Congratulations, the vinyl LP record market is definitely on the up and we’re not surprised if you are selling more vinyl than ever before! We’ve been talking to several online shops that send their vinyl out in the post or by courier and trying to find out how we can solve some of the issues experienced when mailing your LP record internet orders so you can send your records in better packaging.
VINYL RECORD MAILERS
Vinyl record mailers are extra stiff mailers with strengthened corners to prevent creasing and corner damage while they travel through the postal system. The main types of mailers used for mailing vinyl records are twistwrap style record mailers and record envelopes which are both manufactured from stiff cardboard.
LP MAILER BOXES
When mailing vinyl records special attention needs to be given to making the lp mailer boxes as stiff as possible so the flexible records are not creased and damaged during transit. Damage to the corners of the record sleeves is also important so you need to consider boxes with good corner protection. Below we consider the main problems with choosing LP mailers and give you some hints and tips on what to look out for.
Creasing Damage to Vinyl LP Records
By far one of the most common problems with mailing LP records is their flexibility, the thin vinyl can be bent and creased very easily which means that keeping them flat while been thrown around in the back of a courier van is quite a challenge. Before choosing record mailer packaging you need to test the rigidity of the mailer by trying to bend it. Before testing make sure you seal the flap down if it has a peel & seal closure as this will give the mailer extra strength.
As always you need to get the balance between the cost and protectiveness of your packaging, here’s a few products that give good rigidity and will help stop your LP records from creasing during transit.
- Rigid Envelopes for Mailing LP Records – These stiff envelopes give a great balance between cost-effectiveness and protection.
- Tuftwist® Corrugated Twistwrap Style Record Mailers – Manufactured from thick corrugated cardboard these mailers are super strong and sturdy.
Corner Damage to Vinyl LP Record Sleeves
Keeping the vinyl record sleeve in pristine condition is one of the big factors that determines the price so keeping the corners of the sleeve well protected is very important. As the sleeves are often only made from thin card they damage quite easily, you only need to drop the record sleeve once to scuff the corner and make it look a bit tatty.
The good news is that if you choose the right packaging your record sleeves can be kept in perfect condition during their journey to your customer. Here are a few ideas which protect the corners of your LP sleeves well and will help to eliminate corner damage.
- Protective LP Record Bubble Bags – Bubble bags surround your records in a layer of shock absorbing bubbles and help to cushion those bangs and bashes.
- Tuftwist® Corrugated Twistwrap Style Record Mailers – These record mailers have strong crumple zones protecting the corners of your record sleeves so if your parcel is dropped on a corner it crumples and absorbs the shock much like a bumper on a car.
Water Damage to Vinyl LP Records
Vinyl record sleeves and English weather definitely don’t go together a lot of the time. Your LP record sleeves are generally made from thin card so if they get wet it can seriously damage them, although some are covered with a thin plastic film water can still migrate in and be absorbed by the card inside. If a record sleeve gets wet the ink will run and the print will look smudged as well as the card losing some of its integrity and becoming weak and floppy.
By putting your mailer in a water proof plastic bag you can prevent the water from migrating through your packaging and soaking the record inside. Below are some different plastic bag options that will protect your LP records from water damage.
- Water Resistant LP Record Mailing Bags – These thin plastic mailing bags will cover your packages in a plastic film and protect your records from water damage.
- Protective LP Record Bubble Bags – These bags, although mainly designed to add impact protection, will also help to stop water migrating through the pack and damaging your records.
Our Ultimate Record Mailer Suggestion
By considering all the points above we’ve combined a few different record packaging solutions to develop the ultimate record mailer. This solution gives protection against most of the common areas of damage that a vinyl LP record could sustain during its journey to your customer. This is by no means the only solution but if you need the best LP record protection then give this a try.
- First pop your record into a protective bubble bag, this will give shock protection and cushion your records with a barrier of air pockets. **Extra Tip** If your record is an antique consider wrapping in an acid free tissue paper first for extra protection.
- Next wrap your vinyl record in a sturdy twist style corrugated mailer, these strong mailers have cross dimensional fluting which is super rigid and very difficult to bend making them great for stopping crease damage.
- Finally pop the whole package into a water resistant mailing bag to keep the water out of your LP Record and keep your cardboard packaging looking clean and tidy.
And that’s it, your ultimate Vinyl LP Record mailer solution!
