The Chinese PVC Sheets Debate

Hello everyone.

I recently got into an argument with one of fellow member of my philatelic club. Nothing serious but I am out of arguments so I need some help (or maybe, just maybe, it may perhaps means that — hypotheticaly — he might be a little bit right).

Anyway, we spoke avout PVC sheets, like Vario and he proudly show a chinese brand (Mingt) saying something like « half the price, same thing ».

The argument was about PVC damages on the long run. I am not a huge fan of those sheets, and even less of those cheaps copies. I stated that PVC is certainly not an archival medium, known for degrading itself during time, and that those chinese brands don't have enough credentials concerning the way they make their products.

His argument was « whatever, show me an actual stamp damaged by thoses sheets » and that it's just a theory, that now, PVC is safe and that this brand is heavily used in China by collectors.

So… does one of you have a picture like this ? Damaged chinese PVC sheets or stamps damaged by such pages.

Anyway, everyone use the method he likes. And this friend is certainly right for a temporary stockage. It's just the long term which bothers me

Thanks for your help,

I saw one ad that stated vario pages are PET not PVC.

Yes Angore, they are PET. The chinese brands are PVC, that's the problem.

Well, there is also this to consider when shopping for a "bargain":




https://www.ecocenter.org/plastic-p...fe-cycle-pvc

Absolutely rogdcam.

We already and continously eat and breath plastics, PVC or others, so we don't need to add more toxics in our hobbies.

As a used stamp collector, it's easy for me : paper and hinges. But this friend is on the MNH side, so he needs mounts at least.

Your point considering human rights in China and the pollution is what's means more for me here, but let be real, for most people that's not a point. For them, only price is to consider. That's why I try to focus on actual damages on stamps on this debate.

does one of you have a picture like this ?

Here's a picture of a damaged booklet pane from one of my 40 albums containing PVC sheets. (Some of the sheets are older than 30 years. I have shown a degraded PVC sheet in another thread).

There is heavy brown degradation along the edges of the pane. Same degradation is also visible on the PVC sheets (which are of a brand name - but most likely come from China anyways).

Looking at all the 800+ sheets I had to replace with PP sheets after noticing the problem, I'd say even brand PVC sheets should be carefully inspected after around 20 years even when the albums are stored in optimal conditions.

Thanks a lot drkholer, that's exactly what I was seeking.

I know that some people would never accept facts, and can always come with excuses (ie : it's not the same PVC, now it's safer) but, my friend is a cleaver person, so he might be convinced thanks to your picture.

I had to throw away a terrible Chinese stockbook that was ruining my stamps.

There appear to be 20 million stamp collectors in China (source "Chinese lead the way on stamp collecting", Intelligent Partnership blog, 2 April 2024). Presumably all their stockbooks are slowly ruining their collections. Don't know what their albums are made of, but if it's the same straw that their cardboard boxes are made of, there's going to be a shortage of decent Chinese stamps in a couple of decades.

Investment opportunity? :)

The good news China will miss the Crystal Mount era! Of all the supplies I have tested for acidity, manila stock pages seem to be most problematic.

What supplies available in US are PVC (not made in China)?

Silhat, your title suggests there's some debate about cheap Chinese plastic stamp sheets, but there isn't. Your fellow collector there does not really understand what the Chinese are selling him -- which is kind of sad. And it is not the "same thing" at all. I'd guess that kind of plastic has a far greater likelihood of ruining his stamps than the other storage systems like Vario sheets most collectors use.

In any case, arguing for an unknown product that will "probably" be safe is a pretty weak argument especially when compared to known products that are safe. I'd say his argumentation skills could use some improving.

Chinese manufacturers seek to undercut the market -- which makes sense -- but far too often they do it in very questionable ways. Cheap Chinese tools that break easily is one well-known example of that. Cheap Chinese rubber degrades much faster than other rubber -- for tool handles, tires, fan belts, and other such things. If you've ever walked into a Harbor Freight Tools store, you might wonder what that strange smell is. Well, it's all the cheap Chinese rubber degrading into the air. You don't smell that in any other tool store. Speaking as a lover of tools. If you smelled cheap Chinese PVC degrading at your local stamp store (if there even was one), you might be alarmed at what it would do to your stamps.

Too bad people want to save pennies at the expense of their beloved collections. I'm just that glad art museums are far more careful in preserving what they own. Just let your friend go ahead and use whatever he chooses to use. If that stuff degrades and melts into a puddle of oil or sticky vinyl all over his stamps, well, he'll remember you warning him. Some people used to use Scotch Tape to mounts stamps with. How did that turn out?

"half the price, same thing"

Ask mothers of infants diagnosed with kidney stones if "half the price, same thing" worked out for them with their infant formula that was adulterated with melamine.

That said, I'd tell him, "your stamps, your choice" and move on.

By then I think using hinges is bad!

@DrewM : I know, and you are right. It's always a disapointment when someone makes this kind of petty saving.

By the way, I don't think it's for money saving, it's more to show that he is smarter than us, plebians which are duped by the big philatelic brands.

Anyway, as stated before, it's not a debate for anyone who makes just a little search Even in my native language (french) where there's quite less informations on this kind of things, you can find all the informations needed.

@Angore : I love hinges. It's due to my evil nature

anyway, thanks to you all for your opinion, it helped a lot, not for my friend but for those members of the club who would have considered buying after him.

I contacted the seller on Amazon and received this response from my question about archival properties of the PVC pages.

We have contacted a supplier, but unfortunately we do not have the relevant inspection certificate at present.