With the advent of the internet and all relating technologies there has never before been such a wealth of ideas to buy great gifts for vinyl lovers, such a suppository from which to draw in order to please the resident vinyl record collector in your circle of friends. You just can’t beat the look, sound and feel of a vinyl record, the utter nostalgia of it, and thanks to the present vinyl boom there has never been such an apposite time to buy gifts for a friend who loves collecting vinyl records.
As already elucidated, there are a whole host of gifts for vinyl lovers, and these will range from totally useful to pure novelty, though I would argue there’s always a space for both in the arms of any vinyl record and / or music enthusiast. Even the most novelty gifts for vinyl lovers will have some sort of use around the house, and that’s the beauty of it.
There is not a bad time of the year to gift your resident vinyl record collector something they are likely to cherish, to hold dear with them and to allow them to think of them every time they are behind their decks spinning discs.
Table of Contents
- Velvet Vinyl Dust Brush
- Vinyl Record Bag
- Complete Care Vinyl Cleaning Kit
- 12″ LP Sleeves for Vinyl Records
- Wooden Vinyl Record Storage Crate on Wheels
- Vinyl Record Storage Case
- Record Display Shelf Unit
- Final Tones
- FAQs Gifts for Vinyl Lovers
Velvet Vinyl Dust Brush
You really can’t go wrong with such a useful gift for a collector. No matter where they go, what they are listening to, or who is or is not around to see it, dust is almost certainly going to get involved. Something about vinyl records in particular seems to welcome it with wide open arms outstretched, as though it simply cannot get enough of these old, vintage and retro sounds, pouring from the record, into the stylus, the needle and out of the speakers.
No matter why the dust rears its head, it can be a real nuisance. No doubt some feel that the appeal of collecting vinyl records is precisely the sound of a turntable needle clawing its way through the mounds of dust that have accumulated over the years, the literal epitome of the glorifying of nostalgia. Even if I don’t necessarily believe in nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, even I have to admit how satisfying it is to hear the snap, crackle and pop of tired old vinyl records spinning on the platter, like an overexcited bowl of cereal.
Your resident vinyl collector might think otherwise, however, particularly if they are more of an audiophile than I am. If they are always out and about, commenting on audio fidelity and distortion and the like, then chances are they are not going to be hugely into the amount of dust that can accumulate on vinyl records.
Thus, a tool like this, which is specifically designed to deal with the dust that accumulates on vinyl records and plagues many an audiophile in turn, is going to be one of those gifts for vinyl lovers that you simply can’t be without, whether as a birthday gift, a christmas gift, or simply because you feel like it and know that it will please the recipient to no end.
Vinyl Record Bag
There will come a time when every vinyl record collector must transport their collection from one place to another. This is an everyday occurrence if you are a disc jockey who is lucky enough to have a music taste that people prize enough to pay you for it! You are likely to be carrying chunks of your precious collection around wherever you are spinning discs of an evening. Nationwide, worldwide, you name it, you can likely spin there if needed.
But even for the average, every day vinyl record collector, there still comes a time when you need to transport some or all of your vinyl record collection from A to B. You might be going to spin some discs at a friend’s house, simply swapping discs with this same friend, or even selling some records at your local record store. No matter the circumstance, you or the recipient of this gift are going to need a sturdy piece of kit that you can trust to hold the precious collection.
Cue this practical and stylish vinyl record bag! Eschewing the all too common vinyl record case for something more practical, this bag, with its retro inspired aesthetic doesn’t sacrifice any of its storage capacity or protective shielding for being so stylish.
And the same goes for the inverse, for it is protective to the max, able to hold up to 75 LPs and looks fly all the while. It even comes installed with side pockets, which would be perfect for holding smaller 7 inch records, as well any other accessories that you or the vinyl record collector in question care to take along for the ride, space enough even for all the other accessories you might care to purchase!
Complete Care Vinyl Cleaning Kit
Any vinyl record collector at some point or another is going to need to get down and dirty with their records. As previously elucidated, vinyl records attract dirt and dust and grime like they are related to it or something. I suppose you could, in fact, say that they are, considering dust and dirt are the remnants of lives past, much like all recordings are relics of a musical moment or performance gone by.
