To Slip Cover or Not to Slip Cover in the Tropics?

[jam]

Hi,
Can anyone please help me to make a decision in regard to using slip covers in the tropics. I have to rehouse my collection due to rust etc and am trying to decide with the help of a Lighthouse catalogue what to buy. I like the look of the Grande range ( within my budget ) but am worried about the use of slip covers in North Queensland. Should I be??

Thanks for any help in advance.

[gavin-h]

Jam,

IIRC, there have been previous posts on Stampboards which advise that slip covers are essential in tropical climes.

Not sure whether that's advice from collectors or from dealers who sell slip covers, though

[Jonah]

"waits for glen to advertise slip covers!"

[jam]

Jam,

IIRC, there have been previous posts on Stampboards which advise that slip covers are essential in tropical climes.

Not sure whether that's advice from collectors or from dealers who sell slip covers, though

Thanks Gavin.
Can you please explain the IIRC?

Have also just done a search on slip covers and the tropics and only came up with mine then searched for Album slip covers and came up with lots of threads on covers .

Am still finding my way round this site. Should I have posted this in the Silly Question Forum?

[gavin-h]

Jam,

Sorry - IIRC is Bulletin Board Shorthand for "If I Recall Correctly".

[doug2222usa]

I don't see the point of putting covers into slips because of the climate.

All it does is trap stagnant air in and around the cover, providing a stable
dampish environment for the tiny insects, mold, and fungi which cause
tropical stain (please, NOT "rust").

The overriding requirement in damp climates is to let air circulate as much
as possible; that's why you store your albums loosely (and upright, of
course, without slipcases), not tightly packed together cheek by jowl.

The air that "circulates," moreover, really needs to be air-conditioned; a
plastic shroud achieves exactly the opposite. Cover slips are intended to
protect against soiling and accidental physical damage, not to function
as a makeshift means of climate control.

The 0.25 mm space between the cover and the cover slip is plenty large
enough to freely admit spores, etc., about the same proportions as a
hummingbird in an A380 hangar.

That's my opinion, as a former Florida resident for 17 years, a state more
tropical than any part of Australia except perhaps Darwin and environs.

[jam]

Hi Doug

Thank you for your advice. Although still confused on what I should use but I am not keen on putting whatever I use into slip covers. Am also very new to stamps and am still learing the termonology.

Are there any books that you could recommend that I should read that specifically deals with tropical climates and the storage of stamps or any good websites? Would like to get started on rehousing three albums that have tropical stain on some pages and not on others.

I have gathered from other information that I have read that I will need to buy new albums and discard the old albums and pages to elimate the spores that cause the tropical stain.

Thank you again for answering my question.
Any other help you can give me would be appreciated.
.

[doug2222usa]

Thanks for the kind words. Sorry, I don't know any books on the subject.

The people right HERE are the best experts you can consult. Look for members
who are sweating. Try to get a dozen more commentaries, and especially
the dealers.

After I re-read your original post, I realized there might be two questions
under consideration:

1. Whether to put a slip cover around an ALBUM.
2. Whether to put individual COVERS into what U.S. collectors normally call
"cover slips" -- thin, clear plastic protectors just slightly larger than the cover.

My answer dealt primarily with Question #2. But I would not recommend
ALBUM slip covers either, in a space that's NOT air-conditioned; in a space
that IS, a slip cover or dust cover "probably" keeps dust out (duh!) and
helps prevent discoloration from air pollution or smoking.

I am not so adamant about slip/dust covers as I am about the slips for
individual covers.

[doug2222usa]

I might add, I believe any collectible picture postcard worth over a buck
belongs in a clear plastic slip, especially if in dealers' stock, where they are
handled a lot, and thus subject to greasy fingerprints and bent corners,
and other miscellaneous but unintentional damage.

Since postcards don't have gum, the risk of tropical stain is much less,
although you sometimes find it around the edges of the stamp on used cards.

[Borisdog]

Thanks for your input Doug, sage advice it is and I know from my own experience that you're quite correct.

However I do suggest that your geography needs a little brushing up. I think you might find rather a lot of Australia falls under "Tropical Climate", in fact rather a lot more than Florida.

In particular the general area that myself and Jam both hail from.

Chhers, Darryl

[doug2222usa]

In Koeppen's Climate Classification System, only the three major peninsulas
jutting up from the northern coast of Australia are "tropical." And in Florida,
only the portion of the state south of Fort Myers is "tropical."

