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Post by ctm2matman on Jun 3, 2014 22:12:03 GMT
Glassine is great stuff, I'm new to being serious about collecting, will be buying some glassine. But I was wondering if "Baggies" ("ZipLok", whatever) aka polyethylene plastic is detrimental to stamps. Any research or information on that?
EDIT: Eeeesch! That doesn't look like me ... that's a bit "alienish". Better get a Vivitar. Well, maybe an avatar. A Vivitar flash unit wouldn't be bad either.
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 3, 2014 23:46:41 GMT
Absolutely stay away from any plastic that is not designated archival.
Ziplocks are ok if you're shipping an item, wanting some moisture protection. Place item(s) in an "approved" sleeve or card, then insert into the ziplock. Avery short term solution.
Glassines are not a good long term storage solution. Glassine is acid washed paper and it does react with atmosphere over time. Any glassine that is starting to yellow should be discarded. I'm not (even) a fan of glassine interleaving. I use Scott's Internationals for my general collection (so stamps are face to face), I like acetate interleaving better and it seems more stable. . Keep in mind stamps are in a constant state of decay (as is most everything). It takes work to store them for next generations.
Spend the money for quality storage, including your mounts and album/binder pages. Buy everything "acid free". There are ways to save money buying storage options, just don't do it by using products that are questionable.
Good Luck.......
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Post by ctm2matman on Jun 4, 2014 16:35:34 GMT
Thanks, Mike. Why do all the books elevate glassine to deity? Acid-free paper is easy for me since the wife unit is a scrapper. So acetate is good for acid-free protection, but it's highly flammable. Sounds like no matter what, a compromise has to be made. I'm not collectingfor investment (I've heard that's not wise) and barely can be considered a casual collector, so I guess I have to pick the lesser of the evils that's both convenient and affordable.
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I.L.S.
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I am in Clearfield, Pa. I love US Classic covers!
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Post by I.L.S. on Jun 4, 2014 16:59:57 GMT
Glassine is OK and will work just fine, but over a decade (or maybe a bit sooner) they will start to yellow. Then, you can either just chang out to new glassines or upgrade if you get more serious down the road.
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 4, 2014 22:55:18 GMT
Glassine is OK and will work just fine, but over a decade (or maybe a bit sooner) they will start to yellow. Then, you can either just chang out to new glassines or upgrade if you get more serious down the road. Quite right......
Glassine is not all that evil but is not "the" long term archival material.....
don't think yourself a casual collector..... I'm not suppossed to let on, but there is a substance infused in stamps that over time vaporizes, soaking into your brain and will cause you to do irrational things, like buy stamps for your non-collecting spouse every birthday and anniversary or put off that critical surgery to save a limb because the one stamp you need to fill the series is coming up for auction.......then you know you are hooked (but can quit at any time).....
seriously you never know where stamp'n will take you.... just have fun. So many of us start and stop and start up again, many times over. If that happens, you'll wish you were better organized, took better notes and kept your items safely secured against the elements (atmosphere).
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Post by ctm2matman on Jun 5, 2014 17:29:48 GMT
I just finished Richard L. Sine's "Stamp Collecting for Dummies", and found him to be humorous and informative, although most internet citations were worthless (the book is 13 years old). I bought a Harris U.S. album in 1970 while in the navy and messed with it for a couple of years. Got it back out a few months ago and found that the updates (if they could be found) were going to cost a fortune, so instead bought Mystic's 3-volume set for a reasonable price. Maybe not the ideal way to go, but it will work for me. Believe me, I'll have plenty of questions in the next few months!
I did discover the arago.si.edu site, which along with the Mystic catalog helps in identifying stamps. Are there any other sites good for stamp identification?
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Jerry B
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Post by Jerry B on Jun 5, 2014 17:48:48 GMT
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tomiseksj
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Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,385
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Jun 5, 2014 18:16:34 GMT
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Jerry B
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Marietta, Georgia USA
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Post by Jerry B on Jun 6, 2014 6:34:35 GMT
Hi
Just my 2 cents worth. I have stored stamps in glassines for over 15+ years. They are in a cardboard box with a lid or in a business card plastic storage box. None have any signs of "toning". One reason may be that they are covered and not exposed to the environment.
Jerry B
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tomiseksj
Moderator
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,385
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Jun 6, 2014 11:30:12 GMT
The below is taken from the article Can Plastic Films Damage My Stamps? which is posted on the Frajola PhilaMercury site and provides an assessment of the suitability of various materials for stamp storage. Regarding glassine, the article implies that a change in production methods has enhanced the suitability of glassine for storage and encourages replacement of the earlier glassine material. |
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Jerry B
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Marietta, Georgia USA
Posts: 1,485
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Post by Jerry B on Jun 6, 2014 13:48:13 GMT
Hi
Speaking of glassine for photographs, I have a pile of 35mm negative strips that have been stored in glassine strips since 1955. They are a little brittle but not discolored and the negatives are still alright.
Jerry b
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Jen B
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Post by Jen B on Jun 6, 2014 23:53:43 GMT
Glassine is great stuff, I'm new to being serious about collecting, will be buying some glassine. But I was wondering if "Baggies" ("ZipLok", whatever) aka polyethylene plastic is detrimental to stamps. Any research or information on that? EDIT: Eeeesch! That doesn't look like me ... that's a bit "alienish". Better get a Vivitar. Well, maybe an avatar. A Vivitar flash unit wouldn't be bad either. For what it's worth, I've had inexpensive duplicates and on-paper mix stored in plastic sandwich baggies since the 1990s with no damage to the stamps. I use glassines and 104 cards for stamps I've sorted and want to keep. These I keep covered in file boxes. So, from my experience, I'd say plastic baggies are OK for "short-term" (two decades or there abouts) storage.  At least for inexpensive material. |
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 9, 2014 23:49:58 GMT
Excellent Steve..... time for this old dog to learn new tricks......
I will find, and share, the process (somewhere in my reference collection) of making the old school glassine..... quite interesting.....
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 9, 2014 23:53:56 GMT
Hi Just my 2 cents worth. I have stored stamps in glassines for over 15+ years. They are in a cardboard box with a lid or in a business card plastic storage box. None have any signs of "toning". One reason may be that they are covered and not exposed to the environment. Jerry B I'm wondering if the were different methods of producing glassine from the git-go.......
Like everything, proper storage is the key.........
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 10, 2014 0:00:59 GMT
For what it's worth, I've had inexpensive duplicates and on-paper mix stored in plastic sandwich baggies since the 1990s with no damage to the stamps. I use glassines and 104 cards for stamps I've sorted and want to keep. These I keep covered in file boxes. So, from my experience, I'd say plastic baggies are OK for "short-term" (two decades or there abouts) storage. At least for inexpensive material. I'm sure we all have done things that would make the "purist" stoke out  |
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rogo
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Post by rogo on Jun 10, 2014 0:11:19 GMT
Are there any other sites good for stamp identification? You'd be surprised at what a Google search can bring up.......
It will get better as you memorize country names, then era's will become somewhat recognizable..... and don't hesitate to ask questions......
make a "stamps" folder in your favorites (browser toolbar)...... keep adding sites until you can make sub folders
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At least for inexpensive material.