Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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If I had to remove similar material (valuable books, family documents)to a novel place quickly, I would NOT seal anything in plastic. Prefer to let it breathe in cardboard. If I used a storage area, I would put the material very close to the floor for the cool, but on boards or something slatted for good air circulation...moisture comes up through concrete. I would try to surround the valuable material with boxes of dense, absorbent material like less valuable books, to dampen temperature and humidity swings. High humidity and temperature is dangerous; don't know about dry high temperatures. May want to put an aquarium thermometer or something in with the stamps to check if they go in a storage unit. And I would consider insect protection: don't want it left long unsealed, but don't want sealant that doesn't breath (I think...). Consider dessicants and maybe some borax on floor which tends to discourage vermin.
Good luck, Jim Stebbings (j_stebbings(at)sbcglobal.net
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With only 5 albums and 4 shoe boxes, I would pack them up, and ship them to a trusted friend to hold for me until the danger was over.
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My advice from hot and humid India is to put them in cardboard boxes with lots of small cloth bags holding Silica balls spread around the box and on top of the material. These silica bags are found in packed elctronic goods but can be bought separately. These will keep away the humidity but for insects (termites especially) similar small bags of "Turmeric powder" could be placed with the silica bags.
It would be wise to place the albums and galssines in big zip-lock bags if the storage is not for more than 6 months.
Saleem
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Thank you Jim I had not thought about the bug and/or mice situation. I told her she could send them here but the smoke and closeness of the fires have me shipping mine out. Good suggestions though Thank you I will pass them on to her. We can always pray for rain. krittergitre@rock.com
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Well,,if you are packing up to leave,in an advance noticed evact,,then you probrably are relocateing in a temp houseing or maybe a hotel/motel temp situation,,,and you are packing suit cases,,,why not one more suitcase,,,,with your stamps and important papers. Just store in your new temp residence,,in a closet,under the bed,in a corner. It is,after all,,,,,,just temporary.
PS--make sure the suitcase has a lock,and apropriate insurance ,or security is part of your temp residence.
TOM
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If your friend has a large bank safe deposit box, that should hold them. There are also monthly rental storage areas that are enviromentally controlled.
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"It would be wise to place the albums and [glassines] in big zip-lock bags if the storage is not for more than 6 months."
Saleem: Do you mean with silica bags inserted to absorb moisture? Otherwise sealing stamps in zip-lock bags sounds like a recipe for disaster. Unless I knew for sure that silica bags would prevent problems (such as foxing or fungal growth)--and I personally do not know this, but perhaps you do--I would not recommend sealing anything in bags. Generally, for any length of storage of more than a few days, I think it's better to leave things unsealed and let the air circulate....g
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I have been doing this for the past 15 years (since I discovered the silicon bags) and have not had any problem as yet. Here in India when it rains it does so continuously for a few weeks therefore the humudity increases to unhealthy proprotions (for stamps) so every year I pack off everything during this season in zip-locks or polythene bags with silica bags. After the end of rains I take out the collections and reverently view each and every stockbook and album page, like it is the first time! This also takes care of airing the collection once an year.
In high humudity areas it is wise to seal off everything with silica bags but make sure to remove as much of residual air in the zip-lock/polythene before storage. But for other locations sealing off would affect the contents adversely as extra dryness may cause the paper to become brittle over extended periods of storage - which is never recommended for any location or climate.
The laser printer print-head and toner also gets affected during high humudity periods therefore the service person advise the owners to keep silica bags in and around the printers. The printing paper also get stuck in the printer if it is exposed to humid conditions and caught moisture, I keep the paper bundles packed with these silica bags.
Even for conditions which are non-humid all stamp stock books and albums must be viewed once or twice an year just to 'air' the stamps and if the stamps are in mounts on album pages than extra attention must be given to the 'airing' by checking every mounted item whether it moves freely inside the mount or is stuck to the mount.
These are my observations and I have learned from past experience so I follow these rules.
