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The Curled Foil Dilemma

 

We’ve all experienced it. You open your storage box and find that one or more of your foils has curled.

What do you do?

You might try stacking heavy books on top to flatten the cards out, or maybe double sleeving them. But rarely do either of these methods work.

Why?

It’s the humidity. The foiling process fuses two substances together, and while the cardboard core of the card will absorb moisture, the foil layer doesn’t. Now, some of you might be thinking, “That can’t be the case—I’m in a dry climate!” But it’s actually the opposite: the cardboard is drying out. Whether there’s too much or too little humidity, foil cards will curl. If the card curls toward the foil, the cardboard is swelling from excess moisture. If the card curls away from the foil, the cardboard is contracting due to dehydration.

 

So, how do you store foil cards to prevent curling?

 

One option is to limit the card’s exposure to humidity by double sleeving, but this isn’t foolproof. You might also try using silica gel packs, or even purchase a dehumidifier and/or humidifier (which, by the way, will probably make your air feel a lot better too!).

But if you’re looking for a more reliable solution, you could take a lesson from the cigar world.

 

Enter the humidor.

 

No, it doesn’t have to be an expensive, decorative wooden box. There are specially designed humidor bags available—some of which are large enough to hold entire card storage boxes. When used in conjunction with 2-way humidity control packets (which regulate the exact percentage of humidity in a sealed environment), these bags provide a consistent climate for your foil cards. The packets come in various humidity percentages, with 62% or 69% being ideal for card storage.