Humidity And Stamps

I'll be putting my main collection in storage for a few years while I'm on the road and I'd like advice on how to keep them from deteriorating due to the humidity we have here in Queensland, Australia. I've heard of people putting chalk in a small netting bag in with things to reduce the moisture and I've seen silica gel used in many applications, but is there a really good way to protect stamp albums?

Hi Mumut.

You have a real issue. I am a Queenslander as well.

Silica gel works really well but it needs to be dried out every 4 to 6 weeks. But we need to respect that it is toxic.

I have found that a large, lid sealed plastic tub that is heaps bigger than your store stamp collection worked the best in some experiments I did.

If you could get someone to air your stamps every couple of months.

Have you a friend that has air conditioning that could store your stamps?.

If you have mint stamps with gum or covers. Silver fish and cockroaches need to be thought about as well.

Hope I have been of some help. KGV

Mumut, Adding to the excellent advice by KGV Collector, a thimble full of Naphthalene flakes placed in a small ceramic or plastic holder will keep Silver Fish and Roaches away.

Advice - especially applicable in homes/flats whose occupant's prefer outside doors and windows shut.

Ventilate -- exhaust fans -- 'ALL steam' and naturally evaporating moisture from Bath/Shower room, Laundry and Kitchen - (cooking meals, washing dishes in sink). Keep WC door shut due to continual water evaporation from Cistern and bowl.

Sleeping in unventilated closed door/window room housing collections is ideal from Mould/Rust accelerated growth.

Mumut, I have the same problem here. Great advice from KGV Collector and finches. My stamps are stored in my air-conditioned office. The air con goes off at night, but the humidity doesn't. I wonder if the temperature fluctuation is storing up future problems...

A proper cabinet is probably out of my league at the moment, so I think I will try and get some big airtight containers. I like the idea of a bit of chalk in there too.

There has been great advice already on this thread - As another Queenslander I have similar problems - biggest issue is obviously humidity - I have been lucky when working overseas over the last several years of being able to ship my collection off to my younger brother who lives way out west in a dry climate - one thing you might consider Mumut (depending on your financial resources) is putting you collection into temperature controlled storage (e.g. a wine storage facility)

There are a lot of internet tips about household uses for chalk: keeps your shirt collars clean, keeps the tools in your toolbox from rusting, keeps ants away. I'm going to get some to keep my stamps dry. Presumably I need chalk dust, rather than sticks of chalk. Thanks for the tip Mumut!

Wow! Thanks everyone for all that great advice. Unfortunately I don't have funds for fancy storage options - I wish I did. I'll just have to ask my youngest daughter who has double glazing and so much comupter equipment she keeps the house cool most of the time. And I'll use a sealed metal container with naptha flakes as well as chalk and silica gel. Surely that should be enough!
Anyway, I'm in Fiji this time tomorrow. I won't let my stamp worries spoil the holiday. So, again, many thanks.

Here in Oman, I've got the same humidity issues. I've got AC in the apartment and my stamps are stored on a bookshelf with glass doors. I try to "flip through" my collection at least once a month to keep things "circulating". I'm just curious about what I'm going to do in the 2 months I'm gone in the summer and I switch the AC off. The chalk idea sounds brilliant

Hi Ajnabii.

You should be OK for 2 months within reason.

Looks like I need to play around with calk.

A non toxic moisture attractor is very much needed.

It might last longer than silica gel before it needs drying out?

Dehumidifier ?

Next time I go to my stamps dealer I will ask him. He's of good advice too. That's what he does: buy, store and sell stamps.

stallzer
I'm thinking the same of you. Would have to buy one and see the results over a year.

Not convenient if you're away from home for an extended period.

Why ? Not sure of others but since my Office / Stamp room is in the Basement our Dehumidifier has a direct drain so it never needs to be emptied. You can purchase them with the direct drain as long as you have somewhere to drain it then you only need worry about the Electricity cost of running it, but what is your collection worth in terms of protecting ? Also they don't run 24/7 as you can set the relative humidity threshold so that it only runs when the threshold has been passed.

And if you don't?

Then it's not going to work if you're on an extended leave from your collection. Freezer ?

Could you get a portable air conditioner/dehumidifier? I would suggest though to put it in an upstairs room, because you have to put the vent out an open window, so you would need to have a way to block the rest of the window shut for security. Of course that is where all your stamps would have to be as well. They only work for a small area.

The units have 24 hour timers. The moisture collected evaporates. I don't know how it works, but we have two units and they both work extremely well.