storage.boutique has developed an innovative new, lightweight three layer, acid free, archive standard sleeve specifically sized for various collectables. They are manufactured here in the UK to our own exact specifications, from three different density layers of very high quality biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) which is inert and acid free.

The outer layer is low density coated on the outside to retard the harmful effect of ultra-violet light. The middle layer is a dense core, giving strength which prevents tearing but as the material is biaxally-oriented it retains the extreme clarity for decades.

The inside layer is untreated and inert, which ensures that the sleeves are completely acid free on contact with your postcard collection. 

Our sleeves are sealed at the edge by compression and ultrasound, meaning that they fit neatly around your collectable putting the focus on the contents.

If you have previously stored paper-based items in hard plastic sleeves, albums or even polypockets you will know how they dull over time, degrade, and allow the ink on your postcard to fade through exposure to ultra-violet light damage.

The result of all this technology is a new, unique way of storing your collection for a very long time, reducing hard plastic usage, and enhancing the display quality of the contents – thereby possibly increasing the value of your collection.

More Information

storage.boutique is a UK based archive materials business. We manufacture and store all our own archive standard materials in the UK and offer a stock service with same day despatch on orders. Whilst we work with many large professional collections and archives in the UK, such has been the demand for our world standard products, we are now also able to supply directly to collectors and dealers.

True economy procures only the things that are necessary but uses prudent management in the buying. The highest economy may be practised by purchasing here – we offer a healthy discount for multiple unit purchases.

Our Premise 

If you value an item, we believe you will want to protect it from the ravages of time, dampness, acid, and light. Yet, you will also want to present it clearly and visibly to optimise how it looks.  

With this in mind, storage.boutique presents our own, new technology, archive material made in three density layer sleeves, specifically sized to suit a wide variety of archive and collectible purposes.

Protection Properties

Our inert, acid free, biaxially oriented film is layered to three different densities to protect your item from ultra-violet light, atmospheric moisture, and other time delayed damage.  

Despite seeming to be light weight compared to former hard plastic protection, you will find ours denser, stronger, and visibly more transparent. This protects your valuable item when it is inserted or removed from our sleeve.  

Sizing 

With more than half a century of experience in archive protection, we know that collectors and archivists want their protective sleeve to fit as near exactly as possible, so that it displays the item to the optimum. Therefore, on the description to our products we not only put the size, but we also put a suggested use - the same size may suit many purposes, but we know you wish to buy with a confidence that the protection product will exactly fit your item. 

Other Advantages

We believe you will be delighted at how well your item will be presented using our archive protective products. We believe they enhance the perceived value to collectors, archivists, and potential buyers alike. 

We have been using our own products to store documents, photos, and postcards for more than half a century. The current material has been used for more than twenty years and retains its crystal-clear protective properties without any known damage to the item inside. We know that time is not kind - so don’t put off what you can do today!  

With postage prices so high these days, and likely to rise substantially more, we suggest that if you are a dealer, you may not wish to send heavy, hard plastic but utilise our lightweight, dense, strong protective product instead. 

Additional Tips

Only use official branded storage.boutique sleeves as these are guaranteed archive safe (but we would say that!);

Always lay your collectable flat - never stand precious collectable upright in albums or binders, as gravity stress over time, can deteriorate weaker materials;

Make sure your hands are clean and dry; Do not have food and drinks nearby; Handle documents and photos by their edges and try to use gloves to avoid fingerprint damage;

Place your collectable (in our sleeve or envelope) flat, in a dark box, on a flat surface, away from bright light;

Never store in a standard polypocket as these are made from plastic and will deteriorate and degrade your paper collectable very quickly;

Be very careful about anything that you out inside our sleeve with your collectable – such as laminated card or other printed materials – these can give off small amounts of gas over a long period of time and degrade your collectable;

If you intend to index label your item, write on the label before sticking it to the outside of the sleeve. Do not stick a label to the inside of the sleeve;

Choose your storage space wisely – high temperature, moisture and light fluctuations can affect the degradation process of your item;

Make sure you can retrieve your item quickly and efficiently by having a well organised system. We think that using binders and albums for paper take up far too much space, and are not good for the long term well-being of your collection;

Digitise as much as possible, even if only using your phone.