Hey All: I have a question about how different people store their collections. When I buy coins, I usually take them out of their flips and put them in plastic tubes. I have tubes of Mercs, Roosevelts, War Nickels, Wheat pennies, steel pennies, and '64-'70 Kennedies. Some of these are AU. My thought process is, the only time I won't put coins in these plastic tubes is when they are BU, Key Dates, etc. and also my Silver Eagles. Things like that and high dollar coins will go in their own AirTites, unless I buy them slabbed. What is everyone's opinion? I know there is no 'right way', but am I doing the right thing? Thanks in advance, and thanks again for the warm welcomes.
There's little harm putting similar coins in tubes for long term storage, assuming the tubes won't be moved around a lot . . . you wouldn't want them to suffer significant stacking friction to the detriment of your better looking coins in particular. I would not store coins of different materials in the same tube however, as you don't know what kind of chemical reactions might be set up between them. At any rate, removing coins from their original flips is always a good idea, if the flips are not of archival quality (mylar, and very rigid, to the point of being brittle). You have the right idea for your higher grade / more valuable coins . . . individual holders are best, and the AirTites are fine for that purpose. I use cardboard 2x2 holders for most of my raw coins. Most people who denigrate these holders do so because staples can scratch the mylar windows and even the coins. I use a crushing stapler, and orient and staple the holders differently from most, putting the hinge at the bottom, rather than the top, and stapling only on 3 sides, unless the coin is tiny (3cs, H10c & $1G, which are all thinner than the holders, and better protected against a 4th staple). That way, sliding staples over coins in a box is much less likely to cause casualties. - Mike
One other important thing to keep in mind when storing coins, especially if you are in an area with lots of humidity is to add either packets of moisture absorbers or a few red cents in there. And then be sure to change them out every now and again.
Please do a search on this topic, and specify the username "GDJMSP" (aka Doug). Please read everything he's had to say about this topic, over and over and over again. then read it again. He has discussed this topic ad nauseum and has good advice. I agree with toughcoins above on flips. Flips are the worst offenders of rub, causing hairlines and scratches since the coins are free to move around inside, and then taking them in and out is usually a problem. However, I disagree on the other items, especially about the tubes. No matter how little you move it, placing coins in tubes will cause them be in constant contact and to rub against each other and over time will cause damage, no matter how small. For coins that you don't care about the rub (such as bullion or low-grade), this is fine. But, if you have any higher quality coins, and especially proofs, avoid doing that. This is worse than any other method since the coins are always in direct contact with each other. Cardboard 2x2's are useful, but not ideal. Every time a coin is handled, or slid in and out of plastic album pages or 2x2 boxes you risk rub against harder surfaces and staples. The mylar is not solid enough and any cardboard 2x2 put next to any other will result in rub on the coin through the plastic from whatever other thing it's sitting next to. Plus, cardboard 2x2's are, well, cardboard, and if not properly stored themselves can take on humidity or water, and they let air in which contains all sorts of things that can degrade coins over time. I stick to tubes for bullion/low value coin bulk storage, and hard plastic holders (2x2, air-tites, TPG slabs) for any coin that has any value more than the holder I'm putting it into (and for 30 cents for the holder, why risk otherwise?).
For my low-grades and duplicates, I enjoy coin folders. You can find them cheap at shows and I like being able to see all the coins next to each other. I've been slowly building a library of Dansco albums - I really like them, but they aren't cheap. For everything else, 2x2's and airtights.
All of this. Any coin I buy for collecting (not bullion) that is worth or cost more than an Air-Tite goes in one ($0.51 - $0.61 on the website, about $1.30 at LCS). I have a rechargeable silica desiccant bar in with my coins ($6) and the coins are kept in a tupperware or food safe plastic storage container ($?). Even mint sets are removed from their OGP and put in the tuperware and the OGP is saved elsewhere. The tupperware container is kept in the dark, away from extreme temperatures, and sources of airflow like heater/air conditioning vents.
Decent coins go in flips, junk goes in tubes or bags. Tubes are handy, but only for things like US coins. A lot of my stuff is world or ancient, so the common crap goes in a bag. Even the bags, though, get placed in storage areas not likely to due the coins any harm.
Pretty much the same advice as above. Coins I pull from circulation go into folders which I then give to nieces and nephews once they're mostly filled. I've finally got all the Dansco albums for the modern coins. Something about filling holes is very gratifying. Maybe it's a male thing. Though I do worry about sliding the the plastic over the coins, so when I do put them in, I set them in a little deeper or wait until I have all the coins to fill the plastic slides section. Coins destined to go in the album I keep in Mylar flips temporarily. I've worked in art preservation before, so when I handle the coins it's as if each one was a unique coin worth millions. The Dansco albums are stored in a credenza with a bunch of moister absorbing packets.
I'm an Air-Tite freak...even my challenge coins which are coated in some sort of thick clear epoxy-like layer go into an Air-Tite. In my defense, that clear epoxy-like layer will react with other substances which will cause it to discolor. I've seen guys keep there's in the original plastic pouch they generally come in and those things are PVC laden, they smell and feel like shower curtans and turn the clear epoxy-like layer an ugly green color, forever distorting the appearance of the coin. Also...I'm about standardization. If one coin is in an Air-Tite they all have to be! Maybe it a hole filling thing, like a Dansco, I don't know.
