Lessons In Storage

This past summer I worked with a wonderful woman doing landscaping (the graphics business has been pretty slow!)
Since the season is over, today she took me out to a nice lunch.
At the restaurant she presented me with a large shopping bag full of stamp albums, stock books and two boxes full of stamps, plus a pile of FDC from the 1960s.
These are her husbands, and she wants me to have a look and see if it's of any value.
I have to say, I've gone through them a couple of times already (who can resist!) and am horrified by the condition of these poor little pieces of paper.
I know this gentleman is quite fastidious, and organized, but his collection has been neglected and poorly stored.
Two boxes of stamps are smelly and show signs of black mold. His FDCs have been wrapped in an elastic for who knows how long, and are showing it.
He has a wonderful collection of Canadian mint blocks and booklets, but many are sticking in their plastic holders, and a lot of mint stamps hinged in albums are also completely adhered.
Moisture has claimed much of the collection. Small envelopes contain clumps of stamp stuck together. I'm sure some can be salvaged but it will take a lot of work.
There's some interesting stuff in there, though much of it common. It will be hard to tell her that selling this would take a lot of work, and show very little return. Many of the mint stamps will have to be soaked and sold as unused no gum.
I'm not sure what they are expecting (I know she doesn't expect to retire on this) but I'm afraid they are in for a bit of a shock.
Just goes to show you, make sure you store your collection in a cool dry place! It's kind of sad to see a collection someone obviously spent a lot of time and money on reduced to this.
(picture of me right now!)

I think all of us have nightmares of what can happen to our stamps however we store them. As a youngster and not knowing any better, I ruined many a stamp with improper storage. I learned the results of leaving an album on a table under an open window over night. The mint stamps were stuck down and of course, no longer mint.

That all sounds like a real mess. Been there .. . seen it (particularly from non-collectors who hold onto stamps hoping for an increase in value.) ... The mint stamps stuck together are still mint (never postally used) ... just in altered and damaged shape, right. Best used for postage, I suppose. Good luck, James, with dealing with your friend.

Mold of any kind is the kiss of death to me. Even a moldy smell will make me run away. Soaking the mint stamps and using them for postage is probably the best bet here. I worry about storage a lot. Humidity and bugs are all out to destoy our collections. Black mold tells me they actually got wet from water or were in a really damp basement. Very sad! The best defense I have found is to check my collections often and head off any signs of trouble.

Regarding the mold smell etc., you might want to try using baking powder for a while with them. It is good for eliminating odours. Just put an open container in with the stamps (make sure it is secure of course so It won't fall over).

I have known some collectors in the past who put the powder over the stamps themselves, but, I wouldn't recommend this because an open container will do just as fine and less messy.

It may not eliminate the problem entirely but will reduce odours a good deal. Worth a try anyway.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Just to add a hint of warniing. Plastic = problems . Bunch of year sets with pages sealed in plastic and they are semi stuck . Not really bad but almost like a dried hinge that you think is going to pull off and the last 2% yanks a thin. After seeing this I have some old corner blocks that came postally sealed I will be removing and contemplating opening up 20 or so Canada year albums.

Well I spoke with my friend last night. They are very pragmatic and realize that any return they'd see on the collection would be minimal. So I've been told to keep what I like and throw the rest away.
Terrific, but now the real work begins. I've gone through the two boxes and thrown out a recycling bag full of stamps and glassine envelopes. I managed to salvage some mint stamps from one box that were in envelopes to use as postage, but I don't think I'll be licking any stamps soon!
I've also gone through two photo books which held mint blocks of 4, 6 and 8 stamps. Again most of this will be used for postage. I'm going to throw a pile in our deep freeze to see if I can remove them from the paper (I'd like to avoid the hassle of soaking all those stamps if I can), but I think their days a mint blocks are done.
Some sad items are complete blocks of Precancels from the 1962-62 and 1967-72 QEII definitive series. Also a mint block of the 1955 eskimo stamp with G overprint. These I will do my best to salvage!

Next it's on to two stock books of US and three small albums. At least now I can look at them with a different eye. Me me me me!

But seriously, it's a little sad knowing this guy spent a lot of time and certainly money buying these blocks. I've dismantled a number of collections before, but this is the first time I actually know the person. Strange, but it actually makes it more difficult.

At least I've stopped coughing! Now if I could only stop sneezing.

Good day. Is it okay to cover the stamps with clear plastic? The plastic used to cover books? I cover my stamp one by one because most of my Poland stamps have gums on it so it sticks on the album sometimes. It's a hard work but I'm happy when it's done.

My thoughts on that, after seeing what happens with humidity, is to avoid it if you can. Canada's climate is certainly variable, but what little I know of the Philippines, I would think humidity is a greater problem for you. I think if you encase them in plastic, you are going to create a green house effect and magnify the moisture you already have in the air. Result...ruined stamps.
My 2c anyway.

There is a reason even somewhat common stamps of the 19th century should be saved. Think of all of the disasters that afflict us every year. Hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires, and improper storage top the list. Every year a percentage of stamps and covers are lost forever. The only good news is that is helps increase the value of your holdings. I have several distinct collections. I have a set of common stamps kept in binders, some hinged and some mounted. All of the better and more rare items are kept in Vario sheets for stamps and covers. The latter are kept locked away and protected the most.

We have to remember that anything paper has to breathe and stamps are certainly in that category. For short periods of time, it is ok to store stamps in plastic bags but not on a permanent basis.

I use plastic bags after buying large accumulations so that I can see the country I am breaking down and sort into stockbooks, window envelopes and, oh yes, my albums <G>.

Chimo

Bujutsu