Silica Gel For Keeping Stamps Dry

Does anyone use Silica Gel packets for keeping their mint stamp gum dry from sticking due to humidity?

Indirectly. I keep my albums in a closed cabinet, and scatter the packets around the floor of the cabinet. But humidity is a minimal issue where I live (northern CA). For the past five days humidity has been around 15%, although that's unusually low. And it's going to be 102F today outside ...

The ideal RH to store paper is between 30%-50%. Too dry and paper can become brittle, they do not allow handling of papers in archives if the RH is below 20%. Temperature-wise, the lower the temperature the better but it is just as important to limit temperature fluctuations.
Don

I've heard horror stories of collectors in tropical nations whose entire collections (even stamps without gum) were ruined by humidity, so it can be a serious issue. Even in an ordinary home basement, humidity levels can be very high. Lots of collections get musty, stained, and generally ruined under those circumstances.

In my "stamp room" (really my office) I run a couple of small dehumidifiers and have some silica containers from the hardware store scattered about. The silica containers are from "Damp Rid" and they work well. The dehumidifiers work well, too, and lately, they all require emptying at least every week. They keep humidity levels at or below 50%, so they seem necessary even though I'm in Southern California which is generally very dry. I don't know what people in high humidity states like Florida do? Collect used stamps only, maybe.

I have a small battery operated "hygrometer" on the shelf which shows temp and humidity levels. Cheap on Amazon for around $10.

When I have stamps in a file box or some other closed container, I throw in a few silica gel pouches for good measure. But those alone won't be enough if you have a lot of stamp material to protect. You may need to use a dehumidifier or the larger silica containers.

Besides the inexpensive ($5-10) Damp Rid silica containers (hardware stores or Amazon), I also use a few small dehumidifers I also bought on Amazon for around $30 each. Some of these even turn off when their water container is full -- so they don't overflow accidentally. Larger heavier duty dehumidifiers can cost $200 or more, but remove a lot more moisture from the air and their tanks will hold a lot more water. Some even allow you to attach a hose to the outdoors or a shower or sink, saving you additional worry. A bit too expensive for me, though.

It's worth it to get at least these less expensive devices to safeguard your collection.

One note on silica gel (desiccant), quality varies widely. Some manufacturers are now adding dyes/chemicals to indicate when the silica has become exhausted. These will either change color or become 'hard' when they have become saturated and will no longer work.

Of course how long the desiccant lasts can vary greatly depending upon the environmental and whether it is part of an open-cycle or closed-cycle system. Depending upon the manufacturer, some silica can be re-activated by heating them in an oven but this may be false economy. Typically, it should be changed out at least every two years in most situations, more often in higher humidity environments.
Don

Twice a year I put my main collection in the oven for 1 hour at 450 degrees.

Not a good idea. paper is degraded by 4 things, light, heat, humidity and pollution

If you heat the whole album up to 450 degrees, you are doing damage to the paper. But you'd have to leave it in the oven for a long time to work your way to the center of the album.

If you don't heat the album to the center, you are creating the perfect environment for mold. Moist, warm air causes mold spores to sprout on paper.

The best thing for paper is to keep it in a place that is out of the light (and pollution) and has a stable temperature humidity.


more:

https://nedcc.org/free-resources/pr...preservation

I think (hope) rogdcam was joking!

Yes, I was joking. LOL!

Probably should add a smiley face icon to indicate a joke -- since the internet doesn't do sarcasm very well. After all, you "might" put your collection in the over for an hour. :) Don't the stamp mounts all melt?