Collection storage/display advice. Mold?

Keith Courage · 05/15/2017, 05:41 AM

Hey guys, just looking for some input/suggestions on how to display and or store my collection. The reason I am asking is because recently I found that about 5-8% of my US game manuals have begun to get mold on them. Luckily it is just minimal spotting right now that are almost powdery in texture and I've been able to just wipe the manuals off with no ill effects.

Anyways, I've been keeping my games on a shelf. Much like this:

Because of this my games barely get any air. They are packed tight on the shelf and some of these games haven't even been pulled off of the shelf for the past 2 years. So I assume this didn't help things.

Also, these are not kept in a basement but on the main floor of my house and yes I do have air conditioning that I use.

So here are the options I am considering.

1. Get some shelves with a much more open design.
2. Space games out much more on current shelf
3. Get plastic jewel case protector sleeves for each case as to keep each one from contaminating one another if indeed the mold could grow.
4. take all the manuals out of my cases and store them in a ziplock bag.
5. buy some CD racks since they are naturally designed to keep cases spaced apart.
6. Try to find some plastic sleeves for the manuals to where I can still have the manuals fit in their cases.
7. Stick to a turbo everdrive and CDRs, then sell off my entire collection to help me get a nicer car. lol

Just curious if anyone else has had to deal with this issue and what solutions others have tried.

esteban · 05/15/2017, 06:34 AM

Damn, what you are doing now seems like *it should* be an ideal scenario.

Do you live in an area with high humidity? I do (summers), so I have a dehumidifier for the basement. The water travels in a hose directly to drain, because I would have to pour out the tank constantly, otherwise.

Maybe throw some rice into every case, to absorb a little bit of moisture. Then, put some dry crackers under the couch so the mice don't bother with the rice.

I think your shelving is fine. Just make sure it isn't next to a stove, rice cooker, fish tank.

Gentlegamer · 05/15/2017, 07:57 AM

Play your games!

RNSpeed · 05/15/2017, 09:48 AM

Silica gel is also good to control the moisture, but havent seen a bag small enough to fit inside the game case

NecroPhile · 05/15/2017, 10:38 AM

Sounds like mildew. If there's a window or outlets nearby, check for drafts that're letting in moist air; remove any houseplants that're in the room; dust regularly so spores have one less place to live; and keep air moving in the room, maybe with a little fan.

You can get a cheap hygrometer to see just how humid it's getting in the room. If it's high, you might need a dehumidifier, to run the a/c more, or to find where the moisture's coming from if it's inordinately high (higher than the rest of the house or outside air).

crazydean · 05/15/2017, 11:46 AM

I like option 7, especially with the current prices of games!

SignOfZeta · 05/15/2017, 12:08 PM

I think the way you store your games is fine, the issue is that you have a house that likes to mold things up for whatever reason. I've stored CDs like that for decades, many times in basements, never had any mold. I don't use little baggies or anything most of the time.

I don't know where you live, the layout of the house, but for some reason spores are taking root on your stuff. Maybe you need to just move the rack somewhere else in the room, maybe a dehumidifier, it's hard to say without knowing your house and climate but it seems impossible that only your games are getting moldy.

And yeah, rotating the collection, possibly to play them, couldn't hurt.

NoSexGex · 05/15/2017, 12:49 PM

Quote from: Keith Courage on 05/15/2017, 05:41 AM5-8% of my US game manuals have begun to get mold on them

Ahhh! That's crazy, It's a good thing you noticed that before they got damaged. But yeah> Mildew, like NecroPhile said

tbone3969 · 05/15/2017, 12:56 PM

Option 7. Just make sure to sell all your games to me at discounted prices.

GoldenWheels · 05/15/2017, 02:06 PM

May be a good idea to hit the manuals with something with something that can kill mold. Hate to say bleach but man, mold is so damn hard to actually kill. Maybe some bleach dilution or something? I bleach wipe most NES games I get (because...eww) and the labels have never been hurt (that is they didn't fade, too much moisture of course sucks in).

johnnykonami · 05/15/2017, 02:50 PM

It's been a while since I pulled some things off my shelf, you're making me wanna check now...