Saleem
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Saleem: excellent response. Thank you....g
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04:33:46pm
I am seeking advice for a friend who has to evacuate her home due to an approaching fire. She is wondering how to store her collection. She is worried that if she chooses the wrong way to store them the humidity could get to them and right now we are experiencing temperatures of 115 and higher. She knows I lost most of mine in a fire and is trying to avoid that happening to her. She has 4 shoe boxes full of stamps in glassines and about 5 albums with the stamps in mounts and 1 album that has hinged stamps. She wonders if putting them in a black lawn trash bag would help protect them or if cardboard boxes would be better. Should she get a storage unit for them or do they get real hot? Any advice appreciated here. krittergitr@rock.com
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08:13:15pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
If I had to remove similar material (valuable books, family documents)to a novel place quickly, I would NOT seal anything in plastic. Prefer to let it breathe in cardboard. If I used a storage area, I would put the material very close to the floor for the cool, but on boards or something slatted for good air circulation...moisture comes up through concrete. I would try to surround the valuable material with boxes of dense, absorbent material like less valuable books, to dampen temperature and humidity swings. High humidity and temperature is dangerous; don't know about dry high temperatures. May want to put an aquarium thermometer or something in with the stamps to check if they go in a storage unit. And I would consider insect protection: don't want it left long unsealed, but don't want sealant that doesn't breath (I think...). Consider dessicants and maybe some borax on floor which tends to discourage vermin.
Good luck, Jim Stebbings (j_stebbings(at)sbcglobal.net
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08:20:11pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
With only 5 albums and 4 shoe boxes, I would pack them up, and ship them to a trusted friend to hold for me until the danger was over.
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10:31:31pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
My advice from hot and humid India is to put them in cardboard boxes with lots of small cloth bags holding Silica balls spread around the box and on top of the material. These silica bags are found in packed elctronic goods but can be bought separately. These will keep away the humidity but for insects (termites especially) similar small bags of "Turmeric powder" could be placed with the silica bags.
It would be wise to place the albums and galssines in big zip-lock bags if the storage is not for more than 6 months.
Saleem
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10:35:03pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
Thank you Jim I had not thought about the bug and/or mice situation. I told her she could send them here but the smoke and closeness of the fires have me shipping mine out. Good suggestions though Thank you I will pass them on to her. We can always pray for rain. krittergitre@rock.com
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10:48:13pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
Well,,if you are packing up to leave,in an advance noticed evact,,then you probrably are relocateing in a temp houseing or maybe a hotel/motel temp situation,,,and you are packing suit cases,,,why not one more suitcase,,,,with your stamps and important papers. Just store in your new temp residence,,in a closet,under the bed,in a corner. It is,after all,,,,,,just temporary.
PS--make sure the suitcase has a lock,and apropriate insurance ,or security is part of your temp residence.
TOM
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08:17:17am
re: storage to protect against moisture
If your friend has a large bank safe deposit box, that should hold them. There are also monthly rental storage areas that are enviromentally controlled.
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12:10:33am
re: storage to protect against moisture
"It would be wise to place the albums and [glassines] in big zip-lock bags if the storage is not for more than 6 months."
Saleem: Do you mean with silica bags inserted to absorb moisture? Otherwise sealing stamps in zip-lock bags sounds like a recipe for disaster. Unless I knew for sure that silica bags would prevent problems (such as foxing or fungal growth)--and I personally do not know this, but perhaps you do--I would not recommend sealing anything in bags. Generally, for any length of storage of more than a few days, I think it's better to leave things unsealed and let the air circulate....g
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10:56:59pm
re: storage to protect against moisture
I have been doing this for the past 15 years (since I discovered the silicon bags) and have not had any problem as yet. Here in India when it rains it does so continuously for a few weeks therefore the humudity increases to unhealthy proprotions (for stamps) so every year I pack off everything during this season in zip-locks or polythene bags with silica bags. After the end of rains I take out the collections and reverently view each and every stockbook and album page, like it is the first time! This also takes care of airing the collection once an year.
In high humudity areas it is wise to seal off everything with silica bags but make sure to remove as much of residual air in the zip-lock/polythene before storage. But for other locations sealing off would affect the contents adversely as extra dryness may cause the paper to become brittle over extended periods of storage - which is never recommended for any location or climate.
The laser printer print-head and toner also gets affected during high humudity periods therefore the service person advise the owners to keep silica bags in and around the printers. The printing paper also get stuck in the printer if it is exposed to humid conditions and caught moisture, I keep the paper bundles packed with these silica bags.
Even for conditions which are non-humid all stamp stock books and albums must be viewed once or twice an year just to 'air' the stamps and if the stamps are in mounts on album pages than extra attention must be given to the 'airing' by checking every mounted item whether it moves freely inside the mount or is stuck to the mount.
These are my observations and I have learned from past experience so I follow these rules.
Saleem
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08:53:47am
re: storage to protect against moisture
Saleem: excellent response. Thank you....g
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