Humidity Effects

I know that exposure to a humid environment could cause mint stamps to stick together, besides promoting the growth of mildew.

I thought that a more uniform toning found on certain stamps was due to exposure to sunlight or to poor quality paper/cardboard found in some old albums/stockbooks.

Some questions/observations:

1) Do slipcases provide significant protection from humidity?

2) Is it likely that humidity could cause uniform toning on mint stamps, but not any other symptoms (e.g., sticking together, mildew)?

My opinion:
1. No, slip cases prevent the build up of very fine dust particles
which increases the risk of toning as the dust becomes a vehicle for the absorption of fine water vapour.
That is why toning can be seen attacking the fine hairs around the perfs etc.
The humidity would remain the same around the album, whether in a slip case or not.
I have read, and would support the idea that slip cases are the single most positive action one could employ for the preservation of a collection.

2. Yes all of what you mention. uniform toning may depend on the relationship between the humidity and the humectants present in the mucilage.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY
When paper is made, the fibres are not
randomly orientated within the sheet; there is usually one fibre direction which
predominates and this is referred to as the grain direction. With machine made papers, the
grain direction is in the direction of the papermaking machine, but with handmade papers
it is more difficult to define. Expansion and contraction of the paper due to changes in
relative humidity can be different by up to a factor of ten with and across the grain, the
cross grain direction being most affected by the changes. This will, of course, set up a
differential stress pattern on any uniform material which is on the paper, for example,
gums or inks.
Relative humidity is currently thought to be the main factor to affect paper permanence, a
high relative humidity increasing the rate of deterioration considerably. A low, steady
level, of the order of 30 per cent, will give maximum protection even if control over the
other permanence factors, apart from handling, is minimal. However, in practice this is
not always to achieve and maintain. A more practical recommendation, therefore, would
be nearer 50 per cent relative humidity.
Effects of too high, low or varying relative humidity Because there is such a close
association with temperature, many of the deteriorating effects are similar, but it does not
necessarily follow that the mechanisms of such deteriorations are the same.
TOO HIGH
1. Increased rate of deterioration of organic material.
2. Increased risk of biological damage.
3. Increased tack of gums.
4. Increased tack of some printing inks, particularly chromolitho-graphic inks of the turn
of the century.
5. Possibility of certain water soluble inks bleeding.
TOO LOW:
1. Increased temporary brittleness of paper and silk.
2. Increased temporary brittleness and cracking of gums.
3. Increase in curl problems with stamps.
4. Increase in static electricity problems.

"the care and preservation of philatelic materials"
tj collings and rf schooley-west
isbn 712301364
1989

I started a collection in north Texas (three years) that was always kept in air conditioning and slipcased, and I never noticed any foxing or mildew issues. The collection was then moved to central Ohio (five years), where one dealer said some material was toned, but I have no idea if it was toned before I acquired it, since toning was not something I even knew about until he explained it. I ended up replacing a lot of material from Europe, some of which did look better, but much of it looked exactly the same as what the Ohio dealer said was toned.

The collection has recently been moved to north Florida, where it will also be air conditioned and slipcased, but I am thinking of keeping it in a cabinet with Eva Dry as an extra precaution against humidity.

I applaud your care and concern.
As a "recreational collector"
it is very easy for me to make comments just based on observation and lifting passages from literature.

I relax with the reduced obligation of collecting whatever comes my way, I hinge and enjoy my collection without your sort of responsibility, I used to wash all my non fugitive stamps, of gum
in the early days, as I regard gum as the biggest killer of stamps, next to dust, there is.

I still cannot comprehend why grown, intelligent men, collect gum,
its very nature, the sap of a tree, mixed with sugar and goodness knows what else, must surely be counter productive.
Apart from , on few examples, being the only way to
identify certain issues, there is no other excuse other than "value"
and I am not in the hobby for fiscal gain.

I am happy and relaxed with this dichotomy, and encourage those to collect how they wish, it is just a personal observation, that as my perception changed from desiring a "perfect mint no hinge" ideal,
to one of history, knowledge and display, so my enjoyment increased.

footnote: I cannot see how evadry would assist a collection
in a cabinet, surely after a short time the prevention
must adopt the same humidity of its surroundings, unless in a sealed container?

rod222, I agree with you. Why we should be so obsessed with gum is a mystery to me. I think I read somewhere that the number of stamps from the early days with original gum is so small, that to expect original gum is totally unreasonable.

