OT- Near disaster with "desiccants"

[Jobu]

I am glad you dodged a bullet. I am quite interested to learn which products you were using and which is the suspected culprit.

[itjclarke]

Ok to update- unfortunately she didn't have a brand name, but she had bought them at Walmart to try to pull moisture out of here phone when it had gotten wet. It sounds like they were supplied loose, to be added into bags.

They were small white beads, as opposed to the sort of opaque ones that sit inside the pouch in those cardboard boxed desiccants.

I'm gonna dig around on line tonight to see if anything matches by appearance. We may also still have some in a zip lock bag in our storage. I'll post pics if I find it. I wish I'd taken pics of the liquified desiccant, but I was 100% focused on getting to my safe deposit box at that point. It looked like a fine mud and it left puddles of water. It was really weird.

[SAllen2556]

If you'll pardon an amateur's question: You guys who have safety-deposit boxes for your most valuable cards, does it ever bum you out that you have to keep the stuff you'd most like to have around the house to show off stored away in a bank?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the same problem, but after seeing that picture with Mantle and company tucked away in a metal box, I couldn't help but wonder.

[Mountaineer1999]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

If you'll pardon an amateur's question: You guys who have safety-deposit boxes for your most valuable cards, does it ever bum you out that you have to keep the stuff you'd most like to have around the house to show off stored away in a bank?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the same problem, but after seeing that picture with Mantle and company tucked away in a metal box, I couldn't help but wonder.

+1

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

If you'll pardon an amateur's question: You guys who have safety-deposit boxes for your most valuable cards, does it ever bum you out that you have to keep the stuff you'd most like to have around the house to show off stored away in a bank?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the same problem, but after seeing that picture with Mantle and company tucked away in a metal box, I couldn't help but wonder.

Yes, 100%!! I keep a handful of cards at home. Mantle was actually deposited that day. I picked it up late last year and had kept it nearby ever since.. I finally parted with it yesterday. Usually when I deposit a card or two, I'll trade it with a lesser value (but favorite) to bring back home. Gotta keep at least a few favorites nearby.

[Deertick]

Sounds like bath beads got mixed up with dessicant. Silica wouldn't liquefy. I'm happy that you caught it when you did. You must have had a sick feeling as you opened the box.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Deertick

Sounds like bath beads got mixed up with dessicant. Silica wouldn't liquefy. I'm happy that you caught it when you did. You must have had a sick feeling as you opened the box.

I had that thought too (bath/soap), but my wife is adamant they were desiccants. Going on her word until I know otherwise. They also did not smell like soap in any way. Agree, silica would not do that, but she said she literally had just purchased these at Walmart and put them into a zip lock with her wet phone. After a day or two, she took her phone out and gave me that bag of beads to load into pouches.