LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Shipping vinyl records
Take the record out of the outer sleeve and place it, in its inner sleeve, behind the jacket: this stops the vinyl from splitting the jacket seams in transit. Sandwich the record between stiff cardboard pads, ship it in a dedicated record mailer that holds everything snug, and never let anything bend the package.
| Material | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Record mailer (cruciform style) | Sized for LPs with fold-in flaps that lock the record in place; the industry standard for a reason |
| Stiff cardboard pads, one each side | Spread impact force across the whole record instead of letting it concentrate on one point |
| Inner sleeve, kept on the record | Protects the vinyl surface from dust and scuffs once it is outside the jacket |
| "Do not bend" marking | Signals handlers, though it is no substitute for stiff packaging |
Vinyl is rigid until it is not: it snaps rather than flexes when a package bends. The bending usually happens in automated sorting equipment, where parcels pass through rollers and chutes designed for envelopes, not for stiff squares. A record in a thin mailer with no stiffeners is exactly the wrong shape for that machinery, which is why experienced sellers treat stiffeners as mandatory, not optional.
Seam splits are the other classic damage, and they have a different cause. When the record stays inside the jacket during shipping, every impact drives the hard edge of the vinyl against the jacket's seams from the inside, splitting them open. Removing the record and placing it behind the jacket eliminates that pressure entirely. It feels wrong the first time you do it, because the jacket is empty, but it is the single most effective thing you can do.
The standard method, refined over years of reseller trial and error: slide the record, in its inner sleeve, out of the jacket and place it behind the jacket. Sandwich the whole stack between two stiff cardboard pads slightly larger than the record. Slide that into a record mailer, and make sure nothing can shift: filler or a snug fit, not loose space. Tape the mailer shut and mark it "do not bend."
Two things to avoid. First, do not stack heavy items on top of the parcel or pack it at the bottom of a larger box under other goods: sustained pressure warps vinyl, and heat makes it worse. A record left in a hot car or a sun-baked mailbox can warp beyond playing, so in summer, ship early in the week and choose faster service. Second, do not use a padded bubble mailer alone for a valuable record: it protects against scratches but does almost nothing against bending.
In the US, yes: vinyl records qualify for USPS Media Mail, which is priced for exactly this kind of item, and a single LP in a proper mailer is light enough that the savings are real. In Canada there is no Media Mail equivalent, so a single record ships as a regular parcel, and the packaging weight starts to matter: a heavy-duty mailer with thick stiffeners can push a light record into a higher price band, so keep the packing effective but not excessive.
Honest note on the LetterAgent fit: LetterAgent labels are Canada-only flat-rate Xpresspost, 5 kg max. A single LP or a small stack of records fits comfortably under the weight ceiling, and flat-rate pricing means the stiffeners and pads do not cost you extra. For one record going across the country, it is worth comparing against regular parcel rates before you buy.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com