DDR Medal Boxes, Plastic Foam Insert Type

[Katze Felix]

I have noticed with DDR medal boxes the type with the plastic foam inserts that these discolor and with certain medals that have been stored in these for a long period that this material affects the medals in an adverse way. The foam must have PVC or other chemicals that attack the metal by off-gasing, whenever possible I have tried to transfer medals into the deluxe cases that have a "material" insert. The deluxe cases have different types of material as well, ranging from a felt like material with an almost velvet quality to other material which must have a high plastic or nylon content.
Please share your thoughts and/or concerns on this issue - as well is there anyone in the membership here who has an alternative idea as to storage and display?
While it would be nice to keep the awards in their issue containers - in the long run if it affects the metal then one should seek alternatives for storage and display.

[ehrentitle]

The ill effects that certain plastics can have on medals and insignia have been discussed in much depth on the US Militaria Forum. I've got many DDR medals in these plastic cases and have not seen any problems other than the normal patina of age. However just to be safe I've wrapped these medals and badges in acid free paper but kept them in their original cases.

I've seen deterioration on the foam in some but others look like they were made yesterday. I believe this has something to do with the conditions under which they were stored. My items stored in the garage have fared the worst as wide swings in temperatures and humidity have contributed to the deterioration of plastics and elastic.

[ehrentitle]

I forgot to mention another alternative. You could always store them in Riker Mounts. Again there has been much discussion in the US Militara Forum about the material in Riker Mounts and no one so far has indicated any ill effects to items stored in them even after 30+ years in some cases. Here are a couple of shots of some of my NVA insignia in these Riker Mounts. I've removed the glass top to prevent glare:

[Katze Felix]

ET
Thanks for the thoughts and for the superb images of some of your horde in the RIKER mount system - I have some of these cases which work well for
horizontal storage, is there another similar product - a bit more sturdy that
can be used for vertical display, other than standard frames or shadow -boxes?

[ehrentitle]

KF - Yes the 'horde' was assembled over many years. Fortunately I was able to acquire all of the late issue qualification badges when I was stationed in Berlin. When you see more than one of each grade, its because there are variations either in the color of the paint or on the back.

I've seen folks use everything under the sun for vertical displays of US medals, insignia and patches. Even the thinner Riker mounts. Unfortunately I purchased several 1 1/2" Rikers and things tend to shift around a bit.

A few years ago I bought a collection of US wings, medals and patches that were mounted on foam core board that was ingeniously cut to fit inside a 1" deep aluminum frame with tempered non-glare glass. Dry mounted on the foam core was a red felt background. Everything was neatly pinned or sewn to the felt. You can tell it was put together with great care. It was not named or identified to anyone so I disassembled it as I only needed about 1/3 of the insignia. The remainder I traded or resold.