SignOfZeta · 05/15/2017, 03:01 PM

Quote from: GoldenWheels on 05/15/2017, 02:06 PMMay be a good idea to hit the manuals with something with something that can kill mold. Hate to say bleach but man, mold is so damn hard to actually kill. Maybe some bleach dilution or something? I bleach wipe most NES games I get (because...eww) and the labels have never been hurt (that is they didn't fade, too much moisture of course sucks in).

This is a shitty idea.

Dicer · 05/15/2017, 03:13 PM

Unless you live in a swamp or a high humidity area, your manuals should not be getting musty/moldy at all...

If you are living someplace with a ton of moisture in the air, get a dehumidifier.

Otherwise games on a shelf should be just fine, dryer/cooler the area the better.

Also, keep em outta the sun, you'll get fading otherwise.

GoldenWheels · 05/15/2017, 03:15 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 05/15/2017, 03:01 PM
Quote from: GoldenWheels on 05/15/2017, 02:06 PMMay be a good idea to hit the manuals with something with something that can kill mold. Hate to say bleach but man, mold is so damn hard to actually kill. Maybe some bleach dilution or something? I bleach wipe most NES games I get (because...eww) and the labels have never been hurt (that is they didn't fade, too much moisture of course sucks in).
This is a shitty idea.

I did hate to say it! I know it can damage stuff. But man mold is hard to kill, and if you don't it just comes back anyway. Mold is shitty!

EDIT: and when I said "bleach wipe" I mean those premade wipes...they're pretty watered down but still kill germs etc.

xcrement5x · 05/15/2017, 03:35 PM

Dehumidifier sounds like the best approach, but you could also try and get some kind of desiccant like silica gel in those tiny little packs and throw them in each of the cases. I do this with some of my things, but yeah you must live in a pretty humid area.

NoSexGex · 05/15/2017, 03:45 PM

Found some property to store my TG16/PCE games

mitsuman · 05/15/2017, 03:46 PM

Do you have mold anywhere else in your house? Baseboards? Floor boards in ceiling of your basement?

SignOfZeta · 05/15/2017, 06:01 PM

I have a super humid garage. Due to the way the land lies it just gets ridiculously wet in there. I had a car with a semi-failed ignition coil and on really wet days it would misfire terribly before warming up. If you ever parked it anywhere else it would be fine.

Now my newer TDI has a slight hesitation sometimes after being parked there, possibly the same cause, although obviously problematic for different physical reasons since this engine has no ignition coil. Maybe the injector tips foul slightly if the first fire if day is super wet...don't know. I left town for a week, drove all over Ohio and Kentucky and didn't see this problem once.

Btw, the Miata starts fine, no issues relating to this.

esteban · 05/15/2017, 06:05 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 05/15/2017, 06:01 PMI have a super humid garage. Due to the way the land lies it just gets ridiculously wet in there. I had a car with a semi-failed ignition coil and on really wet days it would misfire terribly before warming up. If you ever parked it anywhere else it would be fine.

Now my newer TDI has a slight hesitation sometimes after being parked there, possibly the same cause, although obviously problematic for different physical reasons since this engine has no ignition coil. Maybe the injector tips foul slightly if the first fire if day is super wet...don't know. I left town for a week, drove all over Ohio and Kentucky and didn't see this problem once.

Btw, the Miata starts fine, no issues relating to this.

I am pretty certain this post was meant for the "Should I sell my Wii?" thread.

Thank you.

