If you are like me and never part with anything without a struggle, then this blog is for you.

I have always been a collector, much to my wife's dismay. In my lifetime I've managed to accumulate a few treasures along with quite a bit of junk. There was a time years ago, when I collected record albums, when I refused to sell any records in my collection, no matter what the price. The coming of recordable cassettes changed all that. I realized that I could record the album onto a cassette and sell the record. I still had the music after all. I was simply selling the album artwork.

Then compact discs came about and I was able to get most of my sold albums back in that format. Now, as irony would have it, I have quite a few albums again plus my music CD collection. Thanks to recordable CDs, there is nothing in my collection that I wouldn't sell at the right price. But, while the items are here, taking up space in my office and basement, I might as well protect them.

It's called protecting your investment, no matter what you paid for it.

Since we are on the subject of records and CDs, here are a few common sense tips for their care and maintenance. The most important rule is this: if it's round and has music or video on it, don't stack it. You should always keep your records and CDs in an upright position. Stacking vinyl records will warp them after a time, especially if the stacking takes place in a humid area like your basement. Once a record warps it stays warped. With CDs, who knows. It's possible that you could stack them for years without significant damage. But why take the chance?  Put them on their side on a shelf and forget about them. 

Keep your records out of damp places. If your spouse insists they stay in the basement, try to get a dehumidifier. If a dehumidifier is not an option, then at least keep the items off the floor and elevated if possible.

CDs with their jewel cases, and DVDs with their hard plastic shells are pretty durable and can be replaced if damaged. Cardboard album covers and paper 45RPM covers cannot. Therefore I suggest buying plastic sleeves that enclose the covers completely. They are readily available. Some record stores sell them or you can buy them off the internet. The internet store 'Bags Unlimited'  has them for around 15 cents apiece. 

Make sure your album has an inner sleeve. Sometimes when you buy a used album, they'll be missing. The inner sleeve prevents the vinyl from rubbing against the cardboard surface. The best kind of inner sleeve has a plastic lining to cut down on the wear and tear. These type of sleeves are commonly found on classical records. Bags Unlimited sells them also.

Finally, if you have too many records, CDs, and/or DVDs to fit on shelves, try putting them in storage containers. Places like K-Mart have small 7" X  13" clear plastic containers that are perfect for CDs and DVDs. They also sell 13" X 16" plastic crates (they look like milk containers) that are great for storing record albums.

If you have any storing or protecting suggestions, e-mail me at      lifeinthesixties@comcast.net .