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COLLECTING THE BEATLES

Care, Protection, Tips and Hints

BeatleFans.com has put together some tips and hints on how to get to most out of your Beatles collection.  Hopefully you'll find some information that will help you to preserve them for years to come.

Care & Protection Finding Records Counterfeits and Repro's
  Supplies  

Care & Protection  by The Record Collectors Guild
Following are some simple rules for preserving your picture sleeves:

Never store the record in the picture sleeve - The thickness of the record raises the center of the sleeve increasing the chance of damage through rubbing ("wear ring"). The sharp edges of 45s can rip tears in the sleeve's sides. Put the record in a generic sleeve and store it separate from the picture sleeve.

Store your collection in plastic - Plastic, poly and mylar protective sleeves are available from a number of sources to help preserve your collection. While they come in a number of styles and sizes, I prefer a 6 mil, open-end (no flap) sleeve that measures 7½" x 7½". This protective sleeve is large enough to accommodate any picture sleeve size variation and thick enough to avoid accidental wrinkles in your collection.

Back your sleeves with thin cardboard - I apologize for not knowing the exact name of the material. We called it "shirtboard" when I was a kid. It is the non-corrugated cardboard that was used to package shirts. You could use a heavy poster board as well. Whichever you use, make sure it is acid-free. I suggest that you cut some squares to the size of your protective sleeves and slide them behind the picture sleeve. This keeps the sleeve flat and helps to avoid accidental damage.

No direct sunlight - While picture sleeves make very nice wall decorations, sunlight will fade the ink on the sleeve. Don't leave your sleeves where they are exposed to direct sunlight.

Use common sense - I've heard all kinds of ideas for fixing and cleaning picture sleeves. Whatever you do be very careful. You are dealing with a thin piece of paper that, once damaged, can't be repaired and, often times, can't be replaced. I may remove a sticker but I personally avoid trying to erase, scrape or soak off most of what I find on a sleeve. Many of the same methods used to repair album covers can be applied to picture sleeves. I try to straighten bent corners and jagged edges before I store the sleeve. I have even CAREFULLY ironed sleeves between two pieces of porous paper (no starch!) to flatten them.

Finding Records by The Record Collectors Guild

Here are a few ideas that the Guild offers on locating vinyl recordings.

Locating those long sought after records, can be time consuming. But, at the same time, can be fun and rewarding. Who hasn't dreamt of one day, entering a thrift shop, walking up to a bin of records, and there before your very eyes, lies a stack of records that you have been wanting for years. And to top it off, you can probably purchase them at a bargain price. Of course this is just dreaming. But hey, it could happen.
The first step, that many people take in locating records, is to pick up the phone directory and let their fingers do the walking. This is a good method for locating stores in your area that might deal with vinyl recordings.
At a local record shop, you can expect to find a relatively large selection of records to choose from. But expect to pay top dollar for your selections.
While browsing the phone book, you might want to take note of any thrift shops or flea markets in your neighborhood. There, you will no doubt, find fewer recordings than at a record store. And they will quite possibly be of a lower quality. But you should expect to pick them up at bargain basement prices. One such organization that falls under this category, and is located nationwide, is Goodwill Industries.
Also include in your search, any used book store in your area. They are also known for having used records for sale. Although, their selection may be limited.
After you have finished with the phone book, grab the newspaper, and look under yard or garage sales. There have been many situations where a "Vinyl Hunter" has walked away from one of these events, with a box of vinyl gems, and in most cases, for only a few dollars.
If you are the type that prefers to stay at home and do your shopping with the use of your computer (this tends to save gas and reduces wear on your vehicle), there are several ways for finding records.
One particularly fine method is to visit one of the many online auctions which have appeared in recent years. Two of the biggest, and perhaps the best, are Ebay.com and the Yahoo Music Auctions . At these sites, you can be sure to locate literally thousands of recordings (vinyl, shellac, tapes and CD's). To many collectors, online record auctions are another form of entertainment. While competing with other collectors for the same album, you experience a rush of adrenaline in very much the similar fashion as you would when participating in legalized gambling. But buyer beware! Much like the gambling experience, online auctions can be addictive. Additionally, if you get caught up in a bidding war, you can easily end up paying much more for a recording, than it is really worth.
Perhaps the most plentiful resource on the internet for purchasing records albums, is the record dealer website. Here a buyer, could buy or sell an entire collection of records. There are two methods for locating these websites. One way is by the use of a search engine (Yahoo, Excite, etc.). Another source of dealer websites is the Record Collectors Webring. Here, one can locate record dealers and other fine websites that specialize in recorded music.
Finally, you can visit one of the many message boards that deal specifically with the "Buying, Selling or Trading" of record albums. One of the larger boards available, is the Record Collectors Guild's "Buy, Sell or Trade" message board. There are thousands of recordings available at this site for purchase.
 

Counterfeits and Repro's

This page is dedicated to exposing the counterfeits and reproductions that plague our hobby. Every collector has experienced the embarrassment and humiliation of having spent hard earned cash only to find out later that the item was bogus. It's pay back time. 

Steve Clifford's Beatle Website

Supplies

The following websites offer valuable items for the storing, cleaning and preserving of your collection.

Nitty Gritty - wet/vac cleaners for all size records
Discwasher - makers of cleaning and maintenance supplies for records, CDs, DVDs, and cassettes.
The Disc Doctor - cleaning solutions and brushes for LPs, CDs, CD-ROMs, and laser discs.
Sleeve City - offers album sleeves, jewel cases, CD cleaning products, and more.
Garage 'A Records - Turntables, needles, cleaners, storage and more.
Bags Unlimited - the number one choice of collectors for storage, display, and shipping products for their collectibles.
The Turntable Factory Sales and service of vintage and classic record playing systems.
Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor specializes in fine analog playback equipment, cables, and other audiophile accessories. In addition, we carry needles for most any make and model of turntable or cartridge ever produced.

 

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