Does anyone know if it's safe to store NES carts in Ziploc bags for the long term?  I'm referring specifically to the Ziploc brand resealable sandwich bags.

make sure they are acid free

I would get the cart protectord for sale on here ... somewhere. Im lazy to find the link. But I wouldn't trust anything but them.

yeah get some protectors from justabum. I use them and they are absolutly great. and they are acidfree and stuff.

I would worry moisture would leak into them via the air, but I dunno.

-Rob

dude of course they aren't archival they're friggin ziplocks for sandwiches not collectibles

Yeah, dude, cart protectors. It's stickied in the Buy, Sell, Trade section. PM me with the number you are looking for and we'll see what we can work out.

Get Cart Protectors or pvc free baggies Ziploc is not the answer. Remember you get what you pay for

lol      yeah that's what I figured, but I've heard people on the web say it both ways so I thought I'd ask here.

I would certainly hope that food-safe item like a Ziploc bag was PVC-free



EDIT to add:  Andy, you can verify the chemical composition of the Ziploc or Glad brand bags and see how it compares to archival storage bags.  There are specific chemicals in certain kinds of plastic bags that are a problem.  But just because something isn't marketed as being archival quality, does not necessarily mean that it doesn't have a safe chemical composition.

Well obviously What I meant was get the resealable pvc free fold over bags similar to what is used for comics. Ziploc bags are what they are cheap

My point is that if "PVC" is the main chemical compound that is a concern, then Ziploc bags would be fine.

Ziploc bags are made of polyethylene, just like archival bags. You just don't keep comics in a Ziploc bag because the form factor is wrong.

Correct, but there are some baggies and saran wraps that contain pvc!

All major brands of zipper bag are made of 100% polyethylene.

Saran wrap is a brand, but most "cling"-type wraps are made of PVDC. There is no conceivable reason why you would wrap something in a cling wrap for archiving. That would be utterly retarded.


Storing things in zipper bags, on the other hand, would make sense for some people, I guess. And the major name brands carried at grocery stores (Glad and Ziploc) are both totally safe, while being considerably cheaper that "archival" alternatives.

Yeah, I just found out that Ziploc bags are made out of one material:  polyethylene plastic resin.  Does that mean it's safe for storing NES carts long term?  I've heard some people post some stuff on the web saying that using Ziploc bags to store NES carts will cause the labels to peel off and discolor.  This was my main concern.

Yes, they should be fine as long as you don't abuse them.

The only negative I can find regarding low density polyethylene for archival use is that it's flimsy and tears easily. At reasonable temperatures it's chemically stable, though, so there is absolutely no reason why it would cause labels to peel or discolor.

I've never stored games in zip-locs (or in any bag really) but for what it's worth I have been storing my controllers and hook-ups in them for years without any issues.

Only Mylar is 100% safe

Not true.

Mylar is the most durable safe option, sure.  But polyethylene or polypropylene are just as stable at the temperatures you'll keep them in.


EDIT to add:  Also, think about it this way... anything that is truly food safe is stable enough for your storage needs.  There are a lot of high acid content foods that would be poisoning people from leeching chemicals if the bags weren't chemically stable.

Polypropylene and Polyethelene are "acid free" but begin to degrade at around 8-10 years. Food isn't meant to be kept that long so they are great for food. You can use those for storage but you should then replace them as they age and begin to break down.

They only really break down with UV exposure, which if stored in the open, will definitely happen in that timeframe.

I'm not saying they'll last forever. I'm just saying that they're safe, i.e. they won't crap up your games like some other plastics/PVCs.

Only Mylar is 100% safe

And that's just not true. Even when they eventually break down, there is nothing in polyethylene or polypropylene that will react with your stuff.


EDIT to add: 

quick primer on material science... polyethylene is simply a long chain of ethylene molecules (C2H4).  In the absence of other chemicals or a high heat source it's not going to do anything to your stuff.  In either of those cases, you have bigger problems than the polyethylene.

I am not a chemist. I do know that all other hobbies swear by it. From coins to comic books it is the most expensive option and still used for the very best items in just about every hobby you can think of. It is also used by both the Smithsonian and Library of Congress for long term storage of all archival materials.

If you want to place a loose SMB3 in a baggie I guess that is fine but I wouldn't use it on a Stadium Events and put it in storage.

I wouldn't use polypropylene or polyethylene to slab something, because when you do that you want to permanently store it. And by permanent we mean beyond your own lifetime.

But for storage over the next decade, or two, it just won't be an issue.

99% of what people are storing in Mylar (which is a trade name for a type of polyester) could be adequately stored in polypropylene or polyethylene. Especially if it's going to end up in a box and protected from UV.