How do I mail a vinyl record

[artesoma]

I am about to put old vinyl records on ebay. What is the best way to mail them, if sold?

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

Boxed so that nothing can be bent, plus wrapped securely (preferably in some bubblewrap) and with the actual album in a sleeve but outside of the cover - if there's any chance the record could shift around inside the cover, the sharp edges can actually damage and tear the cover (I've sadly received a couple of limited edition albums where this has occurred).

You can get boxes sized especially for LPs, but pizza boxes (not used ones 🙂 ) are also a common way to send them, which you can also buy online in small or large lots. 

[kopenhagen5 · Accepted solution]

I also suggest they are well wrapped and packed into new pizza boxes.

[tazzieterror]

Heat it carefully in the microwave until pliable, then loosely form it around a wooden rolling pin or similarly sized cylindrical object to set. Once cooled, remove the rolling pin and pack it into a mailing tube ready to post...

[11dustyattic · Accepted solution]

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@artesoma wrote:

I am about to put old vinyl records on ebay. What is the best way to mail them, if sold?

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Have a look on youtube for how to package vinyls. You can make templates and have two pieces that fold around across each other, for extra strength. But the experts who make those videos are worth watching, given they know how they like their vinyls packaged. Once you have cardboard templates, the process is very easy. 

And as others have said, the vinyl in the sleeve but outside the cover. Bubblewrap to stop it moving around, you shouldn't feel any movement after packaging

[4channel]

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@artesoma wrote:

I am about to put old vinyl records on ebay. What is the best way to mail them, if sold?

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Hi, the 2 below clips should help. Both are good to watch. The chiirpy one by the young lady is good.  The second one gives a bit more and is explanatory why sometimes it's good to take the actual record out of the cardboard sleeve.

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How To Make a Homemade Record Mailer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wdSWTc3HVk

How to package and ship lp vinyl records

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgkjiYaD0P8

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NOTE: Please be careful with the box cutter knife and always (No matter how tempting to do otherwise) cut  in the away direction from yourself.

[curraone · Accepted solution]

There seem to be plenty of sites if you google. 

Just looking at a couple the consensus seems to be

1.   Take the record out of the cover -  lay it, in its sleeve, on top of the cover

2.   Enclose them in a plastic bag (this is to allow taping later on)

3.    Sandwich them with two pieces of cut out cardboad, a big bigger and tape the record onto the cardboard

4.  Sandwich again with bubble wrap

5.  Sandwich again with cardboard

A sample guide is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wdSWTc3HVk

But I haven't tried this myself.   The only time I sent records I used a pizza box and bubble wrap and they both got broken.

If you can afford it, buy professional mailers  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brown-Rigid-Envelope-12-Vinyl-Record-LP-33-rpm-Postal-Mailers-345-x-345m...

[11dustyattic]

and good for you for caring enough to ask. Your buyers will be happy

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

I used to sell vinyl records as one of my main stock lines when I first started selling on ebay. . I  packed them in a plastic bag and then sandwiched them between two heavy, double core cardboard squares,( fridge boxes from electrical shop or car radiator boxes from auto mechanic ) cut slightly larger than the record. Tape around the outside. NOW THE IMPORTANT BIT ......It is vital that the core flutes run in opposing directions. This is what gives the package its strength. If you just fold a cardboard rectangle in half the flutes run the same way and the cardboard is very easy to bend, damaging the record. 

I have sent many hundreds of vinyl records this way and never had a problem. Using this method, they also usually go as an under 500 gm. parcel, saving on shipping costs. Some other methods suggested may push the weight over 500 gm. increasing postage costs substantially, making many ebay record sales unviable..  NOTE - not suitable for vintage 78 gramaphone records though. They are too prone to cracking for this method.

[lm-entertainment]

like other people who have responded i too sold vinyl records back when i first started on ebay. 

my only suggestion to add is that if you do decide to purchase vinyl record LP mailers - it's better to get the ones that fold into a small box, rather than the flat cardboard ones. 

the flat cardboard ones are still very prone to breakage won't withstand AP's handling of parcels. especially since they don't recognise "FRAGILE" labels / stickers. 

i always found that the foldable box LP mailers gave the best security, providing you pack both sides with either bubble wrap, cardboard, tissue paper etc to restrict movement of the record inside the mailer during transit.