Storing Albums Flat Question

Instead of storing my albums vertically, I store them flat so they fit in a fire-resistant file cabinet. I don't think there should be a problem with this arrangement, but wanted to check with the experts here. Each album has a slipcase, and they aren't overly-stuffed. The stamps are all mounted with split-back mounts on heavy acid-free card stock. Am I risking any long-term damage with this set-up?

Ny understanding is that it is best to have the albums standing upright, rather than laying flat.

I would recommend that when you are home, that you keep them upright and only store them when you are going to be away for a period of time.

Tough question, most suggest not doing this.
I am horrified to find some of my pages "slumping" as a previous member posted recently.
I am tempted to lay flat as well.
Problem is, pages need to "breathe" occasionally.
Looks like I need to find better binders (A major cost outlay)

Last year, opened up some old Scott IPSA albums that had been laying flat for at least 30 years. With other albums on top of them, so lots of weight on those stamps. Stamps were hinged with very little interleaving. Some of the "toning" from cheap stamps (e.g. old Azerbaijan, post-WWI German locals) had transferred to the facing pages, leaving brown rectangles on the pages/stamps, but that was about it for damage. I removed the offending stamps & now I store them upright.

Rod: I saw that comment on the other topic about pages "slumping." My thought then, which I did not express, was to wonder if the slumping occurs because the albums are not full.

I think the quality/thickness of the pages matters. I have a nearly full (of pages, not stamps) H.E. Harris album for US plate blocks. Despite being virtually full, the bottom of the pages slump a little. On the other hand, I have a half full Scott Big Blue International album with virtually no slumping. I did spread the pages out while I decide what to do with the countries within; keep or downsize. Both are standing upright on a shelf.

I would not recommend storing albums flat in any situation, it applies 'compression' pressure and limits air circulation. Especially do not lay flat if you have mint stamps and/or split back mounts. The pressure will introduce a line in the gum where the mount is split.
Don

Some previous members mentioned that with pressure and higher temperatures that the mint stamps with gum mounted in split back mounts will sometimes develop a line in gum where the split was.

Some safe manufactures warn about putting stamps and paper in the safe, especially a fire proof safe. Essentially it is not recommended at all as as they usually contain a liquid inside the material that is released in case of fire which keeps the articles from combusting into flame.

If you do it recomends that such articles be kept in a sealed moisture proof container. And as all archivists state, to air out your albums occassionaly to prevent mold or fungus toning from starting and ruining your collection.

If your collection includes self-adhesive stamps, the pressure on the stamps from laying flat will cause the adhesive to extrude along the edges of the stamps.

Robert

Hi Steve,
yes, that passed my mind.
Being a WW collector, my pages are quite thin, and some albums do bulge a bit, (Romania 7 albums)

I use cheap binders ($6) 4 ring which is my preference, but the sheet protectors are just about the size of the binder, someone suggested earlier to source larger binders.
I have virtually no room for the page to fall before slumping.
I suddenly see the benefit of spring back binders.

I think there are reasons albums are stored upright rather than laying down, and I suppose the main concern is over putting too much pressure on the stamps inside them. But I'd be worried at least as much by albums not being able to breathe a little. To keep stamps and other paper products fresh, a little air circulation has always been considered best. But I don't think laying albums down in a file cabinet in the short term would do much harm. Why don't you experiment with your collection and let us know in a couple of decades? If it harmed your stamps, we'll be sure not to do it with our own collections! That's probably the main reason for storing albums upright -- it's how albums have survived for generations, and who wants to risk that?

I would think the reason for storing upright is similar to any book being stored upright in a library. It is an efficient use of shelf space, allow better organization, and ease of use.

I am sure you will find many people report no issues storing flat (not saying good or bad) but like all these discussions on album safety no one action guarantees anything by a specific action.

Thanks all for the advice. I think I'll keep them in the drawers. I think the trade-off in possible long-term damage is worth the protection from possible fire or theft.

Stacking albums horizontally can damage the spines. They are not designed for it.

Rogdcam makes a very good point I had not thought of.

Albums stored flat (horizontally) will have their hinges (not really their "spines") broken due to the weight of the albums above them. If you lay an album down flat on one of its covers, its bottom cover will be laying flat on the surface. But the other cover above it is held up by the spine of the album. If you stack albums horizontally, the combined weight of all the other albums pushes down on that upper cover, most of all on the cover on the bottom album. This pushes its cover down, stressing and stretching the hinge. As that hinge stretches under pressure, something has to give. Either the cover will begin to tear away from the rest of the cover as the glue gives way -- or it will tear where the covers bend. I've seen many albums damaged this way. Not a pretty sight.

I would not advise laying any album down with other albums on top of it for any length of time.

@DrewM Yes, this cover damage happened to a couple of the IPSA albums stacked under others that I mentioned earlier. Hard to say how long it took, since they were stored that way for 30 years, but certainly not ideal. Particularly an issue for one album where the pages didn't fill the album completely, as more pressure resulted on the top cover. Another good reason to store them upright.