Packing Up 78 Record Collection for Move - Advice Needed

[brianu]

storing all of these seems easy enough... I'm presently doing the same, with "milk" crates and ikea kallax shelves. shipping so many anywhere, especially overseas, just sounds like a nightmare.

[Uncle Vanya]

Raphael, that is why I specified "Engineered Lumber". All engineered lumber meets IPCC Phytosanitary regulations. used engineered pallets which meet these requirements may be had almost for the asking at any large freight forwarder. I'd strongly recommend packing the records for storage as if they were to be shipped overseas. The packing will be little if any more difficult than packing for storage, and when the time comes to ship they can just be whisked on to the airplane without thought or effort. I dont think that, under current conditions, it would cost much more than $1000-$1200 to ship a pallet containing between 2000 and 3000 discs to Europe via air on a space available basis, inclusive of $50,000 or $60,000 of insurance.

Congratulations on your career move, Garrett! Now you can start picking up all of those lovely, inexpensive HMV re-issues of classic jazz, and those wonderful Parlophone New Rhythm Style releases. Pity that you were not briefly posted to India, where all of those super silent Dum Dum pressings lay awaiting discovery.

[marcapra]

Life can be difficult. Why not just put your favorite records on your Ipod and transport that to France? And put the records into storage in the States. Unless this is a rest of your life move.

[Raphael]

Raphael, that is why I specified "Engineered Lumber". All engineered lumber meets IPCC Phytosanitary regulations. used engineered pallets which meet these requirements may be had almost for the asking at any large freight forwarder.

Thanks for the information, I was not familiar with the term “engineered lumber”. I was mainly just giving a heads-up to all readers here that one cannot just build a crate or pallet without paying attention to the pest-control police.

Raphael

[phonodesbois]

Hi Garret,
Some years ago, I moved from Canada to France and I had to ship a lot of 78 records as well as cylinders. Sure, careful packing is a must, but as the move occurred in summer, I had some issues with high temperature and the edges of some 78 records were melted. I suppose that the container was exposed a long time to the sun on the ship or/and on the docks . On the other hand, if you move during winter, freezing temperatures could damage cylinders...
But, all in all, I just had minor issues.
Good luck!
Jeff

[Garret]

Thank you everyone! I am leaning towards putting everything into storage. If things become more permanent, then I'll get things shipped over here to France.

Garret

[Garret]

For shipment by freight it is best to buy special boxes. U-line sells 200# test 11" cube boxes for $1.31 each in lots of 25.
Cut several squares of corrugated cardboard to fit the bottom of the first box. Place two sheets in the bottom of the box. Fasten them in place with hot glue. Cut cardboard spacers for the sides of the box.these should fit the box tightly, but only be the height of your record sleeves. Fasten these in place with a hot glue gun. Place two sleeved Diamond Discs first in the box, fill reasonably tightly with sleeved records and finish with another pair of sleeved Diamond Discs. Place courrigated cardboard spacers on top of the sleeve edges to fill box. Seal.

Do the same with 12" discs but of course use 13" boxes, and substitute a half-dozen sleeved "packing records" (junk LPs) for the Diamond Discs inneaxh box.

2000 records boxed in this way will make a nice pallet. After the boxes are stacked on a pallet made from engineered lumber which has been covered with 7/16" OSB, the entire package should be shrink wrapped to protect, water-proof, and firmly fasten it to the pallet.

Bob, do you put the records in the box upright on edge, or horizontally, like a sheet of paper on a desk? This move is going to happen, for better or worse. The collection has to go into deep storage.

Many thanks,

Garret

[Garret]

bump

[alang]

I would definitely put the records in upright on edge. For my move from Germany to the US I had packed them flat with padding in between and still lost a few records to breakage. On my recent move within the US I transported 10 times as many records packed upright on edge and did not have a single breakage.

Andreas

[AZ*]

I've been reading this thread and the advice given with interest. I plan to move about 1000 miles sometime this year. For my last move over 15 years ago, the packers with the moving company packed my 78 rpm record collection -- more or less similar in size to Garret's -- in regular moving boxes. I really had no choice as I was away at a new job, and I only returned at the last minute before the move. Not many records were broken, but I would prefer that none were damaged. I have more flexibility this time, and I plan to pack them myself using appropriate materials.