moths

[Stahlhelm]

WOW.....sealing in an airtight bag, then put in a plastic container which is put in a box that is then sealed with duct tape? That method seems okay if one wants to pack their cloth items away in the dark forever and never see them again...

As bobcam said, how ironic it is that we even have to think about such hermetically-sealed, covered-up methods of storing pieces of a collection that are meant to be seen in order to be truly appreciated. After all, collectors don't collect to store things away in darkness, only to create an out-of-sight/out-of-mind collection. How horrible it all really is! It's actually the main reason that I don't even own such expensive cloth items, such as tunics and uniforms. Just the headache of keeping the corrosion of the metal awards is enough for me in one lifetime.

As for a practical solution for those who collect cloth, wanting to store or, worse yet, display and enjoy it safely, I don't have one. I only have a lot of empathy as I consider your dilemma.

Nature is always working against order to create chaos, and sometimes even vice versa. However, once those pesky critters make lunch of one's prized cloth collection, there's no return to order that even mother nature can perform.

Chris

[The Jackal]

Not that this will keep al of the bugs out....but it does help and lets me enjoy the collection every day.

Jac

[pbuchh7715]

Greetings,

Two big threats to woolen items are webbing clothes moths and carpet beetles. The smell of cedar oil blocks the moths' ability to detect a food source for their little baby moths and also interferes with their pheromone detection, so they can't have the proverbial "booty call". Herbs like citronella, peppermint, and rosemary do the same thing. Carpet beetles are NOT affected by cedar but I believe rosemary and peppermint work.

I've been pretty fortunate over the years but I have heard horror stories about silverfish.

Best,

Peter

[krim4142]

post card albums

I'm trying to find albums to store my post card collection, due to the fact that sizes vary . I canot find what I need, plus I took my collection to show an old friend : And he of course damaged ,one of best examples that I have. He's just old and extremley ill.

What I would like to find is an album , where the front and back are visible, and I'm able to enjoy or show them without any touching of the post card.

Peter

[Kevin L.]

postcard storage

I would check out coin or baseball card shops. There are a variety of different sized archival sleeves for currency and cards that I think would work. If your'e looking for multi-compartment pages, the same thing applies. Avoid the soft flexible pieces as they have chemical components that will damage paper over the years. You can also check out office supply stores. They carry full-page sleeves made of heavy-gage archival material. I use these myself for odd sized photos. If no luck with the coin shops, let me know and I can hook you up with some suppliers. Good luck. Kevin L.

[Lt Visser]

That mannequin in that case looks great!

[Stahlhelm]

As Peter mentioned earlier, carpet beetles are another serious wool-eating pest. While many collectors blame everything on moths, just as often it's these little beetles that are to blame. (Yes! We always hear about "mothing," but never about "beetling.") Even if you don't currently have them in your home, that means nothing. Those antennae they have are ultra perceptive about finding food, perfected over millions of years of survivalist evolution. And those expensive military uniforms, visors, patches, etc., with all the decades-old sweat, skin oil, and body salts are their favorite foods! They are delicacies they can sense through walls, floors, and barriers you wouldn't imagine. Yes! Unfortunately, there is NO way to totally protect your collection from these little buggers, when you choose to display them outside of anything less than an airtight bag. Sorry for the bad news. But, it's better to be realistic, proactive, and safe than be sorry later, looking with anger you can take out on nothing but a bug (if you can even find it). Oh, and as for cedar chips keeping the carpet beetles away. Forget it! It's an old wives tale, if ever there was one! Take it from someone who knows a lot about insects and someone who has, unfortunately, learned the hard way earlier!

For your viewing pleasure, here's just a few of the colors and types of carpet beetles, along with the little "wooly bear" larvae of each one. Yes! Those little bristles on the larva bodies help them to hang tight on your uniforms and visors!



Chris

[Matthew m.]

Just thought I would share. I baught a 5x8 annin defiance American flag and a cut down NSRL standart from the same vet's family after he had passed away. The NSRL flag was on top of the American flag in a cedar chest with moth balls. Interestingly the family never knew the items were stored in the attic (assuming they were there for decades). The standart had so many holes and part of the embroidered eagle and swaz were missing on one side, just small fragments left. I don't believe those holes were in the standart prior to storage because there were no stains or really loose threads around the holes or the missing parts. Now the American flag, "2 ply moth resistant" according to the tag, was heavily stained but has no holes.

[Hans Kristian]

I use the products from Secol and they are crystal clear so I can see front and back of my WW2 photos once they are placed.

2 x 8 pockets for cards fits perfectly to the standard size ww2 pictures, and I also have 2 x 4 (postcard size) and with 2 pockets (A5) as well as A4 for documents. All the pockets are archival standard and museum-level protection.

The website: https://www.secol.co.uk/

Products:
https://www.secol.co.uk/products/han..._pockets_pages

For more, search A-S and all the pockets will appear.

There are also very suitable binders to buy. All in all, not cheap, but high quality.

Good luck,

Hans Kristian

I'm trying to find albums to store my post card collection, due to the fact that sizes vary . I canot find what I need, plus I took my collection to show an old friend : And he of course damaged ,one of best examples that I have. He's just old and extremley ill.

What I would like to find is an album , where the front and back are visible, and I'm able to enjoy or show them without any touching of the post card.

Peter

[Paul R.]

Red aromatic cedar, Lavender , and Lavandin all have been proven to be a natural moth deterrent to moths and many other insects With out the toxic dangerous chemicals from the standard moth balls. There has been many test done to prove that Red aromatic cedar, Lavender , and Lavandin by conservators, museums, and independent research labs.