19 guides
Guides
Everything we know about records, and the people who keep them, written down.
Bought the same record twice? How to stop doing it
Nearly every collector has bought the same record twice. Memory holds the sleeve, not the shelf. The fix is a catalogue you can search in the racks.
Read the guideThe Crate6 guides
The lifestyle shelf: decades, sound, and the people you'll meet at the fairs.
80s vinyl records: what every crate holds and what to check
80s vinyl records are plentiful because the decade closed out the LP's biggest pressing years. Condition matters more than rarity, with scarce corners.
Why is 90s vinyl so expensive? The decade vinyl nearly died
90s vinyl is expensive because the CD had taken over and pressing runs collapsed. Original 90s pressings are scarce in a way no other decade's are.
Albums that sound better on vinyl, and the reason they do
Some albums sound better on vinyl because the vinyl cut comes from a different, less compressed master. The pressing isn't doing it, the mastering is.
Are old records worth anything? Your parents' record crate
Most inherited records are common pressings of much loved albums. Condition decides nearly everything, and a few pressings are genuinely scarce.
Valuable records in charity shops: what diggers check for
Most cheap bins are cheap for good reason. Diggers check every one anyway, because the patterns worth knowing are about pressings, not famous titles.
The types of record collector you meet at a record fair
Seven types of record collector, all of them real, all of them right about something. Find yourself in the list, then find the friend you'll send it to.
Collecting4 guides
Building the shelf: starting out, cataloguing what you've got, and logging what you spin.
How to start collecting vinyl, without overthinking it
To start collecting vinyl you need a turntable that treats records kindly, powered speakers or an amp, and one record you love. Around £150 covers it.
How to import Discogs collection data into Cratemint
Export your collection as a CSV on the Discogs website, then pick that file in Cratemint. Every row lands on your shelf, and no record is ever lost.
What a vinyl listening log is, and how to keep one
A vinyl listening log is a note of what you played and when. Collectors keep one to see what they really reach for, and what they own but never spin.
How to catalogue your vinyl collection
Barcodes, pressings, matrix numbers, and insurance. A practical guide to getting your records into order, whatever tool you use.
Identification4 guides
What you're actually holding: pressings, matrix numbers, grades, and what a barcode can tell you.
First pressing vs reissue: how to tell them apart
A first pressing comes from a record's original release run. A reissue is any later run. Tell them apart by catalogue number, label design and dead wax.
Vinyl matrix numbers explained: reading the dead wax
The matrix number is the code in a record's dead wax. It names the master, the side, the cut and the stampers, and it identifies which pressing you own.
Vinyl record grading explained: the Goldmine scale
Vinyl record grading uses the Goldmine scale, from Mint to Poor. Grade the record and the sleeve separately, and grade what you see, not what you hope.
Scan vinyl barcodes: what a barcode can and can't tell you
Scanning a vinyl barcode finds the release, not always the exact pressing. Records made before the early 1980s have no barcode, so you search by name.
Care4 guides
Keeping records well: cleaning, storage, shelf order, and the insurance you hope you'll never need.
How to store vinyl records so they last
Store vinyl records upright, never stacked flat, in polylined inner sleeves, somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight. Heat is the real enemy.
How to clean vinyl records safely at home
Clean vinyl records with a carbon fibre brush before every play, then wet clean with record cleaning fluid and a microfibre cloth when needed.
How to organise vinyl records and keep it that way
Most collectors organise vinyl records alphabetically by artist, or by genre then artist. The best system is the one you'll keep filing into.
Record collection insurance and documenting what you own
Record collection insurance usually means your home contents policy, which covers records up to a single-item limit. Valuable pressings often need naming.