What is it about vinyl? It’s a curious thing when you think about it: the cassette and minidisc are all but defunct, CDs seem that way headed, but vinyl… vinyl appears to be the form that technology just can’t improve upon.

Sure, it’s inconvenient, fragile and needs to be handled carefully, but lately we’ve been wondering if that’s exactly the reason it has endured in the way it has. Records demand care and attention. The act of playing a record is, in itself, a considered one. Isn’t it nice to be able to experience a little bit of focused musical appreciation when the digital world continues relentless and unabated around us?

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Maybe it’s partly a nostalgic thing: the memories of parents and grandparents playing records, the faint crackling of needle in grooves and that utterly distinctive smell of music. You don’t get that with Spotify, in spite of the its convenience and infinite choice.

Perhaps it’s the universality of it, too. Record sales may be on the up, but while you may be buying Bowie’s swansong somewhere convenient like HMV or RecordStore, it’s entirely possible to go a-hunting for vintage treasures as well. Put either on the turntable and music will play: one freshly pressed, the other perhaps from a time even your parents barely remember. There’s no denying the thrill of the chase and the euphoric feeling of finding something special in somewhere unexpected.

It’s also, surely, to do with the physicality of a record. There’s something solid and reassuring about having a physical embodiment of an aural experience. We love streamed music as much as the next person, but listening to a record is just different somehow.

You’re likely to have a binary response to these thoughts: either you ‘get’ vinyl or you don’t. If you don’t understand the appeal, then our apologies (though do read on – these storage ideas might very well work for other 12″ flat objects you might own), but if you do, then you’ll understand the need to collect those musical treasures and the need to store them well.

Whether you’re a recent convert, have inherited a collection and have caught the bug, or are a helpless record hoarder, storage is the record collector’s biggest pitfall. If you don’t take care of your collection, you may as well be squirrelling away boxes of cassettes for all the good it’ll do you.

The Newbie/ The Space-Deprived

Just because you only have a few records doesn’t mean you should just leave them piled up on a table somewhere. While your collection isn’t (yet) taking up half the living room, there are some seriously stylish and modern solutions to storing your music.

The Phonofile is a great solution to either of these issues, and it’s pretty cool to boot. We also think it’s a great way for the owner of larger record collections to store their current favourites so they’re within easy reach.

A record stand is in many ways a more compact version of the console, though clearly designed for considerably fewer records. It’s a great idea, though if you’ve anything other than the kind of record player shown here you’d probably struggle (although, that could be the vinyl pedants among us talking, so we’ll let you make up your own mind).

The Modest Collection/ The Compromise

‘Boy,’ said Ron Burgundy, ‘that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast!’ He might have talking about something entirely different, but we know how he felt. One day you’re minding your own business and buying a vinyl copy of Revolver because, well, you just did, and the next day you’re staring at hundreds of records. How’d that happen?

Or perhaps you’ve been ordered to downsize your collection in the interest of marital/ relationship harmony or space considerations.

Either way, there are some lovely compact solutions to the small-to-middling sized collection. Derelict Design are a design team based in Bath who work with reclaimed and industrial materials to produce some fantastic furniture that frankly would look good even without being adorned in records (see? We promised some useful suggestions here for the non-record collector didn’t we?)

When you’re short of space or trying to store anything that could at any time expand in volume, modular storage has to be the way to go. i-Cube is a great solution and have the added advantages of coming in a huge variety of colours and finishes and also having complementary products that house DVDs, CDs and books, so you really can tailor your storage to your own particular blend of media and volume of stuff.

At this point you may be wondering why you can’t just stack ‘em along the wall. Well, sure, you could, but all this storage exists for a reason: vinyl needs to be stored on its end otherwise the pressure from the records can warp and damage your precious haul. In addition, the woes of domestic life (read: dust and damp) can reek havoc on your hard won collection. If you’re living in a shared space, have too many records to store in your current abode, are circulating them in and out of use (never a bad idea) or just need a holding place for them, then Boxman could very well be a good solution. The storage boxes are ideally proportioned to accommodate records, they’re tough, durable and waterproof and what’s more stored in dry and damp-free facilities, so you can be assured that your beloved copy of Pink Moon won’t deteriorate. They’ll also deliver them back to you at the touch of a button – perfect for when you have an urge to scratch a particularly hard-to-reach Captain Beefheart itch.

If you’re a fan of the mid-century modern look and you don’t have crates and crates of vinyl, you’re in luck. The 60s and 70s were the absolute heyday for the record cabinet (sometimes called a console, should you wish to search on eBay, Etsy et al) and while they won’t accommodate truly huge numbers of LPs, there’s plenty of space for the more modest collection.

If floor space is an issue, these wall mounted units (each holding about 120 records) may be just the ticket. Wild Alloys is based in the New York, but do ship to the UK.

And while we’re on that side of the pond, it seems that New York is a veritable hotbed of vinyl storage design. Atocha Design blend functional solutions with stylish design, so if you’ve ever been flicking through records in a store and wondered why that kind of storage isn’t more readily available for you at home, ponder no longer.

The Vinylphile/ The Obsessive

Check any article on the internet about storing your record collection, and you can guarantee there’ll be a mention of the unit-formerly-known-as-Expedit (aka The Kallax). There’s good reason, too. It’s pretty awesome. It’s affordable, and for people with larger collections the alternatives really can be too pricey to consider. The downside, for those concerned with aesthetics, is that the birch effect finish might look a little too ‘Ikea’, which is fair enough. There’s a more solid wood version available as well, though with a predictably heftier price tag, and not with such capacious dimensions.

Another take on the modular approach to storage, Vitsoe also accommodate hi fi and vinyl storage with ease, and with a sleeker aesthetic may be perfect if the boxy and cubey style of storage doesn’t work for you. Just a cursory look on their website will demonstrate the extent to which you could go with this… we just rather liked the combination below.

While the open-access approach to storage might suit you, here’s an option for those who prefer to keep things filed away – in this case, quite literally. The LP cabinet from Can-Am can hold 560 records over its two drawers (the model below has CD storage along the bottom as well) and can be stacked two high, so you could get over 1,000 records stored away in a very compact space indeed.

With vinyl sales continuing to grow, it certainly seems that the humble record shows no sign of becoming extinct, so rest easy. There doesn’t seem to be any danger that your 12″ collection is destined to go the way of the minidisc, so go forth! Collect! Just remember to look after your collection: no piling them on the floor or leaving them in damp corners, ok?

Boxman are a London-based self-storage company with a difference. They’ll deliver the empty boxes to your place - often within hours - where you can pack them up at your leisure. Our friendly delivery drivers will be back to collect them just as soon as you’re done. It’s simple, it’s efficient and it leaves you much more time to go hunting for that rare copy of the Beach Boys’ Endless Summer that you’ve been yearning for forever.