Air-tight containers

[Luma39]

Does anyone have experience using an air-tight container to store their cards? The house I'm currently renting does not have any means of climate control during the summer months, and I'm trying to figure out a way to protect my cards without keeping them locked up in a bank.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Volod]

Unless you're living in the fetid swampland of the deep south and prefer to keep the cards out for display, it's hard to imagine they would be harmed under normal storage conditions. I have kept all of mine in ordinary polyester sleeves and in cardboard storage boxes for over thirty years, with no detectable signs of environmental damage. Those cheapo plastic storage containers with tight lids that are sold in discount stores hold about a dozen standard count card boxes and are probably about as close to a hermetic seal as you could hope to find. Hope this helps.

[RollieFingers]

Unless you're living in the fetid swampland of the deep south and prefer to keep the cards out for display, it's hard to imagine they would be harmed under normal storage conditions. I have kept all of mine in ordinary polyester sleeves and in cardboard storage boxes for over thirty years, with no detectable signs of environmental damage. Those cheapo plastic storage containers with tight lids that are sold in discount stores hold about a dozen standard count card boxes and are probably about as close to a hermetic seal as you could hope to find. Hope this helps.

The Cards in boxes though?
If the box isn't full and they lean and slide..or if you put them sideways in a box as opposed to stacked on top of each other like a deck of cards...don't they tend to start curving?

[TheNightmanCometh]

Put them in a sleeve, then a hard top loader, then in a cardboard box, and they'll be fine. Trust me, that's all you need to do.

[RollieFingers]

Put them in a sleeve, then a hard top loader, then in a cardboard box, and they'll be fine. Trust me, that's all you need to do.

Not if you gave thousands of cards though lol

[Zach Wheat]

For those that want a little more protection - for $10-20 you can find refurbished ammo boxes at Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, or Harry's Army Surplus, etc. The 7.62 boxes have a rubber seal at the top, providing limited heat resistance in the event of fire/flood as well as some moisture/water protection. You can replace the rubber gaskets at the top if needed.

In addition, they fit side-to-side, a PSA graded case exactly so they don't wiggle and come with a convenient storage handle.

Z

[TheNightmanCometh]

Not if you gave thousands of cards though lol

I couldn't imagine a scenario where someone would have thousands of unprotected cards that should be protected and never took the time to protect them as they were collected.

Unless you buy a giant lot from someone who knew nothing about cards.

[Luma39]

Put them in a sleeve, then a hard top loader, then in a cardboard box, and they'll be fine. Trust me, that's all you need to do.

That's how I currently have them stored, my only concern is temperature and humidity

[TheNightmanCometh]

That's how I currently have them stored, my only concern is temperature and humidity

As long as you're not storing them in a sauna you should be fine. ;)

[DBesse27]

Volod, I'm guessing those sleeves are polyurethane, not polyester :)

[the 'stache]

Hi luma39. As you can see from my profile, I live in Texas, just outside of Dallas, to be specific. And let me tell you, it gets really humid here late in the spring/early in the summer. I have a safe deposit box for my most valuable cards, and while it is climate controlled, I keep a silica gel desiccant (http://tinyurl.com/j3kndf6) in the box with the cards, just as a backup. I've linked the one I use. They're easy to use. When the color changes, indicating it's absorbed the maximum moisture, throw it in the over for an hour, and it's good to go. There are other varieties that you just plug in; same general concept.

[steve B]

I couldn't imagine a scenario where someone would have thousands of unprotected cards that should be protected and never took the time to protect them as they were collected.

Unless you buy a giant lot from someone who knew nothing about cards.

How about someone on a budget that bought large lots, sorted them into his sets then moved the extras along to hopefully pay for the next big boxful?

That's basically what my collection is.

When I started there weren't many supplies, so from 74- 77 I had maybe 8 pages in a binder where I kept the "best" cards.
After that I lived near a card store and balanced buying sheets with buying cards. Should have bought more cards:(
But aside from a project to have a binder for each set with space open for cards I didn't have, again not everything made it into pages.

The rest went into boxes, sometimes boxes made for cards, sometimes not. Some went into a big file cabinet that had shallow drawers for some sort of filing system that used cards, maybe 3x5s? Still have it, and it's really well made but not convenient as any cards have to go in sideways.

So now what I use are the shoebox boxes. The older cards that aren't really nice go in with no sleeves, nice ones get sleeves, really nice ones get sleeves and toploaders. (Except for that one 59 Topps with tape residue that's still really sticky, that one got a sleeve despite being a total mess. :D ) All the prewar stuff is in holders.

Most haven't curled at all. And the slumping/sliding of the stacks is solved with some balled up newspaper to fill the extra space. I'm gradually sleeving some of the 60's and 70's stuff, haven't really started on the 80's or 90's. New stuff gets sleeved if it's prone to problems - like the Gypsy queen framed cards- or is a special card - autograph insert, lower serial numbered minis etc.

Steve B

[Luma39]

Hi luma39. As you can see from my profile, I live in Texas, just outside of Dallas, to be specific. And let me tell you, it gets really humid here late in the spring/early in the summer. I have a safe deposit box for my most valuable cards, and while it is climate controlled, I keep a silica gel desiccant (http://tinyurl.com/j3kndf6) in the box with the cards, just as a backup. I've linked the one I use. They're easy to use. When the color changes, indicating it's absorbed the maximum moisture, throw it in the over for an hour, and it's good to go. There are other varieties that you just plug in; same general concept.


Sounds good, I'll have to pick some up, thanks Bill.

[Volod]

Volod, I'm guessing those sleeves are polyurethane, not polyester :)

Most of my sets were put together in the '80's, when storage materials were still relatively cheap, so at that time, polyester (mylar) sleeves could be had by the K for about six bucks or so. I don't know if they are even still available these days - but polypropylene, which is what I believe you mean, is almost as clear, though not as archivally approved.