Plastic Sleeves ... DIY ???

I often buy postcards in truly flimsy plastic sleeves that look like someone took the cheapest plastic sandwich baggies they could find and thermal-sealed the baggy down to size.

Anybody care to recommend a make/model of thermal sealer?

Anybody ever build the DIY version?

http://www.instructables.com/id/How...Heat-Sealer/

Yes, I know that all of my museum quality items should be in 5 mil Mylar and, let me promise you, they will be, just as soon as I work my way thru the last bargain box on Planet Earth.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Secol make an archival standard system of sleeves and clamshell boxes for photographs and postcards as well as other types of ephemera that require museum standard protection, or close to it. Don't even consider any DIY options if your collections are of worth to you.

Terry

TC, Greetings:

Indeed, when I poke my way thru the Bargain Box, I often wonder how these things managed to last 100 years on their own!

I recently bought a proper auction lot at 15c per postcard; clearly, the next thing to do is spend 50c each to properly store them.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Hi ikeyPikey,

Been wondering that for years about using stamp mounts. Now veering back to hinges as I buy mostly fine used and MLH stamps. I also prefer seeing the actual stamp on the page instead of having to view it through a layer of plastic. There are voices in favour of never letting plastic of any kind near a stamp, or any archive worthy item. Makes you wonder, eh?

Terry
(TC is fine, too)

For my needs I use BCW polyurethane sleeves for my envelopes, postal cards, covers. They are 2 mil thick economical and Crystal clear and come in all sorts of sizes. They hold up and look great- sold on ebay,Amazon,bcw.com,etc. I have found ebay offers best prices when purchasing several packages.

I agree that BCW cover sleeves are excellent. There is a big difference between 1 mil and 2 mil thickness. The 1 mils are really flimsy and hard to work with (I work with hundreds of covers/cards a week). The 1 mils are cheaper but hard to work with - the BCW brand are archival safe and 2 mils in thickness. You don't usually need real expensive sleeves (top loader archival mylar stiff, for example) except for very valuable items. I've found through experience that the BCW brand is dependable, safe, reasonably priced, and thick enough to handle easily. The most important thing to remember is PROTECTION, i.e., archival quality. Therefore, DIY regarding sleeves I surely would not recommend, because of the potential harm that comes with using vinyl or plastic, and any chemical changes resulting from the manufacturing process. In quantity, BCW cover sleeves are reasonably priced and easy to obtain on ebay, or from the BCW web site. John

Terry, Greetings:

Not sure where that 'TC' came from, but I am always happy to have not caused offense.

I remember opening a Scott Minuteman album that had been sitting idle for 20-30 years, and watching mounts fall off of the pages.

As most of the mounts cost more than most of the stamps, the experience left me cursing the MNHOG Tyranny, and ever more committed to the principle that it isn't a stamp until it has carried mail.

At which point, of course, it can be hinged.

More to say/rant on this subject, but I don't think it is in The Spirit Of SCF to pick a food fight with the Mounties.

As much fun as that might be ;)

PS: perusing a journal from 2-3 years back, I found an ad for self-described baggy-style sleeves, 100 for U$D 4-5.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

acanalizo, johnsim03, Greetings:

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/ seems like an excellent & economical choice. Thanks.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

acanalizo, johnsim03, Greetings:

Thank you once again for the pointer to BCW.

Bought a pile of their stuff, it seems fine, and I'm stuffing like there is no tomorrow.

Web site note: some postcard-relevant items - for example, the 5x7 pocket pages for over-sizes & odd-sized cards - are found under the 'photos' section.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I'm also using BCW - they seem to hold up well

I need to get some slightly bigger protectors for continental cards. I dont think BCW make them. Has anyone any experience with

SAFE Cover Holders Side Opening Sleeves for Large European Size Postcards. Item 9266
Exterior Size: 6-3/4" x 5"H (170 x 125mm)

I don't do a lot with covers but have snagged a few over the years that I mount in large Showguards for inclusion in my stamp albums. Over the last 40-50 years I have watched as some of them have toned the stamps on them; the envelopes are not made with good quality paper. I am sure that the mounts and the pages have not contributed to this, stamps mounted in the same way and stored in the same environmental conditions have not toned.

Does anyone know of a way to neutralize the acids found in the covers themselves for long term archiving? Would rubbing baking soda in/on them do more damage than good? Is there some other neutralize agent that might be used on them?
Don

Bas, it looks to me like BCW DOES offer sleeves for continental-size postcards. Check again at the link provided by ikey.

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/cat/phot...hoto-sleeves ... 5*7 sleeves are in the 'photo' section

I've been buying piles of BCW sleeves for my cards.

I print annotations on Avery labels, and affix them to the outside of the sleeve.

In lieu of albumizing, I bunch related sleeved cards into the next largest sleeve.

I guess that makes me sleevey.

Sometimes I wish for a stiffer sleeve for a fragile item, and BCW sells those, too.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey