Monday, January 28, 2019

Monday Question Day- How Do You Protect Your Cards


Today is question day:

Do you do anything special in regard to storing your collection?

Since I returned to collecting 1992/93 I have lived in two different environments. In Arizona I deal with high heat, strong sun and dry air. In Washington (Seattle) there was more moisture in the air and typically was colder overall compared to the temps in Arizona.

I keep most of my collection in a bedroom closet, this keeps everything out of the light and relatively temperature controlled. 

I have never had environment damage to my cards, but l heard some horror stories from poor storage. In Arizona I have heard of people storing their cards in the garage or in a storage unit and everything dries out and cracks. Autographs disappear and cards with glossy coatings bake together. In Seattle’s wet climate, mold becomes a very real concern anywhere you have an exterior wall at or below ground level because moisture seeps through and mold grows.

3 comments:

  1. Around here the heat would not be great if you kept cards in a garage or attic. But the same dryness that makes Coors Field need a humidor means storage is rarely a problem.

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  2. Some of my cards are stored in my parent's garage in Vegas. I've never had any problems with autographs fading (except for those darn UD Sweet Spot signatures). I actually worried that my acetate cards and/or top loaders would warp in the heat, since I've seen it happen while sitting in the hot sun at the flea market. But that hasn't been an issue either. Knock on wood.

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  3. I live on Long Island - never ever keep cards (or anything of value) in the basement. I've seen plenty of cards with mildew if not actual mold.

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