Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web5201.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.95]) by hazard.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id td62us.f35.37kb01i for ; Tue, 10 Apr 2001 09:34:20 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010410133329.6590.qmail@web5201.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [64.12.102.177] by web5201.mail.yahoo.com; Tue, 10 Apr 2001 06:33:29 PDT Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 06:33:29 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 306 To: MPCGram@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii ==================================================== MPC Gram ==================================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------------- Series 002-Number 306 Tuesday, April 10, 2001 HOUSING YOUR COLLECTION Joseph E. Boling NOTE: The following article originally appeared in the Chinese Banknote Collectors' Society Bulletin Vol 2 #3 (Sept 83). I have made corrections and revisions to bring the article up to date. The damage that polyvinyl chloride can do to notes and coins is well documented. Although I housed my collection in PVC pages for over twelve years (ending in 1982), and suffered no short- term damage, what I may have suffered in the long term remains to be seen. [As of 2001, no apparent long-term damage.] In 1969 and 1970 I was looking for a housing method that would allow both sides of a note to be examined without removing it from the holder. I had been using Lighthouse albums, one of the best housing systems, but both expensive and deficient in the aspect of allowing backside inspection. I had the advantage of knowing a collector who had been using some very early PVC pages, which had deteriorated and ruined some of his notes. His correspondence with the manufacturer brought the response that anyone who used the pages should "of course" also place an acetate sleeve around a note before placing it in a PVC page pocket. But "of course" the manufacturer never mentioned that in advertising. I finally decided to use PVC pages, knowing the risk, and searched for the stiffest (thus indicating the least amount of plasticizer used) pages I could find. That proved to be Cowens pages, and I used several hundred Cowens pages for many years, in both three- and four-pocket sizes (I believe these are still being sold). For other sizes, I used two-pocket pages from England and "sheet protectors" (the hard plastic document sleeves with black construction paper in them) for one-pocket pages. The two-pocket pages were very flexible (indicating a high plasticizer (oil) content), and I used acetate sleeves around notes in them from the very beginning. (To this day some of my odd-sized hansatsu are in those pages.) That proved to be a good precaution. I also used acetate sleeves (in the PVC pockets) around all notes in my primary collecting specialty (Japan) and all notes of significant value from other areas. In other words, I was trying to minimize the risk. I inspected the pages weekly or more often, simply because I was using the collection that frequently for reference, and I took care to never leave the binders or yet-to-be-used pages in areas exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat. Although I did not know it then, high humidity is now known to also be a prime factor in accelerating the deterioration of PVC pages. Over the years that I used PVC, I was aware that all notes stored in PVC quickly picked up the odor of the plastic; I knew that some migration of plastic components was occurring, although I could see no visible effects on the notes or "oil" deposits in the pockets. I also noted that the ink markings on the small stickers that I used to identify notes frequently "ran" (that is, the ink became blurred). That seemed to vary with the pen used, but it also told me that some chemical changes were taking place; the pages were not inert. The two-pocket pages from England showed all of these effects most strongly - I was convinced that using acetate in them was the correct decision. [When I finally moved my notes out of PVC, I found that the ink from FRB SB1115 had migrated into the page, so there was an image of the note left in the pocket when the note was removed.] In the meantime, my friend whose first pages had gone sour had converted to another manufacturer and then stopped collecting. He stored his collection in a dry, cool basement. Several years later, when he got it out to evaluate for disposition, he found that virtually all of his pages had begun to exude "oil," only the acetate sleeves that he had placed around every note had saved his collection and made possible its sale for over $20,000 [1981 dollars]. Even in the removal of his notes from those pages, he had to hold pages and sleeves while his wife removed notes (very carefully, with stamp tongs), because every time he touched a note, some of the oil from the pages, transferred to his hands, stained the note. I knew that eventually even my Cowens pages would deteriorate; only the expense and labor involved in changing housing systems kept me from converting to acetate sleeves exclusively (at that time Mylar