Vinyl Records - Shipping, max/min temperatures


Greetings.

I will be shipping my entire vinyl record collection soon, and am researching shipping methods.  It's too much for me to load them in my car or even my pickup truck.  The move will be cross country, about 2500 miles.

We all know that if vinyl is exposed to temperatures too high, they will likely warp.  I am thinking that this being January, excessively high temperatures are not likely to be encountered during shipping.   But what about low temperatures?  What would be the safest minimum temperature the vinyl could be exposed to without damage?

btanchors

Cold temps probably won't be a problem. I'd say the risk is that the get dropped etc when cold which could damage them when they are brittle.  However, if they are packed tightly into boxes or crates so that they cannot move, the risk is minimal.  

If they aren't packed correctly, the risk is there independent of temp.

Jerry

The record collection is not that large - perhaps 700-800 albums  They will be packed in 13 inch double-layered corrugated cardboard boxes.  Naturally, they will be stored near vertically in the boxes, but not packed too tight.

There is still some insulation value in the cardboard boxes and truck they are shipped in is probably not going to be much colder than an industrial warehouse, where, I am sure there are lots of new vinyl records stored for distribution.

It has more to do with how they are packed. Uhaul has perfect size boxes for them. Pack vinyl upright and leaving zero gap but not overly tight. 

I would consider strapping them to a pallet, surround them with heavy duty clear plastic wrap and ship them freight. Cold weather should not be a problem, however hot weather might be.