Shipping LP outside of sleeve?

[Gippej]

Hey guys,

 

I recently received an LP straight from a record label, opened, with the LP behind the sleeve. I know this is common practice for used sales but this is the first time I have received a new record shipped like this. What is your opinion on this method? I could see how this could prevent sleeve rips and tears but I always feel I receive the record with more surface scratches using this method. Granted my record I just received plays absolutely fine, it just seems like it would be more safe for the record if if was shipped inside the sleeve, and I would rather have sleeve damage than record damage.

[chamb117]

i ship outside the sleeve if i have bubble wrap or a poly sleeve as a secondhand seller. i'm ok with labels shipping outside the sleeve, especially since some of them don't pay for shrinkwrap in the first place. the worst that would happen are some dings to the outer edge, which contain zero music playability, so i think the risk is pretty low. and considering how worked up people get about their seam splits on here and elsewhere, it makes sense why small labels would rather play it safe.

[cdmclements]

I've had this happen several times. Typically the larger retailers like Amazon won't take the time to do that, but a lot of the smaller places like Reckless in Chicago do this with all of their records. Presumably yours arrived between anti-static sheets that protected them during shipping, so they should be fine. If that's not the case, then I would be inclined to contact the seller. As far as I know, shipping in the sleeves is more prone to warping... so I have nothing against this practice. 

[markok]

Earache for example even has a checkbox where you can check "remove from sleeve". I hope that some day many distros will do the same, its so annoying to write time them about each and every time. 

 

Or other option is what Nuclear Blast is doing - records are shrinkwrapped in the factory but the records are put between the gatefold sleeves, not inside them. Nuclear Blast is ordering their records from Optimal factory in Germany, I think.

[Gippej]

i ship outside the sleeve if i have bubble wrap or a poly sleeve as a secondhand seller. i'm ok with labels shipping outside the sleeve, especially since some of them don't pay for shrinkwrap in the first place. the worst that would happen are some dings to the outer edge, which contain zero music playability, so i think the risk is pretty low. and considering how worked up people get about their seam splits on here and elsewhere, it makes sense why small labels would rather play it safe.

 

See I think I would rather have seam splits then this. But if shipping outside the sleeve is known to prevent warping then I am all for that (even though I believe most warps come from the pressing plant), as that is my biggest pet peeve with new vinyl. Mine was shipped in a poly outer sleeve (both record and gatefold, record in paper inner sleeve behind).

[brandy]

Earache for example even has a checkbox where you can check "remove from sleeve". I hope that some day many distros will do the same, its so annoying to write time them about each and every time. 

 

Or other option is what Nuclear Blast is doing - records are shrinkwrapped in the factory but the records are put between the gatefold sleeves, not inside them. Nuclear Blast is ordering their records from Optimal factory in Germany, I think.

 

This. So much!

[Aealo]

Earache for example even has a checkbox where you can check "remove from sleeve". I hope that some day many distros will do the same, its so annoying to write time them about each and every time. 

Same with Century Media/InsideOut