IMO, they should be stored in a vinyl sleeve (preferably the envelope-style kind from Japan) with the open end facing the crease.

heh, looks like i'm not the only one that thinks the ikea expedit was MADE for record storage

Spine out, and in enclosed rather than open storage

I see many examples of Expedit used as a room divider. People must just ignore the fact that one side of the bookcase is raw, unfinished particleboard. That would get to me.

It's not clear to me why there is an argument about the two choices.

Are there assertions about one way being best for the condition of the record &/or sleeves?

Otherwise, I can only conclude that you're only discussing personal preferences with how one wants to peruse one's collection. To me, there should be no argument about that -- it's just a personal thing.

Unless, of course, two people in the same space have two different preferences, & not enough space to accommodate both.

Additionally, I suggest an explanation for why most of the house tours show "spine out" collections: It's facilitated by the fact that record "bin" (front-forward) storage is not easily, conveniently available. One has to look on craigslist for record stores going out of business (or the like) to get that kind of storage, for the most part. Shelving that fits records is easier to find.

Personally, to look at my collection & decide what to play, I prefer the front-facing method; however, those storage solutions are not easy to go with, if one is tight on space. So I have spine-out shelving. Hate the crook-neck you get looking, though.

Yup, that's what I loved about my Expedit, as well -- perfect record storage. I don't remember it having unfinished particleboard on either side... it worked perfectly as a room divider.

@SubwayKnitter : there's not an unfinished side.

i have the desk attachment for my expedit and have a few slots full of records. it's absolutely perfect for record storage.

Can someone tell me if the (wood/MDF/whatever they're made of) used in expedits is actually good for long-term storage? I see them and just think the weight of records would warp the shelves. Thanks.

I keep mine in several large magazine racks. Perfect!

Also I don't even understand the point of this post. There was only one (maybe two, depending on how you look at them) example(s) of anything resembling the front-forward record-store type of storage, and it's because the picture showed about 30 records. Is it at all realistic to have it record-store style when that has to be horizontal? If you have a small collection, say 150 or less, and perhaps an old record crate, that's fine. Anymore though and it's a huge and inefficient use of horizontal surface. So is there really a question here?

If owners of these homes are on here, I want to know what kind of vinyl player you'd recommend!

My boyfriend uses his Expidit to house his (ever growing) laser disk collection, and they're all spine out.
The way the Expidit is designed I think it stands up pretty well without warping. I think. It hasn't yet been a year since he got it, so I'm not positive.

_ travislessness:_
I've had records in my Expedit for 4 yrs. I'm sure you're wondering about longer time than that; but so far no warping. At all. And it's completely full.

It's funny how Expedit opened up the possibilities for record owners... 'twas hard to find things tall & deep enough before.

of course this would be cool http://www.atochadesign.com/page_2.html

...but for those of us who don't have 12,000 or a talented friend to build a similar piece...the expedit is the way to go for large amounts of vinyl. As the previous poster commented, mine is also filled and has held up for many years. I also have several vintage wire racks that are holding records in current rotation etc.

@travislessness

I wouldn't really expect the expedit shelves to buckle, especially fully loaded, since it has reinforcement from all sides that way.  There's a support every 15in or so.  But the max load/shelf is supposed to be 13kg.

Remember that movie "High Fidelity"? He would rearrange his record collection all the time.
I have a cupboard I store mine in. Wouldn't give them up for anything!
I still have my record player I had as a kid. And a Hi-Fi console from the 60's, a really cool one from the 50's with bamboo facing. Oh, and a Victrola from the 20's. And my Dad's stereo from the 90's. Guess I collect record players.... love them all.

Few, if any, of these pictures show what I would think of as "front facing." Is it just me or aren't they all "spine out"?

we just built record shelves by the fireplace.... with a library ladder. spine out, for the record.

and for turntables, to answer an early poster, stanton, yamaha, and technics.

Does anyone know the make/model or where to get the awesome red turntable in the 2nd and 3rd photo?

Vinyl sleeve preserves record cover, but not so great for the actual record.

My Expedits are finished on both sides. They're old, new and black.

And, a retail establishment is not actually an inspiration for your house. I know AT loves that idea, but it's dumb. Stop it.

Spine out-- though I never actually thought of doing it any other way. Most are in a custom-built wood shelf and the rest in milk crates. Almost all in protective plastic sleeves. And we use a Stanton player.

As others have said, you have next to zero options if you want to store records face-out. The high-end furniture linked to by rymon looks nice but is very expensive. Your only other option is to build a face-out shelving system similar to what you would find in a record store. Most of us don't have the ability (or the wall space) to do that. But most vinyl collectors would probably prefer, if budget and space were not an option, to have their records face-out. We like flipping through our covers.