Nevertheless, if a record is to last longer than it’s sell by date so to speak, a vinyl record collector is going to need to show each record some love. What with the clinical perfection and uncanny inhumanity of digital audio technology, it is no wonder that such imperfect formats like vinyl and cassette have made such a massive comeback in the 21st century. They are placeholders for a time uninhabited by more or less the entire userbase, allowing younger generations to return to a time they see as being previous to the veritable complexity of the modern day.
Cue this holistic, all in one vinyl record cleaning kit to reduce this complexity by just the right amount. Such an all encompassing cleaning kit is likely to have anyone who is serious about their vinyl records swooning in your arms.
Contained within are two cleaning solutions, one for the discs themselves and the other for cleaning the stylus. Alongside this are dedicated brushes for each aspect of the turntable, as well as a general microfibre cloth. All of these elements seek to remove dust and grime that gets in the way of the perfect vinyl sound. Any audiophile would convulse at the thought, of having been gifted such a useful panoply of goodies.
12″ LP Sleeves for Vinyl Records
As gifts for vinyl lovers go, this is another that ought to be ubiquitous among all record lovers. Where previous gifts in this list have been concerned with the sanctity of the disc itself, these polypropylene sleeves are more concerned with the preservation of the sleeve itself.
This is an aspect oft neglected in the world of vinyl record collecting. Far too often, you will receive a record in the post or out in the wild, whose disc will be perfectly preserve but whose sleeve will look more like rags. So much of the experience of listening to and appreciating a record is in these sleeves. Listening to a record properly, sitting back and holding the sleeve aloft like art. For that is what it is, and why album covers are referred to, by some, as album art.
Here is where these polypropylene sleeves come in. You might have seen similar accessories on some or all of the records in your local record store. Too often, however, those used in record stores are murky and almost opaque. Fair enough, it would be pretty expensive to deck every record in the store with such high grade plastic sleeves. But that is precisely what these sleeves offer, bearing crystal clear transparency.
In this way you can easily and economically preserve the quality of the album art without sacrificing the act of marvelling at it from time to time. The crystal clear and wrinkle free polypropylene also boasts protection from UV radiation. All too often a record sleeve will be marred by distortion and fading, having been over exposed to the sun’s light. This will no longer be a concern if you or your gift’s recipient sheath their precious records in these polypropylene sleeves.
Wooden Vinyl Record Storage Crate on Wheels
No vinyl record collector’s set up is complete without a place to hold their collection. This will ideally occupy pride of place in a record collector’s den, a place for each collector to exhibit their collection for all visitors to see. Very often, however, a collector’s collection will simply be too large for the space it is occupying. Finding a middle ground between proudly exhibiting one’s collection and economically storing it all away can be a real pickle!
It is also a pickle trying to find a product that strikes this middle ground! Cue this wooden vinyl record storage crate! Made of solid wood, this record crate is made for the strict purpose of giving the record collection in question the just protection it deserves. The materials used mean this is built to last, and will be more aesthetically pleasing the older it gets, thanks to the vintage oak finish.
This strength goes hand in hand with a robustness offered by the inbuilt wheels. Unlike other gifts for vinyl lovers, this crate can hold up to 100 LPs, even if they are equipped with plastic sleeves for extra protection. This is a massive weight to burden one’s back with, a strain that the inbuilt wheels completely negate.
Thus, the vinyl lover in question will not be able to help but swoon at the thoughtful nature of the gift. This crate will not allow record collector’s to stylishly store a larger collection, but will also lend credence to the oft touted term ‘crate digging’. The owner of this fine wooden crate will indeed be crate digging every time they go looking for a record of theirs to spin.
This will more than appeal to the builder within us all too, for this crate can be built with just a screwdriver, everything else being provided.
Vinyl Record Storage Case
This is for someone looking for gifts for vinyl lovers who want to strike a balance. This storage case finds a perfect middle ground between the bespoke wooden storage crate and the vinyl record bag elucidated above. Holding up to 35 LPs, even those in plastic sleeves, this is a perfect gift for the disc jockeys everywhere, as well as those simply looking to show off their records to visitors.
Many other cases of this variety neglect this important latter aspect. This particular vinyl record storage case takes pride in so openly exhibiting the records to onlookers. This is a sturdy case, one that isn’t going to topple over if opened, no matter how few records garner the insides.
