This is one of two picture discs Duran Duran released for their #1 1984 hit “The Reflex.”

Mine is the UK picture disc, which is a bit artier than its American cousin. It’s a pretty nice looking hunk of vinyl, isn’t it? The graphics hold up better than the song.

And speaking of holding up: The vinyl sleeve that this was packaged in is not aging well. Many plastics don’t age well, their decomposition taking the form of outgassing that sometimes yellows, crinkles, or stiffens plastic. If you ever pick up, say, an old vinyl toy and it feels sticky, what you’re feeling is the plastic destroying itself.

This really isn’t something that manufacturers think about. Capitol/EMI just wanted to sell truckloads of records back in ’84. The condition of their packaging circa 2019 wasn’t a consideration.

Such are the hazards of collecting. It doesn’t matter whether you collect books, art, cars, records, or commemorative Star Wars plates from the Franklin Mint, time wants to eat your stuff.

Anyway, you can pick up a copy of the UK “Reflex” picture disc for around ten bucks. Happy hunting.