How to Store 100 Vinyl Records
A hundred records is roughly one and a bit crates, or a single shelf. The real decision at this size is not capacity, it is choosing storage that still works when the collection doubles.
By Zachary Medeiros, Groove Crate. . 5 min read.
A hundred records is the size where a collection stops being a stack on the floor and starts needing a home. It is also the easiest size to get wrong, because almost anything holds a hundred records, so people buy whatever is nearest and outgrow it within a year.
How much space do 100 records take?
Records stand upright, so the number that matters is linear inches, not volume. A Groove Crate has a 13 inch interior and holds roughly 80 to 100 records, which works out at about six to eight records per inch of shelf depending on your sleeves.
On that basis, 100 records needs somewhere between 13 and 17 inches of upright space. In practice:
- In crates: two crates, planned at about 85 records each so neither is packed tight. Stacked, that is a 14.5 inch square of floor and about 29 inches of height.
- On shelving: one and a bit cube openings, or a single run of about 16 inches on a bookshelf.
Capacity varies with jacket and sleeve thickness. Single LPs in standard inner sleeves reach the top of the 80 to 100 range; gatefolds, box sets and heavyweight reissues in outer sleeves sit well below it.
The options at this size
A single shelf you already own
The cheapest answer is a shelf that is already in the room, as long as it is deep enough for a 12-inch sleeve and strong enough for the weight. Records are heavier than books by volume, so a flimsy shelf will sag.
The catch is leaning. A hundred records on a five-foot shelf will slump sideways, and a leaning record is being slowly bent. If you use a shelf, keep the row tight with a bookend or divide it into shorter sections.
Cube shelving
Cube units are popular because a cube is roughly the right size for a row of LPs and stops them leaning. At 100 records you will fill one cube and start a second, which means one cube is half empty and its records lean. Fill it with something or use a divider.
Crates
Two crates hold this collection with room to grow. The advantage over a shelf is that a crate comes to you: pull it out, sit down, flip through it properly. It is also the option that survives a move without repacking.
The smallest Groove Crate pack is three crates, which is a little more than 100 records needs. That is usually the right call anyway, because the third crate is where the next year of buying goes.
Set it up so it still works at 300
Most people who own 100 records will own 200 within a couple of years. The storage decisions that age badly are the ones that cannot expand:
- A single fixed unit means your next option is a second unit that may not match, or a cull.
- A shelf with no spare room means every new record requires shuffling the whole row.
- Storage sized to today is storage you replace, rather than add to.
Leave about 20 percent free space in whatever you choose. Modular storage handles this better than fixed storage, because you add a unit rather than replacing the system.
Habits worth starting now
A hundred records is small enough that you can still put a system in place without it being a weekend project.
- Store them upright. Flat stacks put the weight of every record onto the one at the bottom.
- Do not pack tight. You should be able to pull a record out with two fingers. If you have to brace the row and pull, it is too tight.
- Keep them off the floor if the floor is cold or damp. Cardboard jackets are the first thing damp air attacks.
- Stay away from heat. Radiators, heating vents and the top of an amplifier are the three most common causes of avoidable warping.
- Pick an order and stick to it. Alphabetical by artist is the easiest to maintain at this size.
More detail on all of these is in how to store vinyl records properly.
The options side by side
| Option | Holds 100? | Grows? | Moves easily? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Existing bookshelf | Yes, with bookends | Only to the end of the shelf | No | Spending nothing today |
| Cube shelving | Yes, 1 to 2 cubes | Buy another unit | Needs emptying and usually dismantling | A settled collection in a living room |
| Crates | Yes, 2 crates | Add one crate at a time | Yes, records travel in them | A collection still being built |
| Record storage box | Usually 1 box | Buy another box | Yes | Storing away rather than browsing |
Spend the small money on sleeves, not storage
At 100 records, the upgrade that does most for condition is not the container. It is replacing paper inner sleeves with anti-static poly-lined ones, and adding outer sleeves to anything you care about. Paper inners shed dust and can scuff the playing surface every time a record slides in and out.
Outer sleeves also protect jackets from ring wear and shelf scuffs, which is what actually determines whether a record still looks good in ten years. A hundred sleeves is an affordable afternoon, and it matters more than the crate does.
Common mistakes at this size
- Buying storage sized exactly to the collection you have today. You will outgrow it, and matching a second unit later is harder than it sounds.
- Leaving records leaning on a long shelf. The most common cause of avoidable warping in a small collection.
- Storing them flat, just for now. Temporary stacks become permanent stacks.
- Putting the collection somewhere other than where you listen. Distance is the enemy of a collection that gets played.
What we would do
At 100 records, a 3-Pack of Groove Crates holds the collection comfortably in two crates, leaves the third for the next 80 to 100 records, and takes up a 14.5 inch square of floor when stacked. If you would rather have furniture and your collection is not going anywhere, a cube unit is a perfectly good answer too.