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As many postcard collectors know, postcards can deteriorate in such a way to weaken them and cause irreversible damage... Dirt or soil, stains, foxing, edge tears, worn or rounded corners, creases, bends, and mold are just a few things that can ruin your postcards. There are steps a postcard collector can and should take to prevent deterioration or to keep it from getting worse.
Our Antique and Vintage Postcard Preservation and Storage Review Guide provides collectors with recommended steps to preserve and enjoy postcards for years to come.
Preserving Your Postcard Collection:
- Hands should be clean and dry before handling postcards, whether to store or put on display.
- Keep your postcards stored in archival quality albums, sleevess, or boxes to protect them from stain-causing skin oils, water damage, and other damaging factors. (more info on storage below)
- The best protection for a stored or displayed collection is a cool, dry environment with little fluctuation in temperature and humidity.
- HEAT AND MOISTURE ACCELERATE POSTCARD DETERIORATION!
- High humidity can lead to foxing or mold growth.
- According to the Library of Congress, storage below 72 degrees, with 35% humidity is recommended.
- Keep collections in the dark as much as possible (except when taken out for viewing enjoyment of course).
- Too bright a light, too long an exposure to light, or exposure to light with a high UV (ultra violet) will deteriorate postcards faster, causing fading, yellowing, and brittleness.
- NEVER display postcards in or near sunlight for very long
- Consider light and heat when deciding where to store your collection.
- Avoid attics and basements as they're known to have excessive heat and/or moisture problems.
- Avoid storing collections near water sources, including air-conditioning equipment.
- Keep in mind what is in the room above and below a collection.
- Do NOT display or store a collection near heat sources (i.e. fireplaces, heat ducts/vents, etc.).
- Hallways and rooms without windows are a good place to display collections.
- Avoid water damage or damage from accidental spills.
- Do not allow food or drinks in the area of the collection, especially when on display
- Keep the collection in a room that is above flood level, in case of heavy rains.
Storing Your Postcard Collection:
How you store your antique and vintage postcards is just as crucial, of not more so, as where you store them. The utmost care and attention is required to prolong the life of your postcards and make them available for enjoyment for years to come.
Postcard Storage in Albums
Plastics used in postcard sleeves, both soft and rigid, have added chemicals that will eventually break down and harm a postcard. There are archival quality albums and sleeves that are free from these chemicals. Two types of materials used in manufacturing archival quality products are
- Polyester (known as Mylar)
- uPVC (unplasticized polyvinylchloride).
Please note: "Acid-free" is a characteristic of papers, NOT PLASTICS.
- The pockets of the archival quality album pages should not be a tight fit.
- Inserting and removing postcards from page pockets increases the risk of creases, bends, and bumped corners.
- Make sure the pockets are loose enough to allow for easy insertion and removal, when necessary.
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The pocket openings should be on the inside facing the album rings to prevent them from accidentally falling out and potentially damaging the postcard.
- Do NOT store postcards back-to-back in the same pocket
- Back-to-back storage increases the chance of trapped moisture
- Storing one postcard in each pocket also exposes the postcard back, which is sometimes just as interesting as the front (pre-printed images/advertising/DPO postmarks/etc.)
NEVER STACK POSTCARD ALBUMS OR SLEEVES! Stacking causes damage to embossing due to the weight of other postcards on top of them. Postcard albums and sleeves should always be stored upright.
Postcard Storage in Boxes
If you cannot or do not wish to store your vintage and antique postcards in archival quality albums, the safest place to store them is in boxes.
- Your boxes must not have handle holes and the lids must be snug.
- Handle holes negate protection from water damage and other pollutants (i.e. ozone, fumes, smoke).
- Having handle holes would be like forgetting to close your car windows during a rainstorm.
- Your boxes must be low-lignin, or lignin-free, and buffered.
- Lignin is a paper component that leads to acid formation.
- Buffered is the process of adding a buffer during manufacturing to neutralize acids as they form over time in the storage materials.
- Do not fill your boxes too full, making it difficult to remove or insert postcards.
- Again, difficulty inserting or removing postcards will increase the risks of bends and/or creases.
- On the other hand, boxes that are too empty have a tendency to cause postcards to curl (like slouching in a chair).Add filler for support in that case.
Framing Your Postcard Collection: Ask for museum mounting ANY TIME you wish to frame a postcard. If the shop does not know what museum mounting is, GO TO ANOTHER STORE! Museum mounting will help protect your postcard from indoor pollutants and dirt, a growing problem in energy-conscious spaces with good insulation. Also, be sure the shop uses UV filtering glazing (glass) in the frames.
We are so glad you are doing everything you can to protect your collection of history and intrigue. Be sure to let fellow postcard collectors know about this helpful guide, which is also very useful in storing and preserving trade cards.
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