RailMan wrote:It's the same with the vinyl covers at fairs, some dealers even take them off when they cost 5p or so each . Some dealers seem to use them again and again . they look so grotty you have to take the card out to see the detail on real photo cards.
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I always cringe a bit when the term 'VINYLS' is used.... a few years ago PVC (Poly vinyl chloride) plastic covers and album pages were in widespread use. PVC products contain large quantities of chemical plasticizers to soften the product. These gradually exude from the plastic and are likely to damage paper, card, photographic images and coloured inks to varying degrees.
The storage products currently on the market are usually polypropylene or polyester. Polyester as used in Secol products is the best plastic to use though is more expensive. Polypropylene is also much 'safer' and is the plastic used in most of the wallets, covers and pages currently on general sale eg. a 'Polyprotec' brand.
The re-use of covers by dealers is also a concern ... as many of the older PVC covers are possibly still in circulation. They are not easy to spot.. some may appear with wrinkled eges - where the plasticizer has effectively 'dried out' .
PVC also has a characteristic smell (the plasticizer chemicals?) whereas polpropylene and polyester are odourless.
Some early 6-up album pages in addition to being PVC had white PVC inner sheets. I've often seen these with orange/red stains on them in the position where they've been in prolonged contact with stamps on reverse of cards.
I've a photographic card in my collection somewhere that was in contact with a cut edge of a vinyl sleeve, the result is a thin stripe where the image has faded from the contact.
The effect of these chemicals on your cards will vary enormously, in some cases unnoticeable over many years or possibly just a gradual deterioration.
