Storage of notes

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I noticed today that the notes I have at home have a stinky plastic smell. I am concerned that this might affect the notes. Would the plastic affect them?? is the a safe brand to buy that anyone knows of?? I am afraid after 20 years or so something happens..... ?

Mylar holders are generally considered to be the safest.  Avoid soft vinyl holders - the plasticizer eventually seeps out of them when the plastic starts to break down, and a yellow oily liquid soaks into the notes.  As far as I know it can't be removed, and the note is severely damaged, becoming translucent in the affected areas.  The smell you noticed makes me suspect this is what is happening with your holders.  I'd put the notes in something else immediately until you can acquire some good holders.

Hi Bob,

Could you provide a scan or an example of the mylar holder that you recommend since I'm not an expert in plastic.  

Thanks !

Here is how you can test your holders.
http://rarenotes.net/beilstein.html

Tom

I don't think a scan would tell you much.  They are rather thinner than the usual kinds of plastic holders.  The plastic is not soft.  You can get them from Denly's of Boston; I don't know whether there are Canadian suppliers.  If not, maybe I should start up a little business
I generally get a hundred at a time and so I don't need to buy them very often.

I use Lighthouse Vario brand pages.  

I did the Beilstein test as described above, a couple of years ago on 4 or 5 different holders - including the type eyevet uses. Sadly, the only one that didn't burn green was the one from Denly's of Boston.

I use a hard cover book (The best of James Harriot).
Is there any major problem with this?

Notes are almost 100% prone to becoming "pressed" if stored this way.  I'm sure pressed vs. original has been discussed in other threads already, so I won't elaborate here.

Skylark,

Unfortunately, by placing your notes in a book, you are exposing them to the acids present in the paper.  It is really no different than using one of those unsuitable plastic holders.

In my experience, it would be wise to seek out some Mylar folders (as previously suggested by others in this thread).  You should then keep the notes in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

If you own some older notes which are hand-signed, the inks in those signatures may contain Iron or Copper that will corrode over time. This may result in what appear to be "burn" marks directly in the area of the signature.  If you notice something like that, it is best to seek the advice of a professional conservator. (museums are a good place to ask around)

Hope this persuades you to take your notes out of your Encyclopedia Brittanica or favourite novels!

Cheers,
Dean.

Ok thanks thats good to know. I'll get right on moving them.  

I need a lot too... Perhaps twice what Cdn_Guy is planning on getting.  If anyone wants to coordinate a bulk purchase, maybe we can get a bit of a price break on an order of 1,000.  You can put me in for half that.

What store do you buy from?

What store do you buy from?

What store does who buy what from?

You can get the good ones from Don Olmstead.

Tom