Storage question, looking for advice

[sku_u]

I have a large basement that I'm not currently using for anything. I'm planning to convert it into a finished gameroom eventually, but will likely not have the time or funds to do it for a few years. In the mean time, the bulk of my collection is either sitting in a storage unit or packed away in unused closets. I'd like to throw some basic shelves in the basement and unpack my collection so I don't have to dig through a ton of other stuff every time I'm looking for something.

 

The only problem is that the basement is very damp, even with a dehumidifier running on high constantly. Should I throw some shelving units down there and unpack my collection, or keep it packed and deal with the annoyance of having to dig through boxes to find something I'm looking for for the next few years? My biggest concern is that the dampness will ruin all of my consoles.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[zonic5]

I never heard of dampness hurtting systems so you should probly be ok.

[bjk7382]

I have all of my stuff in a basement, and I am typing this in a basement right now. But mine isn't very moist. Even when it rains really hard we don't get any water in it. Pretty unusual for a 100 year old schoolhouse

 

 

It seems like if there isn't any standing water or a terrible amount of moisture it should be okay.

[sku_u]

It seems like if there isn't any standing water or a terrible amount of moisture it should be okay.

 

There isn't any standing water down there. My biggest concern is that the walls get very moist, are always very cold and that they are made of fieldstone.

[CPUWIZ]

I wouldn't risk it.

[bjk7382]

It seems like if there isn't any standing water or a terrible amount of moisture it should be okay.

 

There isn't any standing water down there. My biggest concern is that the walls get very moist, are always very cold and that they are made of fieldstone.

 

Yeah, there might be a lot of moisture if there is condensation on the walls.

 

If there is water on the walls I wouldn't risk it.

[ATARI TROLL]

sku_u

 

I second CPUWIZ. I wouldn't risk it. I have a full finished basement and I am a hypocrite. I do store mine in my basement with one precaution I take for myself; I bag all my carts (Cant ruin some of the greats CPUWIZ and Albert have provided me with) Then I place most of them in air tight plastic storage bins. Yes its a pain but cartridge & label longevity is a must for this Troll.

 

Cheers

[GrizzLee]

I never heard of dampness hurtting systems so you should probly be ok.

 

Wrong.

Dampness combined with sways in temperature are the biggest cause in corrosion and deterioration. Metals are especially suseptible to this (especially copper). Keep yur carts and systems moist free and dry. In general, you want to store anything collectible in a dry place where the room temperature remains constant (prefereably a few degress below room temperature). This is even more ture for items you wish to store for long term. Living in the NorthWest (Seattle) has taught me alot about this (it gets pretty wet up here). For example, eveyone complains about Actiplaque on their carts, especially, Activison, well, I can say that nearly all of my Activision carts are either plaque free or show very little signs of this. Of course, I keep all mine in sealed plastic baggies in a cool, dry place

 

 

-Lee

 

Regards,

-Lee