Keith Courage · 05/15/2017, 07:19 PM

Unfortunately I live in an area where every house is on top of a crawl space with a very high water table. There was once some mold in my crawls but it has since been sprayed and killed and has not come back. Attic is clear and no other mold on anything in the house. Maybe some of the games I own came from an owner that used to have them in a damp area thus contaminating my other games once I packed said game in tightly on my shelf?

basically all my neighbors including myself have the issue of mold showing up on something if it is put in say a corner of a room with no ventilation. I have only had this happen to one other item in my house and it was an old CRT TV that I had pushed up against the wall and corner in my closet for over two years.

It doesn't get to hot where I keep my games since I do have AC.

So technically everything should be fine if I start to put all my games on a wall shelf that has no sides or top on it but I think I might try to find some plastic sleeves for my manuals to be on the safe side.

SignOfZeta · 05/15/2017, 10:19 PM

I wouldn't place too much value on the "foreign contamination" theory. You may be right, but all mold dies in the dry. All mold lives in the wet. It grew because it could.

My advice is to move. You obviously live in a really embarrassing place like Florida or something because you a) don't have a basement and b) have conveniently talked around your geographic location. If you can't move, ask a Brit here, odds are good that one of them must have a "damp" problem.

Here in Michigan it's mad humid in the summer. However it's also SUPER dry in the Winter so maybe that evens it out? We also have basements so...I've had mold there, no question. What I've learned though is that you will NEVER defeat mold without drying the place out first. Once it's dry, then you can get with the bleach and whatnot, but before that it's a waste of time.

Keith Courage · 05/15/2017, 10:59 PM

I'm in northwest Indiana just about an hour out of Chicago.

Probably going to be looking for a new house n the next 2-3 years but I until then I'll have to do my best to keep my manuals from deteriorating. Oddly enough all my pc engine manuals are perfect. Its just some of the us ones that are now in question.

NecroPhile · 05/16/2017, 10:22 AM

The shitty art is committing suicide!

You can add a vapor barrier to the crawlspace. It can be tough working in such tight places (giggitty), but it's not terribly expensive and doesn't require special tools or skills.

spenoza · 05/16/2017, 10:29 AM

Get a couple dehumidifiers, run them all the time, and resign yourself to a slightly higher electricity bill for a bit. It helps a lot.

ClodBusted · 05/16/2017, 11:20 AM

Open the windows wide for airflow. Turn, not tilt. I've seen too many homes got stung by mold due to the owners not caring about how to get proper airflow in their houses. They let the heating run in the winter and have windows constantly tilted, thus letting moisture from the air attached permanently into the cold masonry around the windows.

And seen enough other homes that were just wet from the ground up and would have needed serious rework to make them fine for healthy living again.

If there's mold on the paperwork, please try to imagine what type of contaminated air you might be actually breathing in this house.

Edit: I'm doing window and facade design/construction, installation and maintenance. So I have to deal with both new buildings as well as rework on older ones. How to create a healthy living environment is an important part of my job.

Gypsy · 05/16/2017, 05:36 PM

Quote from: guest on 05/16/2017, 10:22 AMThe shitty art is committing suicide!

You can add a vapor barrier to the crawlspace. It can be tough working in such tight places (giggitty), but it's not terribly expensive and doesn't require special tools or skills.

Hooooowling.

Keith Courage · 05/16/2017, 08:03 PM

Quote from: Gypsy on 05/16/2017, 05:36 PM
Quote from: guest on 05/16/2017, 10:22 AMThe shitty art is committing suicide!

You can add a vapor barrier to the crawlspace. It can be tough working in such tight places (giggitty), but it's not terribly expensive and doesn't require special tools or skills.
Hooooowling.

regardless of my games I actually plan on doing a new vapor barrier for my crawl in the next month or so since the original plastic down there is ripped in areas and falling apart. This will probably help a lot.

Dicer · 05/16/2017, 09:07 PM

Quote from: guest on 05/15/2017, 03:45 PMFound some property to store my TG16/PCE games

This got me...

