Posts: 1744
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

Posts: 11
From:
Registered: Nov 2002

Posts: 503
From: Highland Heights, KY
Registered: Feb 2003

Posts: 202
From: Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 06-29-2003 11:40 PM               

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Aloha Bob... Thanks for the info.

Just last week, before your post, I purchased from a company called Potomac Supplies the Supersafe FDC Albums. They also sell the Lighthouse brand, which I didn't purchase.

Any comments on the Supersafe product? The prices at this Potomac Supplies company seemed to be good... any comment from the pros?

Posts: 577
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 06-30-2003 08:20 AM               

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I use the Fleetwood cover albums that hold six covers to a page for my collection. They are produced by Unicover (the same company that makes Fleetwood first day covers.)

They are a little pricey compared to some makers but they were the best I could find when I started.

Posts: 1744
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 07-01-2003 05:26 PM               

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I'm not familiar with Supersafe FDC Albums and going by their fairly low price, don't think they are comparible to Safe FDC albums, which, in my opinion, are the best FDC albums available. But Safe FDC albums are kind of expensive and the Lighthouse FDC albums are pretty close in quality, but are a good bit cheaper.

I have used Fleetwood FDC albums, Showgard FDC albums and White Ace FDC albums and of the three prefer Showgard FDC albums. In my opinion, Fleetwood, White Ace and Showgard FDC albums are better for just storing and displaying more routine covers. I use SAFE and Lighthouse FDC albums for my best covers, which are mostly autographed.

SAFE also makes a larger album whose pages are large enough to hold 8x10" photos. These are excellent, but very expensive, for displaying and protecting valuable autographed photos.

Posts: 503
From: Highland Heights, KY
Registered: Feb 2003

Posts: 577
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-15-2003 08:59 AM               

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Try washpress.com they sell a White Ace brand album for European covers that holds 50 covers for $34.55. They are the flip up kind. Go to there web page and look under White Ace albums +an intro to the white ace product line. From there you can order a catalog. Or if you email me you address I can send you a brocure with their various styles of albums with prices and how to order.

You may also try going to unicover.com and look up there phone number and call for one of there album catalogs. I looked on there site for awhile but could not find much info on there albums. They sell many styles though I am not sure if they have any for European covers.

Posts: 31
From:
Registered: Jul 2005

Posts: 577
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001

Posts: 31
From:
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 08-15-2005 04:33 PM               

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I guess I'm just used to comic collecting. The reason for the board behind the comic, besides adding rigidity, it's also acid free. I thought maybe that was something that stopped any deterioration.

I trust a long time collector though. I didn't realize there were inserts in the albums. Do you know of an online site that sells them? Thanks!

Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 08-16-2005 04:52 AM               

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I am using two types of storage materials:

• acid-free stamp sheets by companies like Lighthouse, Safe, Kabe, Lindner, or any other brand you might have in your town or country; those do have black paper behind them; note that this paper needs to be acid free as well.

• acid-free plastic sleeves available both in photo stores or the paper business.

Note that acid-free/archive quality is the key word. Standard plastic material contains acid and thus tends to "eat up" the colors of your item with time.

The second issue is: sunlight. Matting and framing is mostly fatal for your items, even if you use acid-free and UV protective material. Rather produce a good color photocopy of your preferred item and keep the real one in your safe.

Russ Still has a very instructive chapter on archiving in his "Relics of the Space Race" book that I can only recommend - a must have.

Posts: 3
From: Central Arkansas, USA
Registered: Apr 2006

Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000

Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 03-14-2008 09:21 AM               

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I am looking for an album to hold my collection of crew-autographed FDCs, and I found this thread so thought I would piggyback on it.

I copied the info above about Safe FDC and Lighthouse FDC covers being, perhaps, the best quality for storing covers. The question I have is, I can't find any info regarding archival qualities of these albums. Are the plastic pages archival safe? What about the paper inserts (I see some are black and some are green, although there may be other colors too) — are they acid free?

Thanks, I appreciate any info and opinions since I currently have my covers stored in SuperSafe USA cover holders (made from Prolar polyester film), with the holders then stored in individual envelopes with cardboard stiffening to make sure they don't get bent -- not very convenient for looking at them or showing them to friends.

Posts: 2732
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 03-14-2008 02:08 PM               

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Im glad this has been brought up. What do folks do to store covers from the UK? Their covers are generally larger than US style covers.

Not just the UK, but Cosmonaut covers also. Any style.

Posts: 577
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 03-14-2008 07:09 PM               

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The Canada Post sells a number of different cover albums for various size covers. I think some of them are the same size as the Cosmonaut covers.

I have never purchased any of these but they are listed in their "Collections" catalog and they are probably on their web site as well.

Posts: 70
From: Salina, Kansas, USA
Registered: May 2004

posted 09-16-2008 08:00 PM               

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I could sure use some advice on how to store my signed covers. Specifically, I am trying to determine whether the covers should be stored with the flap open or closed.

All of my covers are stored in 8x10 toploaders which are then contained in 11x14 sheets and placed in three ring binders. I have some covers stored with the flap open and some stored flap closed. I was thinking that if the covers are stored with the flap closed for many years then eventually the paper along the crease will become weak and detach whereas if the envelope is stored with the flap open then the crease will remain stronger. Is my logic flawed?

You guys know way more about this topic then I do and I appreciate any input that you can give me to best preserve my collection. Thank you in advance for your comments.

Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 09-17-2008 03:53 AM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by capoetc:
Are the plastic pages archival safe?

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Yes, they are. Safe and Leuchtturm are primarily produced for stamp and FDC collections, and those have pretty much the same archival requirements as have autographs (or autographed covers). I use the SAFE sheets (750, 752, 754) for over thirty years and I have never seen any degradation.

And, to answer Al's question, they come in all sizes and thus can be bought specifically for US or European sized covers. I use the 752 sheets for the European sized, and 754 sheets for the US sized covers. If you keep a stock of both, you are prepared for anything that might come your way...

Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 09-17-2008 05:46 AM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Kevin Carrico:
I could sure use some advice on how to store my signed covers.

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To answer Kevin Carrico's question specifically - covers are normally stored with the flaps closed, but not sealed. And don't tuck the flap into the cover - it bends the envelope and the new creases do show.

And the worst thing anyone can ever do is tuck the flap into the cover and stick it down on the inside of the cover. The flap gum (acidic) will bleed through to the front, and there will be no way to stop it. That's a death knell for a cover.

With the flap closed but not sealed, it is also adviseable to put an acid-free paper or cardstock insert into the cover. This keeps the flap gum (which can be acidic) from bleeding through to the front of the cover, and also gives the cover some stiffness/support.

Posts: 70
From: Salina, Kansas, USA
Registered: May 2004

Posts: 60
From: Italy
Registered: Jul 2016

posted 10-23-2019 04:15 AM            

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I have a bunch of signed covers which I would like to store in the best possible way to avoid them losing color or becoming yellow. I'm thinking about a sealed transparent plastic envelope but my fear is that they could stick to it.

Any hints on a specific product?

Editor's note: Threads merged.

Posts: 388
From:
Registered: Sep 2001