Spine-out options are plentiful and cheap. The Expedit works very well and will not buckle. I have a friend who has the largest one they make full of records -- no problems if it's properly screwed into the wall so it doesn't topple.

As for the question on turntable, it's a matter of preference and budget. There are a bagillion tables from the '70s available on eBay for under $100, and your local Craigslist will turn up some options too. A vintage table from that era is a good place to start, especially if you can get one cheap (<$50) and invest to have it cleaned and refurbished, if necessary, at a local shop (another $25+). The Japanese were making great tables back then.

For new stuff, the entry-level audiophile tables by Pro-ject and the like are stylishly designed and sound okay, but are pricier ($400).

Stay away from the Crosleys; they are junk and over-priced.

The spine-out display in the first pic looks like a beautiful Missoni fabric.

I have my records in crates from a swedish called Granit (www.granit.se). On the floor. Yes. They collect some dust, yes. But I seem to play them more when they're more accessible and easier to flip through rather than bending you whole body to try to find the right spine for that one record you're looking for. I know, since I used Expedit earlier. IKEA's Ivar could also be used for record storage, with our without crates.

And also, the turntable in the second picture should be a Ion USB turntable. Sold by Urban Outfitters.
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/cm/harpersbazaar/images/da/ion-usb-turntable-tech-gg09-1209-de.jpg

here's my lp shelving. proof that face out is the way to go:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/ledisquaire/junk015.jpg

i had them custom made, based on the design of the laser disk shelving that they used to use at tower records.

hey, back from the grave, the sonics, the music machine, angels from hell soundtrack - some seriously dope stuff there.

though i think front facing is better for easier access... i have mine spine out. why? don't really know.

It's not really the turntable that matters (but do use the tip-toes stands) but the tone arm.

I would love to have the space for front-facing albums, but Expedited spine sorting is for me in my bachelor apartment. Sorted by genre, then alphabetized.

Unless you have serious space, I think front-facing is good only for a pretty small collection.

jenny, your BEST stuff goes in the front facing racks.

and i have about 2,500 square feet, so whatever is in the front facing racks will always rotate to spine out, depending on what i acquire and which of it is worth keeping/ which stuff isn't the deadliest ever. lifer, baby. i recommend having at least a good size front facing rack for this purpose. plus, it can be even better than art on the walls.

Thanks for the feedback on the Expedits. I've been looking for a new record storage system and I think this is it.

A post on well-designed, from both an aesthetic and sound point of view, audio systems might also be a good idea.

I scored three 3 box offi perf boxes http://www.offi.com/products/storageandshelving/VSPxx13.php?p2c=289#top
for $75 each from a local liquidation sale to store my vinyl. I also use alphabetized white dividers and poly sleeves from www.bagsunlimitted.com.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kid_coleco/4983521823/

i aslo use www.deliciouslibrary.com to catalog them on my mac.http://www.flickr.com/photos/kid_coleco/4984135518/

I saw a home decorating show once and they custom built cabinets for this guy with a massive vinyl collection so they could be front facing... oh to dream. So yeah, unless you have good carpentry skills, spine out it would have to be. And since we collect mostly 45's, we still haven't figured out how to nicely store them front-facing without using gray, felt record cases. This might work though, but isn't available at our local IKEA just yet.

So, Marquee Moon makes the whole thing.

my father had/has a collection of well over 12,000 records and that's not including his 45's and such. he kept them all in wooden crates stacking on top of and next to each other. he moved a lot- i don't know how he did that. anyway, his were always with the spine out and that's now how i do it. his collection was expansive and covered every genre imaginable from corridos and ranchera (we're mexican) to electronic, heavy metal, folk, punk (he was punk in the 80's...i was introduced to dead kennedy's, mdc, ghb, etc.. before anyone i knew in my age bracket let it be known they liked it as well), billy bragg was my first favorite recording artist as a kid...ugh, one day it will all be mine.

he even liked jay-z and tupac and had a charles manson album still in the package and he'd never ever let me open it. he met and got stoned with iggy pop and had a vinyl signed by him - 'peace, love, shit, iggy pop' it said. man, i miss having access to that collection. i'm getting nostalgic now, *barf*

he even liked jay-z and tupac and had a charles manson album still in the package and he'd never ever let me open it. he met and got stoned with iggy pop and had a vinyl signed by him - 'peace, love, shit, iggy pop' it said. man, i miss having access to that collection. i'm getting nostalgic now, *barf*