Packing Record Players and Vinyl

Music lovers will always cherish and understand the value of record players and vinyl. No matter how much the digital era has eased the access to myriads of music options, true music aficionado will always love their vinyl. So what happens when you need to pack a record player and send it across the world without a scratch or have a valuable vinyl delivered as a surprise birthday gift to someone living abroad—all with the guarantee that they will receive it in perfect vintage and playable condition?

PackageHopper will safely deliver your nostalgia around the world, but the hustle and bustle of the trip around the world can have hazards.

This article will guide you through the process of packing record players and vinyl safely to protect them on their journey. Keep your records safe with these tips!

Preparing Your Shipment

When you are shipping a record player, the first thing that we recommend you do is figure out its weight. If it’s a new store-bought record player you can always check with the store, or you can even use your bathroom scale to weigh it.

For example, let’s say your record player weighs 17lbs. Once you find out the weight, you can go to PackageHopper website and check how much it would cost to ship it to any country. Continuing with our example, there is a music lover currently residing in Malta who would be ecstatic to get the newest record player to listen to a budding collection.

Once we type the weight and destination, the system will show you the best deals—which are truly the best because we’ve worked with our carriers to get these rates!

Choose which option suits your needs and budget, you’ll proceed to fill out the form with what’s in the box, its value, and where it was made. After you check out and pay for your shipment, PackageHopper will email you a shipping label and export documents to be printed and attached before you drop off your package.

Now Let’s Pack Your Record Player Correctly!

Things to avoid:

Don’t just simply place your record player loosely into a box, tape the lid shut, and ship it.  In that case damage to the record player is inevitable. 

Things you need to do:

Choose a new and stiff box that will be a safe container for your turntable during the trip. Keep in mind that your package will travel with other heavier boxes so it should be firm enough against any external forces. If you have the original packaging from the manufacturer, it should come with custom-shaped padding for the best guarantee against handling damage.

Remove the platter, tonearm, and turntable from the record player. Wrap each component in packing paper or anti-static bubble wrap individually. Place the player and its components in a safe box, placing the heaviest elements at the bottom. Foam, bubble wrap, and other strong materials should be used to fill any empty spaces in the box.

If you are hesitant about removing parts of your record player, try to keep each individual element as secure as possible. Use bubble wrap and foam to secure the player and tape down any moving parts.

Make sure that the record player doesn’t move around the box once you are done with packing.

Packing Vinyl Records Well for Travel

Similar to a record player, vinyl records are especially fragile and we insist you take extra care when padding and securing these so the music lovers overseas can actuall enjoy the music when it gets there.

Things to avoid:

Try not to leave records free to shift around in their boxes or they might chip or break while being delivered.

Things you need to do:

First, start with removing the records from their jackets. Remove records from their jackets and paper sleeves. Carefully dust using a cleaning tool and put the records into protective plastic sleeves. Place the sleeves in new cardboard record mailers. Insert package stiffeners or fillers, including bubble wrap and cardboard. You’ll want the record itself to be protected from any and all bending, so be generous with stiffeners, these can be made of similar sized cardboard, balsa wood, or even a stiff foam sheet.

Pack around the record as closely as you can to make sure nothing can shift around. You’ll want padding, bubble wrap, or air fillers to allow the record to almost “float” entered in your packing box if you choose to use one with extra space. Fold and tape the record mailer shut. Finally, attach the shipping labels and/or paperwork that you already have printed from your PackageHopper account.

We recommend that you use FRAGILE stickers on the box for extra notice.

We hope this has helped you confidently prepare your record players and vinyl records for their international flight. For the love of music, we want you and your recipient to have the best experience! If your vinyl or record player is valuable to you, we also recommend PackageHopper Protect, which covers your package if it is lost or stolen, up to the time of delivery.

 

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