Spyderco Forums

Hey people,

I know some people here like to store important stuff and are probably savvy about this subject.

I have some important papers (degrees and stuff) I would like to store in a vault. Only thing I'm afraid of is water flooding (common in my area), so I bought some waterproof bags to put the documents in it. Since the bags will be sealed, I would like to know if there's any risk for the documents, like oxydation or document degradations over years ? I'm not an engineer, so maybe there's something I'm missing here.

Same goes for a Nintendo Switch and some games I'd like to put aside.

Thanks !

I'm not actively collecting any more, but at one time I was buying a lot of comics so I'm familiar with storing paper items.

I would not store them in a completely airtight bag. Even "slabbed" comics (such as those graded by https://www.cgccomics.com/) are not airtight. Store paper items in a properly sized storage bag or rigid sleeve with an acid-free backing board. Archival quality bags/sleeves are made of Mylar. You can find different size bags/sleeves/boards (comic size, magazine size, etc.) at collectible comic/card stores or online. When I was actively collecting, "E. Gerber" products (https://www.egerber.com/) was the gold standard for Mylar bags, but there are probably other makers out there now.

There are a lot of sites that describe how to store comics or collectible cards (Pokemon, baseball, etc.). Any of that info will apply to storing your diplomas or similar paper items. The CGC Comics site linked above has an online forum, and there are some threads there about storage. To keep them dry, store them up above where water could pool. And not under sprinklers or pipes that could freeze and burst.

I can't offer much advice on storing things like electronic parts. You can get anti-static bags at electronics stores (RAM and hard drives are frequently stored in these) so it's probably be worth putting Nintendo carts and similar smaller items in those. You can get rust-inhibitor bags at gun stores, so if you have metal objects (knives, etc.) it'd probably be worth using those.

Any safe that is rated for fire protection is going to be airtight. You can actually get condensation inside the safe because of this. So most people invest in a heating rod or dehumidifier that sits in the safe to keep it dry. However, the fire sealant materials in a safe could "off gas" which could affect papers, so it might not be a great idea to store really valuable paper items in there. I do store my diplomas, old family pictures, etc., in my safe, but those only have sentimental (not monetary) value.

Wherever I stored my things it would be above the flood line. The above suggestions are good and I'd add that a good fireproof safe with as high of a rating as you can afford would be indispensable. Inside, you'd want something to control the moisture. There are products for this. Ask any store that sells safes or ask a gun store. I would prefer something without a cord that didn't depend on electricity, which could short out and possibly cause damage, especially during a flood or a lot of heavy rain.