Hi, I'm new and I've put myself in a bit of a situation. I got a job at a gas station and as such currency from around the globe, paper and coin, and from different eras come through and provided I don't short myself my boss lets me buy these from my register... As such I have quite quickly amassed a sizable (In my eyes) collection of coins and recently started collecting paper once I bought a 1963 Series A $10 bill to go with my $2 series 2013 (Just a new bill, maybe it'll appreciate down the road)... Here's my problem: I literally (As in today) received my BCW Hard Clear Money Protectors because I wanted a rigid bill protector not an overly flexible sleeve however I have done some research online and learned that PVC is bad for paper, so knowing I have to buy a different type of sleeve such as Mylar which isn't cheap (the whole reason I jumped on the BCW was the get the bills into some sort of relative protector aside from being between two pieces of computer paper wedged in a heavy book but on a budget) so I have to save up... But if as advertised the 'rigid' PVC shouldn't have these plasticizers or stearates in them to damage the bills, but as read on the community apparently BCW likes to lie about what their plastic actually is so I'm perplexed... I know in the long term PVC will damage the paper making it almost oily and/or brittle but I am curious as to about how long it takes, do I need to go out and break my budget because these sleeves are a disaster, or if I wait about 6 months to a year will they be fine, so long as I do not wait much longer than that?
I'd say you'll be fine with them. Typically, the harder and more rigid a sleeve or holder is, the less likely it is to contain PVC. I have notes that have been stored in rigid BCW sleeves for over ten years and they show no signs of any degradation. So I'd not worry about it and enjoy storing your newfound notes. Regarding how long paper money can last in holders made with PVC, it often takes years to see any adverse effects. Factors such as heat and humidity can play a part in when symptoms can start to show.
PVC is a hard, rigid plastic unless it is plasticized. It will degrade eventually but not for a long time if kept out of sunlight and at a resonible temperature
Soft PVC contains phthalates. They act as endocrine disruptors, i.e., synthetic estrogens. DO NOT USE THEM UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN (AND MAYBE EVEN YOURSELF) TO BECOME MUTANTS. I exaggerate, but you REALLY don't want to use soft flips for ANY purpose. They are not good for your coins or you and your family. I don't know what they may do to paper money. It might depend on what the money is printed on and what inks were used. Plastics containing phthalates are illegal in children's toys for the reason in the first paragraph.
I didn't buy 'soft flips' specifically because I wanted a more rigid protector to keep the bill from bending easily and to keep it straight, so I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WVKHQEA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 made of semi-rigid PVC, it is a sleeve with a very mild amount of flex, but not as much as I've seen with the flips. So since I know it's not 100% rigid PVC I'll probably have to get different ones down the road...
I'm not satisfied with this, for now. I just myself got what is assumptively the same plastic as the original post for my banknotes. I don't really want to test with fire but I'd like to know if I should just store my notes separately from my coins so I can use up the big pack I just purchased.
I’ve never been a fan of the hard plastic holders. I once had a note halfway fall out of one. Quality Mylar holders are only about 50 cents each. A small price to pay to protect your notes.
I use hard currency flips and put the flips in soft pages. It holds them in well and the flips protect the currency.
I agree with @SteveInTampa , pick up some mylar currency sleeves. They're easy to purchase at your LCS, eBay or online & it would help to drop the 'flip' lingo. Next thing you know, we'll be seeing more comments/posts about notes with a 'weird strike' or that are in 'mint condition.'
Well, I can’t return the opened BCW PVC sleeves. So instead, I’ll find some other place to get better sleeves. Thanks folks. Still exploring the banknote world.
I haven't had the long term experience that some here have had, but I think you'll be fine leaving them in those sleeves until you can afford a better set up. I store most of mine in an album, rather than individual sleeves, but can see why you might want them separate. I would love to see some of your finds. Please post them individually for us to enjoy. Good luck. And thanks to your boss for letting you "switch out" your finds.
I also like (use) Guardhouse, Safeguard, BWC & any of the brands that have Mylar or "PVC-free" on their labels.