Card Storage
 

Posted By: <b>Cobby33</b><p>For those of us obsessive enough to store cards in safes, is it necessary to use dessicants in the individual boxes, IF, all of the cards are in slabs or screwdowns? Anyone have any expertise/experience on this?<br /><br />And for the record...My highest-graded Vintage is a PSA 4.

Card Storage
 

Posted By: <b>jackgoodman</b><p>Dessicants are a good safeguard even if you don't think there is a moisture/dampness problem. They are cheap, but could save you significantly. My 2cents.

Card Storage
 

Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>Atmospheres go through great pains, it seems in their desire to become uniform. The constitiuents migrate until everything is equal throughout the entire containment. This applys to moisture as well as pollutants and other atmospheric components.<br /><br />Silica Gel has an affinity for moisture, hydrocarbons, and other compounds potentially harmful to cards. As such, it draws these things out of the atmosphere and retains them in its crystaline lattice.<br /><br />Sooner of later the Silica Gel becomes ineffective, because it has adsorbed all that it can. At that time you can choose to replace it, regenerate it, or ignore it.<br /><br />Since the Silica Gel impacts the entire atmosphere inside of the safe, placement of this dessicant is unimportant to the well being of your cards. The atmosphere inside of your safe includes that "space" inside of your slabs and screwdowns, since neither are air tight (if they were this post would be unnecessary).<br /><br />Edited to try to spell bettah<br /><br />Of course, the closer the silica gel is positioned in relation to your cards the more quickly it will impact them, however, eventually the entire internal atmosphere of the safe will be equal.<br /><br />How often you open the safe has a significant impact on the dessicant's ability to do this job.<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Steve M.</b><p>though I can never make any sense out of them. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>jackgoodman</b><p>So Gil, was that a "yes?" <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>I realize that this is great fun for everyone, but I have to deal with this problem all of the time.<br /><br />And Jack, as you so aptly point out, my comments could have been more succinctly stated as "yes".

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Posted By: <b>jackgoodman</b><p>Gil - Just having a little fun on a Monday. Hope you took it in that spirit.

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Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>I did. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>Cobby33</b><p>Thank you...I think! (Kidding- thanks for the input thus far).