Store LPs outside of Jacket??

I pay no more than $.99 for a mint LP from ebay, anymore and its your own punishment.

$.99....??? My experience was that one needed to pay somewhere between $30 and $100 for a mint used LP. I've certainly had some disappointments (which is why I now look for sealed copies only) but it was more hit than miss. I think I mostly bought from collectors who took care of their collection.

eBay sucks for LPs. Lucky me I live in a bigger town with several places to buy used LPs.
My eBay experience ranged from decent to very bad. All in all it was not a cost effective way to add to my collection.
Locally I have found a few very good things at 'steal' prices. And lots of stuff at decent (way better than any online) prices.

My experience on ebay has been generally very positive. This summer alone I found three different records I had been looking for in vain for years. I have found several sellers who grade accurately and who take great care in the shipping of the LP's. And yes, the best sellers do all seem to ship them in the manner you describe, for the reasons others have stated above. And no, I have never seen any of the good ones describe a record as mint, unless it was still sealed.

There are certainly people out there who have no clue or who are trying to make a fast buck, but if you know what to look for in a seller, there are some great ones out there. Most of the ones I have bought from have even cleaned them very well first. I have only had a real problem once, and the guy made up for it by sending me something else I requested for free. If you are not sure about a seller, ask them all the questions you want. The good ones will always answer, whether it's ebay or audiogon or wherever.