sleeves were still scarce and very expensive). Meantime, 20th Century Plastics began marketing their pages, advertised as being safe to use for both photographic and paper products. I subsequently used their two- and one-pocket pages to supplement my Cowens three- and four-pocket pages. I continued to place sleeves around the significant items placed in their two-pocket pages, but never came up with a satisfactory inner sleeve for the one-pocket pages, so used them "bare." In late 1982 I finally converted all of the notes smaller than 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 into acetate sleeves of the type so widely available today (I used a size somewhat larger than the 5x8 that is standard, because I was able to get a large quantity at a good price, and my mid-sized Japanese bonds would fit in them, but would not fit in 5x8 holders). Meantime, the bonds and other large items that I had stored in 20th Century Plastics pages were showing all of the same danger signs that were shown when other manufacturers' PVC pages were used. The documents stored in the pages had a distinct smell of the plastic page, and the ink on the identifying stickers was running. In short, those early 20th Century pages are not safe for permanent storage, especially if you are not going to be able to inspect the pages frequently and move the material contained therein at the first sign of physical deterioration. As far as I know, 20th Century, now billing itself simply Century, no longer markets PVC pages; they are now using polypropylene. I bought some designed for 120 film negatives (four-pocket pages) for my hansatsu in 1991 ($76 for 350 pages) (hansatsu do not work well in sleeves because they are so narrow; the sleeves do not behave in boxes when all the notes are at the bottom of the box and are extra-thick as well). I have seen no problems with these pages so far. What to do with notes that won't fit into 5x8 sleeves? For documents up to 8 1/2 x 11 inches I now use polyethylene "Top Loaders" pages from Light Impressions, PO Box 940, Rochester, NY 14603-0940 ($23/100 in 1995). I file them in Light Impressions' slipcased archival binders ($33 each in 1995), but any three-ring binder would do. For even larger materials (principally bonds), Light Impressions sells a supersized binder that takes 14x11 inch Mylar pages with acid-free paper liners. You have to use photo corners (archival ones also available from them) to hold the numismatic items on the pages. ($75 for the package with 25 pages, in 1995.) There are several binders on the market for collectors of documents such as magazines, newspapers, etc, that vary in page size up to about 18 x 24. They aren't cheap, and they have some disadvantages. Some use pages that are not closed at the bottom, and many use a paper insert in the page so that two documents can be placed in each page (back to back with the insert between them). That paper in itself can defeat the purpose of looking for "archival" quality plastic page material. I have a 14 x 17 book with 25 pages, for approximately $50, and three 17 x 22 books, at about $85 each (1984 prices). I use them for large bonds. I have found that the static electricity charge on the pages is enough to hold documents in with no trouble. Other non-PVC pages are available from some photo supply houses, but they are mostly designed for the standard negative strip or print sizes. It is hard to find ones that work well for notes. What are these other, "safer," materials? Mylar, polypropylene, and polyethylene are the most widely available for documents (of course, the 5x8 holders of acetate are also relatively safe, but not as inert as Mylar). Mylar is stiff and brittle, although when used for document protectors it is somewhat more satisfactory than when used for coin flips. Polypropylene is clear and limp. Polyethylene is cloudy and limp (it is the material used for those long narrow coin envelopes you see stapled to bid board cards). Nevertheless, when used directly over a sheet of paper, the cloudiness is minimal and not distracting. Where to get all of this? For 8 1/2 x 11 and larger items up to the intermediate binder that I cited, Light Impressions is the only firm I use at this time (and my last catalog is a couple of years old, so I can't guarantee that they are still there). For Mylar holders for individual notes, Beate Rauch (www.APCPaperCollect.com) sells holders in sizes up to 10x6 inches. I'm sure that other suppliers are around; readers are invited to submit information about their sources. I am still looking for polypropylene or polyethylene pages with vertical top-opening divisions in which I could store hansatau. The bottom line: if you really care for your collection, and cannot afford to upgrade to an "archival" quality housing system later, start with it now. There is no point in spending money for years on a system that will have to be replaced eventually. When I started, acetate sleeves for notes larger than "large size US" were hard to find and expensive, and the notes I was putting into my collection were cheap. Today, Mylar sleeves are still somewhat expensive, but on balance they are worth the price. I was lucky; to date, my notes