One of the stamp appraisal companies, the American Philatelic Foundation, offers this advice on their website:
http://www.americanphilatelic.com/appraisal.html Quote:
Another major factor affecting condition is poor storage. Even knowledgeable collectors can sometimes make the mistake of poorly storing their collections. Collections left too long in boxes and in closets, especially in California or states that have a humid climate, will eventually develop mildew. If the album pages are not aired out periodically, the unused stamps will eventually stick down to the album pages - greatly reducing their value. Most collectors' air out their collections but the novice of course does not know this. Sometimes you can just test this out by simply smelling the albums. If they have that strange unpleasant smell of mildew it is time to have a professional examine the collection as soon as possible.
The above quote suggests that collections stored in humid climates are much more susceptible to problems than in other regions.
Based on personal experience, I have not done so with my collection, but if you're so inclined to do so, it certainly can't hurt, provided you do so under controlled conditions and not expose your stamps to other harmful elements.
Posted 05/20/2012 6:58 pm
