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Permalink Reply by Rich on December 11, 2015 at 8:38am

Yep, that's right.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on December 11, 2015 at 1:25pm

Polyester often called by the brand name Mylar has been considered to be inert, and suitable for long term archival storage for many years. Polypropylene is generally regarded as inert but long term exposure to UV will degrade it.  I am not sure about Polythene but suspect it is similar to  Polypropylene.  The "Poly" group is usually less expensive than Mylar.  Of course there is always a danger of "sticking" with cheaper types.  PVC polyvinyl-chloride should be avoided at any cost this is identifiable by having a "plastic" smell to it.  Depending on what the item is and type of ink (paint pens I think are tricky) you might want to look into Mylar. 

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Permalink Reply by Terry G. on December 11, 2015 at 2:01pm

PolyPro is the way to go! Avoid Mylar, IMO, because it tends to break down and become crinkly over a long period of time in storage, especially with exposure to UV light. Mylar is way cheaper but you get what you pay for! And I'd avoid the thinner ones, like 1 mil. I use 4 or 5 mil sleeves for my audiophile records and they hold up very nicely. Avoid pressure points in storage that could lead to the album adhering to the sleeve- don't stack them up flat, don't lean them against one another, store upright with even distribution if possible.

Some good vendors/brands I've used include BCW, Sleeve City and Bags Unlimited.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on December 11, 2015 at 5:08pm

Having been a museum director for over 30 years I have used Mylar and PolyPro with the exact opposite results.  Polypropylene which is what "sheet protectors' are made of are far cheaper than Polyester aka Mylar.  The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission always advocated polyester over polypropylene . The Eastman House Museum always said the same thing about Mylar being the best.   I have always used University Products.  Bags Unlimited have Mylar but they are more expensive than Polypropylene.  I personally have Mylar top loaders that I got back in the early 80s and it is still rigid and fine.  Any plastics exposed to UV light will degrade but i have had :"sheet protectors" crumble to pieces after a very few years of exposure.  Never tried it with Mylar.  So am surprised you have had the opposite results.  Mylar is somewhat rigid by nature while Polypropylene tends to be more pliable    Now there are different grades of Mylar but I think it is type A is not supposed to degrade as much.  Do you recall what the price difference between the two was?

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Permalink Reply by Terry G. on December 12, 2015 at 5:51pm

I'm only thinking of the best answer for the original question- how to store signed albums best. I've had zero issues with PolyPro sleeves, they stay soft and flexible and none have faded or degraded in over a decade. The few mylar sleeves I acquired early on became rigid, wrinkly and crackly over time, and the concern is that it could scratch the item within. Early 80s mylar top-loaders are not UV resistant to my knowledge and sliding an item in and out of something that rigid is a disaster waiting to happen, IMO. I've seen the horror story of a Frank Thomas paint-pen signed lithograph being pulled out of a rigid top-loader and it scratched a chuck of the ink off. That said, it all depends upon your personal preference and probable usage- If I'm going to get an album signed by more than 1 person at more than 1 occasion, it might involve sliding it in and out multiple times. If I have to store it until the next opportunity, I use a PolyPro sleeve, and place it upright within a BCW storage box. If the item is signed and I'm done with it, i get it framed so no storage is needed. I haven't bought any Mylar sleeves in along time, and only know from a quick perusal of the sites I cited that they seem to cost about double what the PolyPro ones do for the ones I utilize.

I don't know what a"sheet protector" is, sorry. Doesn't sound like something one could use to store a record album. As far as your claim that "any plastics exposed to light will degrade", I think that is a generic statement that isn't necessarily true 100% of the time- or should i go outside and check my 15 year old truck? lol 

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