>>Thomas Edison selected Fort Myers for his winter home because it was
true tropical climate, which he needed to grow rubber trees for a longstanding
research contract to find substitutes for natural rubber. The American weed
"goldenrod" proved to be an excellent replacement, but it was not practical
to cultivate and almost impossible to harvest mechanically.

Between 80% and 90% of the Australian continent is designated "dry," not
tropical (which requires a certain amount of rainfall). I'm sure it is plenty hot,
but the dry heat is not so damaging to stamps, unless you keep your stamps
in a box just below a tin roof.

On the other hand, humidity in Florida is very high, persistent, and deadly
to paper collectibles. I guess it's a question of interpretation.

[ewen s]

Horrible humidity is found not only in tropical climes - back in Auckland the humidity would often be between 90% and 110% and no part of NZ is tropical, by any stretch of the imagination. Cold and uncomfortably humid - no wonder so many of us Kiwi's are over here bludging...

Ewen

[doug2222usa]

I believe you, but I'd like to know more about 110% humidity.

[GlenStephens]

Slipcases are essential for any album, in any climate in any country.

Stamp dealers are like doctors - we see the problem often after it is far too late to do anything about it.

Walk into a doctor's with yellow teeth and a hacking cough, and get asked if you smoke cigarettes - and the news is going to be all really BAD from that point on.

I sell about 400 of these binder/slipcases sets a year.

Why?

As the slipcase, which only costs about $15 often saves $1000s of damage to the stamps inside from dust, insects, and humidity - which causes RUST.

Plus they look classy.

Sounds like $15 well spent to me.

If I had 10 bucks for each collection bought to me over the decades, where the top 2 rows of stamps had dust and rust/toning and the rest of the page did not, I'd be richer than Bill Gates

https://www.glenstephens.com/hagner.html

[ewen s]

I believe you, but I'd like to know more about 110% humidity.

I'm no meteorologist, I just remember odd weather forecasts - I myself thought it a little strange when on an extremely muggy day in Auckland the announcer stated it was 110%!

Here's a bit of info explaining how the relative humidity can be greater than 100%;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_humidity

Cheers,

Ewen

[doug2222usa]

OK, I have no problem with any of that comment. And I will very much
confirm the issue of the TOP 2 ROWS - that's where the damage occurs.

It's really noticeable where someone in the home smokes, because that
damage is caused by tiny particulates, not bugs or humidity or (in most
cases) air pollution.

What do you say about cover slips, i.e., protection for individual covers,
within albums?

[GlenStephens]

Doug I give folks a very simple test to do to prove my point.

Run your wet finger across the top of a door frame, or top of a wardrobe or high bookshelf etc.

It will be covered in dust and gunk.

And ALL of that same dust and gunk ends up falling on to the top of every stockbook or hanger album sitting any any bookshelf. Whether anyone in the house smokes or not.

Where does all that cr*p go????

Right onto the top couple of rows on those books.
.

[lisamidge]

Well you have convinced me , when I have tidied up the other lot from you, I will be placing an order for a few of those covers myself.

These are the things you just don't think about...

Hope you have plenty Glen.

Lisa

[doug2222usa]

Glen, I have not disagreed with you, I merely said the effects of smoking
seem to be more noticeable. Air conditioning helps reduce dust and gunk,
but does nothing to reduce damage from smoking.

[GlenStephens]

This is from one of my stamp columns on this matter a couple of year's back.

The info is timeless. -- SLIPCASES:

===============

The NUMBER ONE problem for stamp collectors in this part of the world is our climate.

Probably 90% of Australian stamp collectors live in the coastal strip from Adelaide to Cairns. These areas suffer from sustained high humidity over the long Australian summer.

Humidity is moisture in the air. Stamps and stamp albums - both being paper - absorb this humidity in varying degrees, and stay damp for weeks ... sometimes months.

Damp paper in this warm climate gets slightly mouldy. The less you air and ventilate the albums, the faster this moulding will occur. This gives rise to small (soon to become bigger!) brown spots.

Dealers and collectors have varying names for this phenomenon - spotting, toning, rust, foxing, tropicalisation etc. Whatever term you choose to use, it spells BAD NEWS for your stamp collection.

If you live anywhere near the sea, the humidity is also mixed with small amounts of salt laden air. This quickly makes a really nasty brown-orange sodium rust 'cocktail' that eats your stamps.

