Vinyl is back in a big way right now, as people look to the aged format for reasons spanning nostalgia, sound quality, or just trendy chique. In fact, vinyl sales have just hit a 25-year high as more and more listeners jump on board with the OG. But could reliability of all things be one of the main reasons to keep your physical music collecting to the big black discs rather than CDs?

Apparently yes, as more and more CD collections are being struck by the problem known as “disc rot” – a name that covers a handful of different issues, but that ultimately means bad news whatever the cause. A lot of collectors turfed their vinyl in favour of the flashy new digital format when CDs first arrived, as they seemed hi-tech, future-proof, and ever-lasting, but now those shiny collections may be in jeopardy.

A recent report on Motherboard examines the issue that many music collectors are facing when they go to pluck an album out from their shelf, only to find that it’s pretty much been decaying in its case and has now been rendered completely useless. Discs are struck by everything from tiny, pin-prick-sized holes, to something that appears like a stain across the entire surface, and are obviously obviously not doing much for their playability.

It’s not just a matter of no longer being able to spin your favourite albums, of course, as it’s an even bigger issue for collectors who are trying to preserve copies of rare albums in mint condition, only to find a costly investment worth a hell of a lot less. Sure, vinyl is generally the more valuable option for collectors, but there have been plenty of rarities released on the smaller format, too.

It’s not a new phenomenon, of course, and many of us have found a few discs in our collections that have turned a little dodgy for no apparent reason. It’s also unpredictable, with the manufacturing methods varying from plant to plant and decade to decade, so while your copy of Nevermind may be feeling its age, that Barry Manilow might last for years to come.

Vinyl isn’t impervious to damage over the years, for sure, with the dangers of warping, scratching and worn out grooves always looming. But, if properly stored, they at least won’t begin to disintegrate on you, so maybe it’s time for music collectors to start looking at turntables once again – or even the suddenly-cool cassette.

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