Sunday, February 25, 2007

5) Damage happens.


SECRET NUMBER FIVE. One of the three main reason there are fewer and fewer collectibles in circulation these days is poor storage. It makes no cents to pay a premium for a Reformation item and them store it in conditions that deteriorate the item or place the item in risk of being damaged or even broken. From time to time you'll see a highly discounted Luther item that has been noticeably chipped or dinged or damaged from a careless drop to the floor. How will you keep your postcards from getting bent or bumped? How will you keep your Melanchthon stamps from becoming moist and getting stuck to something? How do insure that your coin won't fall on the floor and get dinged? Archival grade covers and capsules and folders and boxes are an important part of your budding collection. Where can you purchase storage items for your collection? Stamp and coin supply stores (either brick and mortal or on the web) are the first places to check. Note that covers and capsules come in very specific sizes. If you're storing European postcards, you will need appropriately sized card covers. When it comes to coins, flips or capsules in a size that's not too big and not too small work well. Both paper products and coins are susceptible to high humidity. Keeping them from high humidity areas with good air circulation will preserve them from unexpected ruin. Allocating ten to fifteen percent of your collection budget for archiving supplies may very well save your collection from noticeable, irreparable damage.

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