LAST Record Preservative. Do you believe?

tried that stuff, it didn't work for me, use rr products instead and am happy

LAST is not a substitute or replacement for an RCM or record cleaning, and I don't believe the LAST people suggest it is intended to be. Record cleaning and using LAST serve two different purposes.

LAST is not a cleaner. Nor its use like coating ('slathering') your record with vaseline, some how interfering with the passage of the stylus through the groove. Purportedly it works at the molecular level by hardening/strengthening the vinyl so that it lasts (get it?) longer. (cf. LastFactory )

Over the past 25 years, records I've treated with LAST have held up very well, clean easier and tend to stay clean longer. I hear no sonic degradation from records treated with LAST, if anything, just the opposite.

I also use the Stylast stylus treatment as long as my cartridge does not have a hollow cantilever. I'm convinced it extends stylus life.

...in my system, YMMV, yada yada, etc.

If you research vinyl you will find out that it degrades. This degradation can be slowed by the apllication of solutions which contain lead. I'm assuming that the preservative contains lead and stabilizes the vinyl. I have used it on my most played albums only after a complete cleaning to good effect.

it would be a mistake to use this

These arguments are common when faced with product testimonials rather than a) scientific explanation by the supplier and b) independent laboratory testing. The contents of the LAST preservative may be common so that LAST does not want to give away a trade secret by divulging them. On the other hand, that does not prevent them from having an independent laboratory test their product. In the mean time anecdotal arguments are of limited value. Does anybody feel like buying two of the same record, treating one with LAST and then subjecting the results to blind audio testing? That would be interesting.