Philatelic Material and Inherent Vice

Cotton Fibers = Durability

Acid Free Chemistry = Permanence

Permanence + Durability = Archival Quality

When considering the best presentation and storage conditions for paper artifacts (like stamps) and photographs, I advise against applying any type of adhesive to collection pieces. The adhesive often turns brown over time and can "bleed" through to the front surface. It can also lose its adhesive quality, releasing the piece it was meant to secure. Paper and adhesive also react differently to environmental changes causing surface distortions to the paper. So how is it that stamps manage to maintain their pristine appearance for so many years? We have the U.S. Postal Service to thank for that. Their scientists have ensured that the highest quality paper and adhesives are used in a combination designed to last.

How can we address this inherent vice? Never store your collections in areas of high humidity—not on the floor of a basement (avoid basements if at all possible) and not beneath water pipes. Even self-adhesive stamps are damaged over time by exposure to excessive moisture. Collections of philatelic materials are obviously not just stored in boxes. Most often these collections are displayed in albums in combination with other materials—especially other papers. The album page should be considered a part of the collection and its quality should be carefully selected.

Purchase high-quality archival paper—a paper free of high levels of wood pulp and buffered to a pH of 8.5—for your albums. You will ensure that the inherent vice of paper (to react to the naturally acidic environment we live in) will be arrested. Also consider using a slipcase to protect the album from dust, light and exposure to changes in the environment.