I've been shopping around for a nice storage box for my proof sets. I found a 1999-2016 one that is nice, but with shipping it comes out to $43.35. It seems like a bit much and I've seen different size storage boxes with the same logo before. Does anyone know who makes them or where they can be bought cheaper?
Have you tried Wizard? http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/ or JP's http://www.jpscorner.com/coin-storage-boxes.html or Guardhouse http://www.guardhouseholders.com/?gclid=CKi2u6qX-sgCFZCFaQodUEMMjA
thats an expensive box, i use the wizard ones, they work just fine for me... http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/coin-mint-boxes/
If I may suggest, do yourself a favor and don't buy any storage boxes that are made of cardboard. Paper products are laden with sulfur which is harmful to coins. Instead, get yourself something like this - http://www.rubbermaid.com/en-US/storage-boxes/photo---media-storage-box - and you'll be much happier in the end
Proof set inserts themselves, as well as the packaging, are cardboard. Go with something that is archival, though. Check local craft stores if shipping is too much. Problem is you'll probably end up with something with a flowery design unbecoming of proof sets. Throw a few bright red cents in the box with whatever you're storing. They'll serve two purposes. First, they'll be good indicators as to how hostile the environment is, second, they'll eat up some of the hostile gases in a sacrificial manner.
Thanks for all the feedback and advice. I'm someone new to coin collecting and this thread has made me rethink my storage solutions for all of my coins. I hate to say it but currently all my silver proof sets are in a metal ammo box. I'll be looking into some heavy duty plastic containers and throwing some new pennies in there just in case
One of the best things I've learned from this site is how to properly store my coins. That education is absolutely priceless
If you are using a real ammo box, and by real I mean one issued by the military, those are excellent because they have very good seals on them ! My previous comment was made to steer you away from using the cardboard storage boxes sold by coin supply vendors. So you would use something that would not harm your coins. Just make sure you wipe out the ammo box well, inside and out. A clean rag with some pure acetone on it works best. Just don't get any on the rubber seals. Once wiped out, leave the box open and let it dry for a bit. The acetone will completely evaporate and leave nothing harmful behind. That said, as messydesk said - - and I addressed that in another recent thread - https://www.cointalk.com/threads/mint-packaging.270257/ So make sure you remove any cardboard or paper products from your ammo box. Or, make sure you use archival products like messydesk also said. As for the "sacrificial pennies" - well, the idea works, but it doesn't work in a way. Yes, the pennies will eat some of the harmful gasses. But they will not stop those harmful gasses from getting to your other coins in the same storage container. In other words, even if the pennies get corroded by harmful gasses, so will your other coins. That's because the pennies are not "magnets" that magically draw the harmful gasses away from the other coins thus protecting those other coins. They just get corroded first because they don't have the other layers of protection like a good quality coin holder that your other coins hopefully do have. So your other coins still do get corroded with the pennies present, but merely at a slower rate because they are in coin holders. In other words, if harmful gasses are getting to the pennies, those same harmful gasses are getting to your other coins as well because the gasses are in the air everywhere, not just being drawn to the pennies. So while the pennies are good indicators, they are not really protectors. You still need other things to protect your collection coins.
An add on for this. Put your coins in food grade ziplocks to create another barrier and then use the pennies as a litmus test. If you see them corroding you know you have a problem and the ziplocks will protect your coins from those same gasses for a time to address that issue. Sort of like a canary in a coal mine. The pennies are your canary.
Hi there y2k95, I actually just picked up a 1999-2016 red box from ebay this week. I paid around $45, after shipping and tax it was about $53 total. In my humble opinion, this box was well worth it. My only complaint is that the 1999-2016 doesn't account for 1992-1998 silver proof sets, nor does it go beyond 2016. edited Everywhere I look online, I am unable to find any "blue" special boxes for the clad sets. What I have found online claims that only 2,016 boxes of each (red and blue) type were made for the 1999-2016 sets. I've yet to find any official information online about these boxes. To date, all I ever find are pictures of the boxes as you had included in your post, but 2 out of 3 are the red boxes, not the blue ones for clad proofs. edited Please read the forum rules !
