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Julie VognarI put each card in a Mylar holder, which I buy from Mark Macrae, who buys them in large quantities. Mylar is an acid-free, inert, archiaval grade stuff, which also makes your cards and photos look prettier. They come in various different sizes. Large cards, like T202s or A 35s, I put in different versions of Mylar comic book holders (modern, silver age, golden age, magazine, newpaper size) which I buy at my large local comic book store. Ditto with photos. AND, each photo has its own holder, to be put inside a larger holder, which I punch 3 holes in, and stick it in the OLDEST, CRUMMYIST looking 3-ring notebook I can find. The cards, in their Mylar holders are put in Vario pages from Subway Stamp Shop (I prefer the clear fronts and black backs)800-221-9960. They have many kinds of page divisions: My Colgans are in 4-layer pages, my T202s are in 3-layer pages, most cards are in 4-to-a-page division pages, my T3s are in single pocket pages. You can get as few as 5 pages at a purchase, and they are not expensive. The sheets of cards, appropriately divided, are also put in 3-ring binders (the sheets you buy from Subway have various holes at the left-hand margin.)
Then, everything goes in my son's ex-stereo case, part glass, part wood, about 4 shelves. Over this, I pt 3 linen tablecloths, and an A'[s towel over the back. Why?
BECAUSE I SMOKE, that's why.
There are some flat pieces that are simply too large for ready-made Mylar holders. I recently bought 5 bag-and-back (they're supposed to be archival, but they're not) huge holders for 1) Mullin original artwork, 2) The CIA Moe Berg poster, 3) a sheet of Jaspanese Menko cards--and I can't remember what else. If you have a really valuable large piece, an art shop will make you a Mylar holder at considerable expense.
SO, though my baseball stuff is not on display, it's easy to grab an album, or a bag=and-back, and bring it out to the livingroom for me or someone else to look at.
I only have two baseballs, and I haven't the foggiest what to do with them. One is from DiMaggio's last year (? 1949, anyway), a Yankee ball (no Mantle yet), which is fading a=pace, and the other is a Willy Mays, Willy McCovey and, er, Al Lopez (well nobody's perfect!) signatures, which hasn't begun to fade yet. Wish someone could tell me how to store them so they won't go away...
