Posted By:
DaveI recently checked my card collection which is stored in a gun safe, and found the dessicant to be in a cake as opposed to powder. I had two bags of dessicant, one large one that had been placed in a cloth bag, and the other came with something I bought and was in the shipping materials. Not much weight but packed in military packaging. It stated that to restore the drying power, it needed 18 hours in an oven at 285 deg F. Right!
I thought a microwave would make quick work of drying this stuff out. After about 2 minutes of waves, the bag was sitting in a white puddle, really rude. I threw this out as it was totally soaked and not close to dry.
My wife bought new today, $1.49 for 13 oz.
The message here: If you use dessicant to keep your cards dry - either in a home safe or a safety deposit box - check it often! If it doesn't feel like sand, but has clumped together, it is time to replace it.
I foung that old socks are a good pouch for this, as it is in a plastic bag when sold. I used two old socks without mates (and without holes in the toes), put half the bag in each, and sewed them shut. Should be good for another year, but I'll check often.