Sealed Vintage Reggae records - do I open them?

[leggo rocker]

I have just got my hands on a few LPs from back in the Golden Age that are brand new. Unopened. Still in shrink.

Usually, I ignore the fact that I am about to radically devalue the LP as a collectable item and simply slit the shrink and pop out the disc. This time, seeing as there are more than one of them, I've hesitated, and they are still in shrink nearly three weeks after arriving at Leggo Towers.

So what do I do?

Open them?

Leave them sealed?

[Gingy Fly]

Do what they were made for man, play them.

BTW Leggo, what are they?

[Funkyfred]

Hmm Leggo....
I wise man once wrote that a LP still sealed in shrink-wrapping has a big risk of being warped!


Yes, it was u my friend!
Nah, but I understand what u mean.
Have a couple of those LPs myself:
Barry Browns Step it up youthman for example.
I dont know when Im going to open them up, on a big occasion or something maybe...Theyre like a fine wine, u just dont open it up and drink it inna a second!
Let them grow man!:D

By the way Leggo...
Wich records did u get your hands on?

[Pots n Pans]

Ooh, thats a tuffy.

I would say if you already have them in another format that you can stand to listen to, keep them sealed.

But if you haven't - well open them up, and let the music play!

[leggo rocker]

These three are still sealed:

Presenting I Roy - I Roy

Hulet - Aswad

Heart of a Lion - I Roy

Goldmine Dub - The Revolutionaries (I already have open copies of the last two so they are likely to stay sealed for now)

But these following ones I have already opened:

Original Rockers - OG Greensleeves press

Scientists VS Prince Jammy Big Showdown 1980 - OG Greensleeves press

Scientist Heavyweight Dub Champion - Jah Guidance

Ken Boothe - Freedom Street - Trojan

Johnny Clarke - No WOman No Cry - Total Sounds

and some others...

The feeling of opening a brand new early 1980s record is one I haven't felt for a very long time and it's a good one!!!

[Rootsman]

Hey Leggo

Records were meant to be played, it was and is their whole purpose.

I really dont understand why you would even be hesitating to open them up and playing them.

From a financial aspect you may be de-valueing their worth by opening them and playing them. But imo you are devalueing them even more by sticking them away and not playing them.

Dave

[kukuman]

Just to play devil's advocate here for a moment... how do you know all the people saying "Open them up!" aren't eBay record buyers looking to drive down the average price of records?

[Pots n Pans]

Shoot! That's me rumbled...

[leggo rocker]

Normally, a sealed record that arrives here is doomed to use. I open them, clean them and play them. The difference here is that I got so many at the same time, and some of them I already have unsealed.

But I will unseal them, because that act itself is worth any devaluation to the record. And, as I don't intend to sell these records, ever, I don't really give a monkey's about their future value.

So their fate is sealed, er, I mean, unsealed...

[mashdownfortyfive]

Reggae records weren't meant to be sealed. maybe by unsealing them you will raise their value