NoSexGex · 05/17/2017, 02:27 AM

TheClash603 · 05/17/2017, 08:13 AM

There was mold in the attic of the house I bought. It was found during the inspection and remediation was a condition of the sale. The cause of the mold was a shitty bathroom fan design, where wet air was being moved into the attic. Once this fan was fixed and properly vented outside, the mold never came back.

Fix the moisture and you fix the mold, but you need to find the source first. I'd start with a dehumidifier and go from there.

Gentlegamer · 05/17/2017, 09:33 AM

Oh no, I better check my games to see if they have caught mildew from the Duo-R you modded for me!

xcrement5x · 05/17/2017, 01:49 PM

Quote from: TheClash603 on 05/17/2017, 08:13 AMThere was mold in the attic of the house I bought. It was found during the inspection and remediation was a condition of the sale. The cause of the mold was a shitty bathroom fan design, where wet air was being moved into the attic. Once this fan was fixed and properly vented outside, the mold never came back.

Fix the moisture and you fix the mold, but you need to find the source first. I'd start with a dehumidifier and go from there.

You can do that in some houses and it's perfectly fine and not an issue. For example, my house does that but I live in the Southwest where every drop of water is precious and growing mold would be considered a miracle.

NecroPhile · 05/17/2017, 02:05 PM

You can't legally do that anywhere governed by code.

780racer · 05/17/2017, 09:42 PM

Quote from: tbone3969 on 05/15/2017, 12:56 PMOption 7. Just make sure to sell all your games to me at discounted prices.

So you can flip them later for more than you paid?

Don't think so.

xcrement5x · 05/17/2017, 10:50 PM

Quote from: NecroPhile on 05/17/2017, 02:05 PMYou can't legally do that anywhere governed by code.

I think you used to be able to? My house was built in the 80s so it's probably no longer code to do so, but the professionals I have mentioned it to say that for our climate it's not an issue.

glazball · 05/18/2017, 01:11 PM

First things first, you should take all of your moldy or possibly moldy manual and put them in a sealed container with dessicant - either the silica gel like xele mentioned or DampRid. Keep them in there for several days to dry them out as much as possible.

goldenband · 05/27/2017, 09:11 PM

Does the mold seem more attracted to dark-colored manuals?

In my old house (which was very close to a body of water), we had severe problems with some kind of light-colored mold/mildew that was preferentially attracted to dark colors. Fortunately it only seemed to grow on the surface of objects, and didn't seem to take root or bloom/flower, so it was easy to wipe it off with a paper towel that'd been dampened with a mild cleaning solution.

NoSexGex · 05/28/2017, 12:57 AM

Quote from: goldenband on 05/27/2017, 09:11 PMseem more attracted to dark-colored

Sounds like someones mom I know

spenoza · 05/31/2017, 10:54 AM

Sometimes you can't really address the source of moisture and running a dehumidifier is your only option. Our house has external waterproofing, but moisture still gets into the basement. So we basically have to run a dehumidifier all the time unless we want to tear out all the wood paneling and waterproof it on the inside as well.

Keith Courage · 06/22/2017, 10:37 PM

Quote from: goldenband on 05/27/2017, 09:11 PMDoes the mold seem more attracted to dark-colored manuals?

In my old house (which was very close to a body of water), we had severe problems with some kind of light-colored mold/mildew that was preferentially attracted to dark colors. Fortunately it only seemed to grow on the surface of objects, and didn't seem to take root or bloom/flower, so it was easy to wipe it off with a paper towel that'd been dampened with a mild cleaning solution.

yes, the manuals I have where it was a little more obvious had it on mostly the black areas. Can't really see it in any other colors even while holding the manual at a different angle under bright light. Things have not gotten any worse and like I said before it was only on maybe 3-5% of my game manuals.