How can I prove that slipcases have any bearing in preventing the amount of 'rust' your collection will get without slipcases? Simple.

I often buy collections of Australia Post year books along with that same collector's usual stamp album/stockbooks. All the PO year books are as we know issued in slipcases as a matter of course.

Amount of rust or foxing found in the Year Albums - usually none. Amount of foxing found in the NON-SLIPCASED albums and stockbooks stored around them - or right next to them in most cases? Well, you know the answer I think!

Over my 25 years as a dealer I have purchased and valued literally 1000s of collections. The condition of many is appalling.

A mint £2 Kangaroo with tone spots is basically worth $400 as 'fine used' instead of $2,400 as fresh mint. All directly due to careless storage.

There are a few myths regarding wise stamp storage. In Queensland especially the widely believed and acted upon old-wives-tale of pouring talcum powder over your stamps 'to stop rust' is to be avoided at ALL costs. And the same goes for 'powdering' with the slightly less destructive 'French chalk'.

These both make a horrible, messy, oily WRECK of your collection (and albums) in most cases. Most talcum/baby powder has an oil component, and that being smeared all over your stamps is madness.

This slippery gunk NEVER gets off the face of the stamps, and indeed in engraved/recess printed issues, such as KGV/KGVI Definitives from nearly all countries, it lodges between the fine recess ink lines.

Stockbook Slipcases

Most collectors store part or all of their collection in stockbooks. These stockbooks have been widely available now for about 30 years, and most (if not all) readers of this magazine have some (or many) in their stamp den. How many of you have those stockbooks stored in a slipcase?

Almost NONE is my best guess. Why? Because until now almost no-one manufactured them! For collectors in the USA, Canada and Europe there are ordinarily no sustained months of humidity that creates the problem we get here. Therefore worldwide demand is low.

In Australia I often buy say 20 stockbooks from an estate. Each one when opened up shows the TOP row or two of stamps have the worst toning/rust.

Why? Airborne dust settles there, and then when combined with the humid (often salt bearing) air - which also goes down only a row or two, you have a deadly mixture. Slipcases combat this perfectly.

My column in this magazine about TEN years ago called on 'Lighthouse' to make slipcases for local collectors. The local agents passed the idea onto the brass in Germany, and it seems to have shuffled right down to the base of the 'to be worked on' file.

Image link inactive. Removed

Not any more. I was advised recently that at LAST 'Lighthouse' have made slipcases specifically for use on stockbooks. There are 2 sizes - one for the biggest selling 32 page stockbooks, and one for the jumbo 64 pagers. Both come in Black and a classy Maroon/Plum colour that I like best. Both have the well known gold 'Lighthouse' logo on the lower corner.

Slipcases work on a very simple principle. You slide in the stockbook, and the TOP of the pages and stamps on top rows are then not exposed to moisture, dust, salt, insects or humidity etc.

Please say after me - "Slipcases are THE most effective rust prevention accessory available to collectors". Say it five times. THEN phone your regular dealer and order as many slipcases as you have stockbooks containing decent stamps. No matter what European brand - all will fit into these new arrival slipcases.

And order soon. I asked the Australian agent today how many slipcases they had ordered. The answer was: "only 50 sets as we are not sure how great demand will be". I know one client who will be onto me for about 50 units as all his extensive collection is in stockbooks! New stock takes 3 months to import, so make that phone call.

The price is quite sensible at $18 for the 32 page, and $21.50 for the large 64 page size. As I illustrated above, a mint £2 Roo sells for $2,400 but it worth only $400 with rust, as it is then basically just a "FU" stamp when someone washes the diseased gum off. An $18 slipcase can prevent that potential loss of $2,000. And the toning of all other stamps in that same stockbook.

.

[Borisdog]

Thanks for the climate lesson Doug

The big jutting peninsula bit on the right hand side of Australia is where Jam and I both live.

We're classified as dry tropics ,ie the Town we live in, with average rainfall of about 1150mm/year - or 46 inches in imperial. Fort Myers ave is 53". I've personally sat through rainfall of 35" in 24 HOURS in this town.

Areas only 60 miles North of me get well over 60" per annum. There are places within 150 miles of me that get in excess of 100" per annum.

90% of our rain falls in Summer. I think we're pretty close to tropical regardless of what Mr Koeppen says.

And it kills mint stamps like you would not believe.

Darryl
.

[gavin-h]

[wait]

"waits for glen to advertise slip covers!"

[/end of wait]