have not started to rot because of the PVC pages I used. For those of you who are at decision time right now, don't take chances. Don't use PVC (and don't think it's not still around; I see it all the time in dealers' stock books). To quote Herbert Keppler, of Modern Photography, "If in doubt, write the manufacturer and ask him. If he doesn't answer, figure it must be PVC." ==================================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- More new is leaking out about Maastericht. We look forward to those detailed reports! The unstated message in Boling’s column is that there is no ideal solution to storing a paper money collection. As much as the hobby has grown in the past few decades, it is being held back by the lack of a really good system to safely store and display a collection. Of course, I suppose, that it is double edged sword. If we had tens of thousands of MPC collectors, we definitely would have a great album that met the above conditions. It would also be inexpensive. It would be the notes that we absolutely could not afford! =================================================== Mail Call Dear Editor, Oh sure! Blame it on me! It's not MY fault you can't chew bubble gum and zip your fly! I can proofread your manuscript, talk to you on the phone AND search eBay, at the same time, but I guess that don't hold any weight... Well, my fee for proofreading just went up another 300%. Yuk Yuk Yuk... Phil~ Dear Gram, Gates-Lord Hall is still there and is being used by the reserve units as their headquarters. The bowling alley is gone as is most of the barracks. The pond on the northwest is now part of a state park. The old staff nco club is used by the Marion County Sheriff's Dept. Commissary still in use as is the hospital. Condos are going up everywhere. The village has been bulldozed and is being rebuilt. The trailor court was about the first to go. Most of the older buildings are being saved for their historical value and are being converted to offices. I miss Sunday mornings at the Foxhole Smithbuck =================================================== Departments --------------------------------------------------- WWII numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar 2001 --------------------------------------------------- Not only does the scholarship fund have an official identity but also has a bank account! Any further donations should be paid to the order of "Military Numismatists Scholarship" and sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 THE UPDATED LIST OF SCHOLARSHIP BENEFACTORS 3/22/01. These folks have generously provided money or material to finance scholarships to the ANA WWII Numismatics seminar. Your contributions will help promote collecting WWII material and be greatly appreciated. Many donations were received at CPMX and MPCFest. Mr. Anonymous Donor, Mike Cummings, Sue and Keith Bauman, Ed B., Doug Bell, Tom Denly, Denly's, R. A. Medina, Harold “MPCKid” Kroll, Leo "Paymaster" May, Mrs. R.C. Matherne, Bill McNease, Mel and Jeremy Steinberg, Marcus Turner, Larry Ski, Guido, Fred, PK6, Joel Shafer, World Wide Ventures, Pam West, John and Nancy Wilson, Neil Shafer, W. E. Yanchick, Mark Watson, Al Glaser, Phil Goldstein, Rod Hardy, Wesley Hardy, Gary Hicks, Jack Lippincott, Ian Marshall, Kevin Maloy, David Seelye, Nick Schrier, Elmer Smith, Dan Swartz, Tom Warburton, Dick Freyser, Tim Kyzivat ==================================================== Post/Base Exchange (PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale will be run here for free. Send your ads to the gram. This service is for everyone, most humble dealer or most advanced collector. The point is to make the gram more interesting. Send in a list of items for sale and we will list them here in the gram. In all cases confirm your order via email first. FOR SALE MPC Series 692 5˘ replacement SN E00545814 pos 69, a pleasant fine $125. Contact fred@papermoneyworld.com. WANTED Collectors may submit lists of items wanted for their collections for listing here. Dealers and collectors who have these items are then encouraged to list them for sale in the above section. This is a trial, if you like it, send your list. =================================================== Staff: publisher and editor: Fred Schwan - fred@papermoneyworld.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein IWANTMYMPC@aol.com critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@papermoneyworld.com; index manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.com; The Boss: Judy Schwan ===== MPC Gram is published by BNR Press and papermoneyworld.com as a free service to the community of military money collectors. Your suggestions, criticisms, complaints, editorial contributions, letters, and even praise are very welcome. The entire contents including linked illustrations are copyright protected by the publishers. In the case of contributors, the copyright is protected on behalf of the creators. Please send all correspondence regarding the gram to MPCgram@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for your participation. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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