However, this strength and sturdiness in design does not translate to being cumbersome. This vinyl record storage case is rugged and robust, designed in a flight style so as to be transported just about anywhere you can fathom. Likewise, its light weight and portability do not translate to a lack in strength.
It is all too often the case that records take a knock, particularly in the corners. This vinyl record case makes sure to protect these corners, fitted with strong metal cappings. Thus, the edges, all too vulnerable usually, are rendered strong, all while still being more than comfortable to carry.
All of this while carrying a case in a leatherette finish designed to turn heads. If you or the recipient of this gift are style conscious, always thinking about which matches with what, and what matches with which, then look no further. This vinyl case is bound correspond clearly with the retro look of your local neighbourhood vinyl collector, making this one of those gifts for vinyl lovers you just can’t miss out on!
Record Display Shelf Unit
Alternatively, for the vinyl record collector who is looking to utterly exhibit themselves and their record collection for all visitors to their abode, then look no further! This display shelf unit is one of those gifts for vinyl lovers that boasts an inherent utility while still being beautifully constructed. All of this while simultaneously allowing each individual record collector to exhibit their prized records however and in whatever order they please.
Able to hold up to 50 x 12 inch LP records, this strong and aesthetically pleasing display unit keeps a selection of your records close to hand and accessible, though never at the expense of the aesthetic and the visual. This display unit is not, however, limited to just 12 inch records, but can in fact hold anything you throw it at. 7 inch records, 10 inch records, 12 inch records, you name it, this unit will be ready and awaiting to embrace it with open arms.
Every care has been made in the construction of this unit to ensure that is not one of those gifts for vinyl lovers that ends up being more of a curse than a blessing. Constructed from finest materials, the deep, grooved base ensures that the records in question cannot accidentally slip or fall out, no matter what external vibrations they are subjected to.
A premium feature that adds an additional layer of protection for the vinyl are the shatter proof acrylic ends. These acrylic ends are designed to take the weight of your albums, and their clear finish means that the beauty of the vinyl and vinyl stand is there for everyone to see!
All this, alongside the vintage oak wood design and the inclusion of a lint free microfibre cloth free of charge, make this an offer that would be near impossible to refuse.
Final Tones
So, there you have it, an end to this list of the 7 ideal gifts for vinyl lovers. With any one of these gifts being able to please any record collector, you can hardly go wrong. Personalising this gift to the recipient, making sure the reason you are buying it suits their needs and circumstances, just means you are going that extra mile.
FAQs Gifts for Vinyl Lovers
There are a whole host of gifts for vinyl lovers, and these will range from totally useful to pure novelty, though I would argue there’s always a space for both in the arms of any vinyl record and / or music enthusiast. Even the most novelty gifts for vinyl lovers will have some sort of use around the house, and that’s the beauty of it. You can’t really go wrong with buying a record for a vinyl lover, provided you have scoped out which records they usually like. There is nothing more painful than giving a gift that is not the one, or receiving a gift that is not the one.
The one thing that all vinyl collectors need is vinyl, else they would not technically be vinyl collectors. You can’t really go wrong with buying a record for a vinyl lover, provided you have scoped out which records they usually like. There is not much more painful than giving a gift that is not the right one, or receiving a gift that is not the right one. Make a point of conversing with the recipient of a vinyl related gift about what kind of music they like, what kind of vinyl records they like to collect etc.
Yes and no. If you manage to bag the right turntable, then this can be a gift that changes the life of the recipient, able as they are to listen to all of their records how they want to. It is all too easy, however, to receive the wrong turntable. If the recipient of this gift is an audiophile, for example, they are not going to be too pleased to receive a Crosley; the audio quality is beyond unacceptable and the needle has been shown to damage the records that it plays. Unless you know clearly what kind of turntable the recipient of the gift is after, try to avoid it, and definitely avoid a Crosley if possible.
This will depend entirely on the recipient of the record. If this is you, then follow your heart and mind through the record store, using your ears to sample a record on the in house system if you are not quite sure. If the record is for someone else then you are going to need to get a good idea of the kind of music they like and / or the kind of vinyl records they collect. There is not much more painful than giving a gift that is not the right one, or receiving a gift that is not the right one. Make a point of conversing with the recipient of a vinyl related gift about their personal preferences.
