General Forum

I've noticed that these older boxes, I'm guessing from the 60s or 70s have an extra flap on the inside bottom. They lock the same on the ends, there's just that extra flap there. Sometimes the card bottoms (sides) get hung up on them on either end of the box. Not used to that with the modern boxes. But yeah, there box feel sturdier!

Thank you!

I folded one inside out and it looks and works great! I probably won't use it as is though. The thing I'd be worried about is what was the outside yellowing (mold or whatever) creeping into the cards directly touching it. Maybe an archival paper liner or something? Of course archival paper costs money which is what I'm trying to avoid. LOL!!!

Thank you!

That's a cool idea. Or even just a plain paper covering. Maybe taped to the box exterior, being mindful to keep the tape away from cards. Geez, I'm having flashbacks of school and making dust jackets out of brown paper bags to cover my textbooks.

Thank you!

Speaking from experience, if they are older Topps cards (1991 and before), then there shouldn't be any issues of the yellowing affecting the cards. I've also had good luck with some of the high gloss cards from the 1990s (Ultra, Leaf, etc.). Some of my inverted boxes have been packed away for over 20 years without any issues. However, 1980s and early 1990s Donruss and Fleer are ones that you may not want to put in those boxes, as they can pick up the yellow pretty easily. Also as was mentioned above, if the cards are sleeved, then all is good.

I'm a model builder, and I accidentally dripped some silver paint onto the outside of one of my boxes back around 2007. There has been no change to the box. 

I have plenty of the small 200 count boxes I don't use, I think I'll experiment with one of them. I will spray each side of the square with a different brand of paint and see what happens. 

Ive had varying degrees of sucess (some older boxes were worse) with misting the cardboard with hydrogen peroxide and/or bleach solution. It not only reduced the yellowing but faded old labels and writing in marker

I would strongly recommend NOT using a yellowed box inverted. The yellowing may be caused by a reaction to the chemicals they used to bleach it white breaking down with time. 

There are several other possible causes but I wouldn't want to risk it if that was the one affecting that box. 

I have quite a few cards that have yellowed only on the top edge. I suspect, but don't know for sure, that it's due to them being in pages or sleeves and that part was the only part exposed to air. (all arrived to me from repacks and trades) I do know I have gotten some formerly owned by smokers that yellowed badly on the top where the page was open. 

If the boxes smell like cigarettes, ditch them. (They can be recycled). That yellowing is bad news and covering it with anything...paint, wallpaper, tape, etc. will not let the gasses escape, meaning they will go into the cards and pretty much ruin them. Or the gasses do escape and ruin your lungs, or the lungs of one of your loved ones. So ditch them no matter what if ther are damaged by cigarettes.

If the boxes are just brown from being old, that's a thing called foxing and it affects paper eventually. You can read more about it by looking up websites of antique book and currency collectors. It's just natural aging process and is nothing to worry about...be glad you have a box that is strong enough to have survived long enough to turn brown. 

The yellowing has got to be from moisture. I bought them from a friend who inherited the card collection from his cousin who passed away 22 years ago. The friend's basement was damp and he had a water heater line burst, plus he has some foundation issues and wanted the cards gone to clear out for repairs. Thankfully, none of the cards were directly affected by the water. Some of the mid-90s cards like 94 Upper Deck and 92-94 Stadium Club sets are in various degrees of brick. It seems when there is a glossy coat on BOTH sides of the card, the bricking happens more severe than if the high gloss is on only one side fo the card with a more matte finish on the back. I've been able to pull some apart with no damage. Others are well stuck together and will probably stay that way until there's some crazy method I find of unbricking them, like dipping in antifreeze or something, just kidding. The collection is from 1954 up through mid 90s and all sets are in 800-count boxes. Also, you mentioned the Fleer and Donruss yellowing. Thankfully, the only card to yellow in those sets is the back of the first card that is directly against the box. The rest of the set backs are in pristine condition with no yellowing. Thank you for your help and advice on this.

A few of my original collection did the same. Yellowed on top when in a binder. And it was only the top row of cards on each page too. I've since taken everything out of binders until I can figure out a way to organize some collections for binders again.

This recent collection of cards does not smell like smoke. I believe the boxes are yellowed from moisture. I bought them from a friend who had them in his basement for 22 years. He had a water heater line burst and some foundation issues and wanted the cards gone so he could get to the foundation problem.

I'm not sure if these 800-count boxes are that old. They are at least 22-years old as that's when the firend whom I bought them from inherited them from his cousin who passed away. Some of the yellowed boxes with 60s-70s sets in them are a box style I haven't seen before with an extra flap on the inside at each end. They fold and lock together at the ends like the boxes I've purchased recently, but these have that additional flap that sits underneath the cards at each end.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of smoke-smelling cards. The collection I bought before this one had that problem. I packed them in boxes with dryer sheets and also sprayed FeBreze on a paper towel, let it dry, then packed that in the boxes on top of the cards for a few days. Both methods seem to work to take the smell out. I can't smell smoke on any of the cards now.

Thank you for your help and advice on this.

 Had that issue also, though the sheets yellowed along the top edge, attribute it to "Dust", since

they just sat on a shelf for over 10 years.....

Have bookshelves full of paperback books that dust seemed to have bonded to on the top....

With the humidity and heat in NC, haven't had any moisture issues....