78rpm FAQ

Frequently asked questions from the new collectors

this page first published by John Wright, 13 Feb 1999
last update 14 March 1999vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

FAQ 1

How do you safely store 78rpm records?



Store them vertical (not flat, and not leaning). Piling records flat on top of each other leads to careless handling and breakages. Prolonged horizontal neglect causes warping and cracking. This also happens if 78's are left leaning. Preferably use a shelf system which has narrow sections or 'pigeon holes' which hold up to 20 records. Wider sections are OK if you fill them ~90%. 78's are heavy - it's not much fun seeing 100 78's fall over!).
Strong wooden shelves are the best thing for 78's, but you can also make use of second-hand office furniture, for example I have metal shelf cabinets but I've had to improvise with shelf supports which also act as vertical separators - 78's are heavy and 100 of them fall over quite easily. 200 on a weak shelf can lead to disaster! Before you install your heavy shelving or cabinet make sure the floor can take the weight - upstairs bedroom or attic are not the best places for a 78 collection - 5 of your 78's weigh about 1 kilogram (2.2lbs) so 1000 will weigh 200 kg (440lbs), add to that your shelves.... So it's best to be on the ground floor and preferably a concrete floor. Oh and try and make your shelves tilt back a little, this will prevent 78's rolling off ... (a good reason for record sleeves!).
Avoid hot conditions. If 78's get hot they will warp or the grooves get distorted. So keep away from radiators. Direct sunlight is not good for 78's; since they are black, they absorb the heat and get very hot and warped. (Actually the sun's heat can be used to remove warps but that's another FAQ, see below).
Avoid damp conditions. If they get damp 78's can be attacked by mould which seems to eat into the grooves or leaves a permanent deposit which wrecks the sound.
Keep 78's clean, preferably in original sleeves. Abrasive substances such plaster dust, sand or gritty dust can damage the grooves in the records, especially if you keep rubbing them together on the shelf! So if you have sleeves check they are clean inside. If you don't have sleeves you can get flat brown paper bags from a general store or market. (Cutting circular holes isn't worth the effort!). Of course you can buy proper brand new sleeves, see my 78rpm equipment page. Also avoid spilling chemicals and alcohol on 78's!

Beware of 78 Albums, they can be dangerous. In the open position you might find that up to 1 cm of the disc can slip inside the spine of the album, and when you turn the 'page', SNAP, the edge is broken off. Some older classical album sets benefitted from protective stitching or 'eye-rivets' which prevented the discs slipping into the spine. If your album cover isn't special then it's best to cut the sleeves out and make them into regular sleeves (or try a bit of stitching or riveting!).

Some albums are made of high quality material and some feature very attractive artwork, e.g. Jack Flora illustrated jazz album covers, so if you like your albums try to keep them upright as shown here:

Moving 78 collections is a very hazardous procedure. If you have to move 1000 78's you'll need some strong boxes. Grocery stores offer a range of boxes, pick those with well-taped or stapled bottons and fairly rigid sides. If you work in or have access to an office area look for the boxes for their xerox paper. They are a good size and the lid can become a reinforcment for the bottom. They are popular for dealers stalls. There are plastic boxes/crates which are much stronger.

Other websites, listed below, give their expert opinion on this important topic:

return to

|| FAQ List || Welcome page ||