Avoiding Ringwear

Keeping the cover for your vinyl media in good condition will do a lot to preserve the value of your collection. In my video on how to store records, I go over how to keep dust and wear away with a plastic cover. However, that is not the only thing to be conscious of. Ringwear is a type of wear on a cover that is created when too much pressure is exerted and the edges of the disk damage the paper of the cover.

While plastic covers will help prevent ringwear to an extent, it’s also important to consider how you are storing your records. Do not press them too tightly into a small space with one another, as this friction can cause damage. Additionally, make sure your records are stored the same way you would put books on a bookshelf- stack them from the sides, not from the ground up! In an improperly oriented stack, too much force is exerted on the records in the bottom of the pile, and this will cause wear. It’s also much harder to get them out, resulting in excess handling and more cover damage.

When stored properly, items in your collection will keep their pristine quality for a long time into the future! It’s important to take care of your records in order to preserve them as best as possible.