I have since spread out my games much more with lots of space above and behind them on the shelves I use. So hopefully all will be good now. I also purchased some plastic sleeves to seal up the manuals if need be but I'm going to wait a bit and see if things get worse and or issues return. I was able to remove all the minor mold spots using a paper towl and some cleaner.

blueraven · 06/24/2017, 05:18 AM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 05/15/2017, 03:01 PM
Quote from: GoldenWheels on 05/15/2017, 02:06 PMMay be a good idea to hit the manuals with something with something that can kill mold. Hate to say bleach but man, mold is so damn hard to actually kill. Maybe some bleach dilution or something? I bleach wipe most NES games I get (because...eww) and the labels have never been hurt (that is they didn't fade, too much moisture of course sucks in).
This is a shitty idea.

yes

Digi.k · 06/25/2017, 01:47 PM

I don't know if you have things like this available in your area but they remove a lot of moisture in the air.

The tablets need replacing every few months.

NoSexGex · 06/29/2017, 02:40 AM

Mogwai · 07/04/2017, 12:36 AM

Dehumidifier is the best solution, but if you don't want to drop that much money then I'd try putting a tub of DampRid (this stuff http://www.homedepot.com/p/DampRid-64-oz-Fragrance-Free-High-Capacity-Moisture-Absorber-FG50T/100391308) near your collection. It works pretty well.

I lived on the Cali coast for a few years where the humidity was usually >85%. The mold problem was so severe that it would get into the walls (outside and inside) of my place.

csgx1 · 07/28/2017, 02:00 PM

Fortunately I've never had any mold problems where I live, but I'm always concerned with receiving funky stuff from others.

I picked up Heavy Unit and was a bit surprised at what I saw when I opened the case...

Took me a moment to realize the white shit isn't mold, but just the printed artwork on the back cover. Not exactly on topic, but WTF kind of art is that?

NoSexGex · 07/28/2017, 03:26 PM

Quote from: csgx1 on 07/28/2017, 02:00 PMFortunately I've never had any mold problems where I live, but I'm always concerned with receiving funky stuff from others.

I picked up Heavy Unit and was a bit surprised at what I saw when I opened the case...

Took me a moment to realize the white shit isn't mold, but just the printed artwork on the back cover. Not exactly on topic, but WTF kind of art is that?

Is that that glossy paper?

GoldenWheels · 07/28/2017, 03:46 PM

Quote from: blueraven on 06/24/2017, 05:18 AM
Quote from: SignOfZeta on 05/15/2017, 03:01 PM
Quote from: GoldenWheels on 05/15/2017, 02:06 PMMay be a good idea to hit the manuals with something with something that can kill mold. Hate to say bleach but man, mold is so damn hard to actually kill. Maybe some bleach dilution or something? I bleach wipe most NES games I get (because...eww) and the labels have never been hurt (that is they didn't fade, too much moisture of course sucks in).
This is a shitty idea.
yes

Guys, people tell me to drink bleach all the time. How bad can it be?

csgx1 · 07/28/2017, 06:02 PM

Quote from: guest on 07/28/2017, 03:26 PMIs that that glossy paper?

Yes, it's glossy paper like most manuals.

esteban · 07/29/2017, 07:03 AM

Quote from: csgx1 on 07/28/2017, 02:00 PMFortunately I've never had any mold problems where I live, but I'm always concerned with receiving funky stuff from others.

I picked up Heavy Unit and was a bit surprised at what I saw when I opened the case...

Took me a moment to realize the white shit isn't mold, but just the printed artwork on the back cover. Not exactly on topic, but WTF kind of art is that?

Ok, you piqued my curiosity.

I'm gonna have to investigate this

esteban · 07/29/2017, 11:17 AM

UPDATE: Ok, after turning on my dehumidifier and placing the Heavy Unit manual in a container of baking soda, I think I may have figured something out...

...csgx1 is correct, that isn't a mold pattern.

IT COULD BE:

(1) aerial view of a "moon" depicting "faultlines" and craters...
(2) aerial view of earth depicting rivers and giant floating spores...
(3) painting entitled "Lilac #3"

Hmmmm....