I believe every collector would really like to be able to show off his or her collection to others, and not just to fellow collectors. I am no exception having lent record covers to numerous exhibitions, but I don’t have any on show at home! “Why?” I hear you ask. Well there are two reasons:
1. it has taken a long time for my wife to see the aesthetics in my collection, and, most importantly,
2. I have not been able to find an attractive way to display the record sleeves.
Well, thanks to Lars Magnell (and his company Wag the Wall), who reads this blog, I may have found the answer. There are, as I am sure many of you will know, loads of frames for LP records, ranging from the cheap IKEA version to Vinyl Art’s relatively expensive (but to be fair, the Vinyl Art frame has the advantage that one can take the record out of the frame to play, without having to take the frame off the wall).
In September 2015 I went to an auction of Andy Warhol‘s record covers at Sotheby’s in London. The records were displayed in individual perspex holders each hung on a perspex rail. The rail is just discernible on the right of the picture. Obviously this system had been custom-made for the seller, who was an art gallery owner.
However, I don’t fancy screwing several rails on to my walls to hang the perspex record holders on.
Lars Magnell has invented a cleverer method that he calls “The Magic Vinyl Display“. His perspex record holders hold up to seven LPs and have a self-adjusting flap at the rear that holds the records flat against the front of the holder even if there is only a single LP in it. The holder is open at both sides so one can slip the record in and out at will. If one tires of the cover currently on show, just take it out and the cover underneath becomes visible. These holders would be a great way to store one’s LPs, too. They attach to the wall with a single screw which holds a magnet against the wall and the record holder has a “coin” that attaches to the one on the wall. And thanks to the magnetic wall docking ystem mounting the frame on the wall is quick and easy and it’s easy to adjust if the frame isn’t initially sitting straight without having to undo any screw. Really simple and efficient!
Thus, I could store all my 24 Peter Blake LP covers in three holders and change the cover on display daily, or seventy of my Andy Warhol covers in ten of these holders.
I can imagine that exhibitions would be able to use these provided it was possible to prevent visitors removing the covers. And record stores could use the to display and hold LPs that are for sale with up to seven copies of each LP in a separate holder.
Lars tells me that these holders are currently under production. Go to https://www.igg.me/at/wagthewall see videos of the system.
recordart 
Nice post Richard, great looking holders with a really clever design. Would definately look ace on any wall! 🙂
Yes, Niklas. They are clever – able to store up to 7 LPs while still displaying the one at the front – ad no ugly frame around. They are easy to put up, too only needing a single screwhole per frame, saving the wall. Production is just getting under way.