I have on occasion been totally concerned with preservation of the gum and have lost sight of why I collect in the first place. My first preference is for used stamps---that solves the gum problem.

I don't know how tight the cabinet's seal would need to be for a positive result. Certainly, we pull a lot of water out of the air in closets that are far from airtight, but I've never placed hygrometers in and out of the closet to see if I'm actually creating any kind of a benefit.

I know a safe is tight enough to create a positive result, and a cabinet might work, too, depending...humidors can easily create a small microclimate, so perhaps the right cabinet would work (unless there is something different in the physics between raising relative humidity and lowering relative humidity). Can't hurt(?).

In the interest of science, I think you should do the two-hygrometer test and report the results.

C.

As an aside, I'm surprised that rod's and rohumpy's gum comments have made it six hours without reply. (No contest will be forthcoming from me...I mostly collect the fronts of stamps.)

Quote:
...I mostly collect the fronts of stamps

To quote a great old wise-man and philatelist, " Once the stamp is mounted in your album, who sees the back of the stamp "

er where can I get slipcases for my supersafe andy ideas anyone?

I am sure this is not true, but I wonder if slipcases are only manufactured for Lighthouse stockbooks. I have never seen slipcases for other types (though they exist for such albums as Davo, Yvert, Scott, etc.).

I have tested relative humidity in and out of cabinets, and unless the cabinet is air tight, it WILL achieve the relative humidity of the surrounding air in the room. And, of course, if air tight, you create other problems for a collection, since air needs to circulate.

A dealer here in Florida suggested today that if you use slipcases in an air-conditioned house, you should be okay...I hope he is correct.

spock-

There is a slipcase made specifically for the Supersafe Deluxe binder. MSRP is about $40, I believe.

I'm guessing you are wondering about stockbooks, and it is probably hit or miss whether the slipcase would fit any other Supersafe product beyond the Deluxe.

A competent bookbindery could probably fabricate them for you much closer to home, and perhaps for less money.

Collin

[edit: iHobb.com also offers this option:
Slipcase for 64-Page Stockbooks
Our German Manufacture Slipcases from SAFE are fully handmade and offer an additional element of protection to your collection. We recommend use of this slipcase for all brands of standard size stockbooks (9" x 12") as other manufacturers do not produce slipcases for their stockbooks; except the genuine leather Stockbooks from Lighthouse. Available in Brown
Item No. SA145BR $16.99]

Me too
there is no argument, a Mint never hinged stamp has a certain
allure with its perfection, I have drooled over mint Aussie KG5's on dealer's benches that look just magnificent.
I think if I was wealthy enough and had appropriate archiving
furniture, I would be a closet limited mint collector

The slip case thing amazes me, one does not see them very
often for sale at bourses, and when you do they are <very> expensive,
We are fortunate in Perth, one of the dealers apparently
saw a need in this department and had his own made.
IIRC they were just $14 last time I enquired.

oh everyone knows I present the only alternative to gum and mnh collectors and it sure is lonely here. I manage to get one collector to get a mnh stamp from india every quarter or so. it will take a few decades for me to convert the other ones. if you wait till 2110 you probably will have a few members responding to rod and rohumpy.

but in my parting shot I will say this all other things being equal if there were 2 stamps one mnh and one used which one would you pic? ( dear Tony you can skip this question :) )

now I must run to see how I can finance the slip cases that Colin just told us about. I think I should buy one and see if it fits?

I can be honest :)
if they were both the same price, I would pick the mnh,
that is, unless it were a particularly tasty cancellation.

ok colin has the perfect solutiona lmost. now only if the dealer would ship overseas and not charge an arm and a leg for shipping. I will email him and see. lets hope for the best.

good I need a sponsor to fund me the $200 with shipping for the slipcases. What did you need other than the money plant Rod? dont be shy share your wish list? I forgot about the money plant but I found it and will list along with your other stuff.

I think it is really nice to have some pristine, never used, original gum stamps.
I also think that the true fun and interest in the hobby is in seeing how a postal system works, which means used, canceled stamps, covers and postal history. This is why I collect plate blocks and covers and used stamps and perfins and postal history/documents.

This is also possibly why I have to be careful with my stamp budget.