I am currently keeping my collection in a Leuchtturm Grande case with self-adhesive coin holders. But I am not happy with them because I want to touch them time to time or I want to re-photograph them as I improve my photography. This means I have to tear the holder apart and put a new one. And as far as I know, although they are pvc and acid free they are not good for long term storage. So I want to upgrade to coin trays (or boxes), but couldn't decide what to choose. Here are my options: Every one of them as cons and pros. For example I don't like the red velvety material of the leuchtturm but it looks pleasing. Abafil trays are expensive and not stackable (yes there are cases but they are too big to fit into my safebox. Embit is hard to find. Safe BEBA maxi model actually fits my needs well but I am not sure how good it is. That's why I would like to get your opinion and experiences; also I would like to see how you store your coins. I am curious about what material you use for the labels. I cannot think myself using a regular paper, I feel like I have to use museum grade acid free paper but would be hard to print on.
well I do not know the answer... but as a new collector I am also looking for some advice. I am sure you have come to the right place to ask...
Abafil are great, I have some of those for storing coins not in flips. For coins in flips, Guardhouse makes some good stackable trays... more details in this post from earlier this year. (As my collection has become larger, I've switched to the Presidio boxes mentioned in that post, I only use the trays for showing coins.)
I don't like flips anymore so they will be freed when I got trays. I will buy trays with 30mm squares in any case.
I used cheap red trays for years and was quite happy. My source retired but the trays were like the ones shown in the link below. I have never dealt with the seller here. https://paloalbums.com/products/red...dlf0KtFntlJANrhvqwQSJVlR0zPQrDJYaAjhVEALw_wcB Compared to Abafil, these are light and not nearly as sturdy. They stack nicely in cases sold separately. They fit, without cases, in a large safe deposit box but banks vary on what is available. I was lucky to be around when they opened a new branch and had a good selection of box sizes. A couple years ago, I gave up and moved my coins into paper envelopes and 9" red boxes. Cases work well for small collections but I got to a point where I had too many coins to fit within reason. I now only use cases for my favorite coins as will fit in one case with ten trays. http://www.vaticancoins.com/book/1986/Lot_of_10_ABAFIL_Coin_Trays_77_Compartments_Red/ I see the son of my old source still lists a few trays of the type I got. I have never bought from the son. What he calls Abafil trays are Abafil style but I do not know who makes them. They are not the high quality real Abafil trays.
I use Abafil trays inside a case. The trays and case are excellent quality and the coins really stand out the displayed this way.
I have an Abafil tray and like it for having a few coins around, but I don't store coins in trays--my coins are in the bank in plastic flips in boxes. If you have not seen Abafil trays, be aware that the size which holds 2x2 inserts (as illustrated by @Orfew above) is not large enough to hold the flips themselves or other types of 2x2 coin holders. The holders are a couple of mm larger than the slots, so you must take the coin out of the holder to display it in a tray. I find this a significant negative. The only flips I was able to find that are just enough smaller to fit are made with PVC which is bad, so Abafil trays do not work well for me.
You can also get Abafil trays that will hold the 2X2 flips but the trade off is that you can store fewer coins per tray.
I never considered putting coins in flips and then putting the flips in trays. That is done by dealers at shows but I preferred the 77 hole trays for coins that would fit and others as needed to fit coins. There are trays for flips that even have indents that make it easier to remove the flip from the tray but there is no reason to pay Abafil prices for a rack to hold dealer stock. We each see these things our own way.
The Abafil trays are stackable. Although they don't really "lock" in place, the weight of the coins tends to hold them in place. For what it's worth, I stack Abafil trays in a large size safe deposit box. I use the cases only for transporting trays back and forth. I can stack about 10 full size and 10 half-size trays in my large safe deposit box. I am very careful to keep the box level when removing and replacing the box in the bank vault. Also, if you don't like red velvet trays, Abafil now come in blue and green options.
I think Abafil trays are the most attractive. But I was looking for a system that could eventually hold my entire collection (250-300 coins) in trays, and Lighthouse trays were the more economical option. If I had a smaller collection, or had some special coins I want to display, I'd probably go with Abafil. But for my needs I am happy with the choice, though I will say that some of my coin trays came damaged with cracked corners. Lighthouse replaced them with no questions asked. But I had ordered direct from them. The prospect of placing coins in flips in trays, to me, defeats the purpose of the tray, which is to keep the coin readily accessible and reduce the chances of bronze disease by letting the coins "breathe." I'm not sure my science is good on the last option, but I suspect trays trap less moisture, depending on the environment. Today, the best price I have found on Lighthouse trays is here: https://www.ihobb.com/p/LIGHTHOUSE_COIN_BOXES-SQUARE/MB30.html For a more generous "review" of these trays, see this thread. Alas, my videos are no longer available. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/do...ouses-volterra-coin-tray.297490/#post-2771308
Thanks for the info. I can't help but picture someone carrying those trays, tripping and watching those neatly nestled coins leap from the trays in a dramatic in slow motion shot.
I am with @Valentinian . I store mine in archival flips in boxes. With trays I always worried about what sliding around would do to them, but its more a function of too many coins.
