Although vinyl records do not break easily, the soft material can easily get scratched. They can also be warped by heat or exposure to sunlight. Vinyl readily acquires a static charge, attracting dust that could cause audio clicks and pops. Thus, vinyl LP’s must be properly packed before shipping to ensure that they arrive in good working condition. Below is an easy to follow guide on how to pack and ship vinyl LP’s.
Get some corrugated cardboard stock and cut two 12×12 pieces. These will be your LP filler pads.
Sandwich the LP (in its album cover) between the two cardboard pads.
Secure the LP between the pads by placing packaging tape on all four sides. This will limit the movement of the LP.
Place the padded LP inside a LP record mailer (shown below). These mailers are specifically designed to hold LP record albums (up to 12 pieces without album covers). They can also be used when shipping books, magazines, photos, artwork, manuscripts, catalogs, literature, framed pictures, or manuals.
For high value or international shipping, it is best to use extra heavy-duty LP boxes which are larger than standard LP mailers. The extra space allows the LP record albums to be wrapped in bubble wrap and kept away from the sides of the box.
Fold the mailer’s inner and outer flaps properly then secure the main seam with a long strip of packaging tape. Also put strips of tape along each of the sides.
Label and address the package and take to the local post office.