Comments on: A matter of storage

By: Carol Ligda-Wong

Carol Ligda-Wong — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 10:00:17 +0000

Good idea about the silica gel. Thanks, Keijo. Consider us better educated, which is what this hobby is all about.

By: Keijo

Keijo — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 16:11:31 +0000

@Doug & Carol… I’d be somewhat cautious when using plastic storage bins for long term storage of stock books.

First, they can cause problems if living in area with high/varying moisture levels. Shortly put: slipcovers breathe, plastic bins usually don’t. Condensation can easily turn the box into a wet/moist tomb… One solution to this would be inclusion of silica gel inside the box (and changing it every now and then).

Additionally, most plastics are not stamp / stock book / archival safe… Nearly all plastics emit (small amounts of) airborne chemicals that CAN a)react with stamps and b) with other plastics (such as those used in modern stock books with transparent strips). The longer the exposure, the more damages can occur. For example a lot of Finnish stamps with “gold” imprints have turned “copper green” due to exposure to harmful plastics used in 1970/1980/1990s stockbooks.

Maybe I’m being a bit paranoia with this one, but on the other hand…If I will spend 10-20,000$ on stamps & stamp accessories on my lifetime, then spending a few bucks more for quality accessories & increased piece of mind doesn’t sound so bad to me.

By: Doug Hadley

Doug Hadley — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:32:37 +0000

Keijo and Carol,

Thank you for your suggestions and additional environmental factors to consider in planning for my collection. The plastic storage bins are a good alternative to think about for my collection, much more cost effective, easy to store on shelves, and very protective.

By: Carol Ligda-Wong

Carol Ligda-Wong — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:54:53 +0000

Doug, et al., long-range planning is important when investing in philatelic paraphernalia. Try to realistically calculate how quickly and to what size you want to grow your collection. Are you willing to invest a lifetime learning about preservation and presentation techniques? The more ambitious your plan is, the more frequently it will need to be adjusted and fine-tuned. That being said, plastic bins are a low-budget storage alternative. Stock books with slipcases don’t have to be in addition to glass-enclosed bookcases but can be an alternative to them. How many layers do you want between you and your stamps? Every environment is as unique as the collection and its caretaker(s).

By: Keijo

Keijo — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:56:59 +0000

Hi Doug,

I’d say the need for slipcovers depends totally on the environment You live / storage your stamps. If the conditions are some way harmful (=high/varying humidity, lots of dust/air pollutants etc) to stamps, then slipcovers are very cost effective way to add a good level of protection.