Hi relatively new to the forms and wanted to reach out for some advice as currently my apartment lacks heating and we are going through a cold spell. I was wondering if my cards will be okay as my apartment at times is as low as 65 degrees Fahrenheit. All my cards are either in perfect fit sleeves and in binders or in sleeve top loaders and in binders for the nicer cards. Apologies for the long post.
The temperature alone wouldn’t worry me, humidity is more of a concern. If you have a very humid and warm day and the temperature drops quickly at night, thats how you get condensation. Obviously any condensation near cards is not a good thing
8 Likes
Agreed with @pfm. I’ve lived in both extremes (i.e., very hot, very cold) and the temperature itself did not damage cards. If you are worried about the temperature fluctuating and causing condensation, I would recommend adding some silica desiccant packets to your storage containers and/or around your binders. They will draw out moisture quite well. Others have recommend high-tech solutions like drying cabinets.
PS: Welcome to e4! We’re happy to have you here!
1 Like
Okay good to hear luckily recently got a dehumidifier to aid with the temp swings and I do have some silica packs but will definitely look into the gel packs to further help with the humidity.
Thanks and thank you for the advice definitely eased my concerns I will definitely look into the silica packs I already have a dehumidifier to aid with humidity. So hopefully both will do the trick.
1 Like
The only problem with silica packets is that they don’t last very long, and they just taste so darn good.
2 Likes
Agree with everyone else. High moisture/humidity combined with an extreme cold or heat is what you want to avoid in my experience. The moisture combined with the temperature can impact cards negatively, especially if not stored properly (i.e. sleeved, toploader, binder, etc).
As long as you’re at the sweet spot for humidity (45-55% or so), you should be fine even with the lower temps.
I’ve never felt more betrayed by society than the day I learned that silica packs are generally non-toxic and the warning label is there because they are a “choking hazard”
It’s basically like eating sand
EDIT: back on topic as a side note, they are generally ineffective in large spaces like where you would store your collectibles. If you aren’t buying a big jug of beads, they are probably as effective at absorbing humidity as they are toxic
2 Likes
I bought an electric dehumidifier to deal with a moisture and condensation problem, cost about £200. Bit of a pain to empty out the water tray twice a day, the filter is easily dusted off every 1-2 weeks. Might also not be great for anyone trying to keep power bills down. But it dealt with the moisture problem 100x better than any combination of crystal-based disposable dehumidifier solutions.
1 Like