Ronco Record Vacuum

Straight from the mid 70s and from the guy that brought us spray-on hair and home rotisserie ovens, it's the Ronco Record Vacuum.

From the advertisement text, it looks like it would be a great companion anyone collecting records today.

I'm not sure what's scarier - the fact that it's from the same guy that nearly convinced me that I need a food dehydrator at home...

OR

The fact that I really could use one of these today (especially if he threw in a bagel cutter)

I found one here for $55.00...

Update on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 10:19PM by Analog Apartment

Found a video of this thing in action!!

Check it here.

Crate digging illustrations by Stefan Glerum

Looking for an interesting way to show off your endless love of digging through record crates to find that rare gem?

Check out these great illustrations by Stefan Glerum. His work is now available in 14" x 14" prints, each costing 35 Euro and available here.

Here's a bit about Stefan:

Stefan Glerum was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on December 30, 1983. The son of a jazz musician and music store owner, he was bound to develop an interest in music. After high school he worked for a year as an assistant to Dutch artist and designer Joost Swarte. He decided to go to art school in Breda, a small city in the southern regions of the Netherlands. Not only did he leave with a Bachelors in Illustration, he also went back to Amsterdam with a big pile of cheaply found records.

Nowadays Glerum works as a freelance illustrator and designer. Additionally he is part of the turntable formation Truly Pheasant.

via JamsBio Magazine

Stussy X Turntable Lab DJ bags

When venturing out on the streets of NYC, I typically have two things - my laptop and an eye out for record stores. With this Stussy X Turntable backpack, I can carry my laptop with me and have room for vinyl, without having to jam my finds into a traditional messenger bag.

Designed to make it easy for DJs using Serato to carry their equipment, this backpack could also easily function as a daypack for anyone hitting the streets in search of vinyl. It will hold 10 - 15 records and has some great features:

- includes Stussy-Lab branded flashlight
- high quality ballistic nylon construction
- tonal camouflage interior and accents
- inner main compartment plus interior pockets
- hidden, removable waterproof cover for wet conditions
- padded back with air-flow technology
- face of bag features (2) zippers that unzip to fully reveal the interior
- easy access, large exterior mesh pocket

They also offer a larger tote bag that carries more records (30 - 40) and also includes a compartment for your laptop.

The bags were released back in October of 2007 and, according to an email I just got from Turntable Lab, they're back in stock.

The backpack is available here for $138 and the tote bag is available here for $115.

Hanging your records on your wall

If you're looking for a simple way to spice up a wall in your apartment with vinyl album covers, there's a great guide over at Instructables. Here's how it works:

By using a low-cost, plastic tile trim (available at hardware stores / Home Depot / or here), you can create a series of horizontal rows across your walls. Once installed, you simply slide the records into the rows.

Pretty straightforward and probably the cheapest way to get your albums on the wall. Click here to view the full guide.

Have an interesting way that you display your vinyl in your house?

Let us know about it in the comments!

Protect your records with sleeves

Keeping your records safe from the elements is essential for preservation. I recently upgraded my polypropylene sleeves and I'm a big fan of the Ultimate Outer 5.0 from Sleeve City.

The Ultimate Outer 5.0 are thicker than the sleeves you'll find on records you buy from the record store. They're absolutely crystal clear and they won't cloud over time.

Here's a description from their site:

Polypropylene combines high clarity, heat resistance, moisture resistance and chemical resistance in a cost effective solution for record protection. Manufactured from crystal 250 micron clear polypropylene, sleeves fit loosely over outside of jacket, 12.75" X 12.75". Our heaviest weight outer sleeve, yet it retains the sparkling clarity of polypro.

The Ultimate Outer 5.0 is available here (bottom of page) and 100 sleeves will run you $33.50. They're running a holiday promotion (Code: HOLIDAY20) so you can save 20% on your purchase!