This is purely anecdotal. Some of you will remember the late Jim Hadfield, who lived not far from me. He had all but his most valuable 78s stored in two barns next to his house in Richville, NY. He later moved everything to Chase Mills Four Corners, to a large garage outside his new house. The entire collection was subject to the extremes of temperature that we experience up here, from serious sub-zero to hot and humid. I bought quite a few records from him back then, and they were none the worse for wear (which did, indeed, surprise me). He did store them vertically, on shelves.
Best,
Gary
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Mickey Clark
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 1:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [ARSCLIST] storing shellac records, open reel tapes, etc. in very cold weather
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Jon, If the boxes are totally sealed, that is good.The tapes need to be separated from the tapes as shellac doesn't do well in the presence of acid , from the vinegar emitted from the tapes.. However, 78 rpm records, particularly Victor from the mid twenties to the early thirties and certain war-time Decca records are particularly susceptible to moisture damage. If records get cold, it can cause condensation of water on the surface if not properly sealed. The sleeves, unless they are acid free can cause a problem when the acid in them is activated by the moisture from condensation. The result of these effects is microscopic pits in the surface, and in rare cases, flaking of the record surface. The flaking is more particular to the Deccas-most likely because they would be pressed from re-cycled shellac.
Mickey Clark
Mickey Clark
710 Westminster Avenue West
Penticton BC
Canada
250-462-7881
V2A 1K8
http://mcproductions.ca
1-250-462-7881
-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Samuels
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 1:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARSCLIST] storing shellac records, open reel tapes, etc. in very cold weather
A friend of mine asked me a question I was unable to answer, so I thought I'd ask if anyone out there has any specific knowledge. He's storing shellac pressings, open reel tapes, CDRs and DATs in an unheated garage in the Northeast of the U. S. Temperatures in Winter can go below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and are often in the single digits above 0. The materials are stored in heavy duty, sealed plastic boxes. Will any harm come to any of the materials by being stored in Winter in that environment? He currently has no other place to store this material. I'd like to give him some wise advice, if I can.
Thanks in advance.
Best,
Jon Samuels
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