage conditions. For my own personal collection,
I generally do not use outer jackets with flaps. I find they often catch and sometimes tear
when removing an LP from the shelf. However, if an environment is particularly dusty, a flap
may be advisable.
Recommendations for inner sleeves can be more difficult. For my own collection, I favor HDPE
(High-Density Polyethylene) sleeves, whether enclosed in a paper shell or alone. One must be
cautious about sleeves simply labeled "poly." They could be almost anything. A general rule I
go by is: if it's frosted in appearance and slippery to the touch, chances are it's good; if
it's clear and sticky or tacky (like a dry cleaning bag,) look elsewhere.
It may also be advisable to properly clean an LP before putting it into an new and, these
days, not inexpensive inner sleeve. For one thing, cleaning can reduce the risk of mold
formation. Also, if an LP is dirty, that debris can be transferred to the sleeve and
re-contaminate the LP even if you clean it later. A clean record in a clean sleeve is a good
practice.
Larry Miller
"Stephen M.H. Braitman" <braitman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 8/17/2008 7:54:39 PM >>>
Hi, Folks:
I wanted to get some feedback from the folks here on the ARSCList
what they think about the various archival preservation products out
there.
The goal is to archivally preserve an old vinyl LP and its jacket.
Bags Unlimited offers the most variety of products. They have a "
"Rice-Paper" Style HD POLYETHYLENE & ACID-FREE PAPER" for the disc.
Is this the best thing?
For the LP jacket, the thickest they offer is a "6 mil POLYETHYLENE"
jacket sleeve without a flap. The thickest Polyethylene with a
sealable flap is 3 mil.
They also have a 4 mil Polyester (Mylar) jacket sleeve without flap,
and a 2 mil with flap.
They also have LP jacket inserts, which can go inside the LP jacket,
or 12" jackets to store the disc outside the jacket.
If there are other companies with better supplies of these types of
products, I'd appreciate the recommendations.
Regards,
Stephen
--
Stephen M.H. Braitman
COMPLETE MUSIC APPRAISAL, ARCHIVAL, AND DISBURSEMENT SERVICES
The WEB SITE: http://www.MusicAppraisals.com
The BLOG: http://www.NeedleScreech.com
The COLUMN: "The Picture Sleeve Archive," Goldmine magazine
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