Dear Donia,
How can I preserve and store TV show bank notes/bills?
Q. Dear Donia,
I have some production-used TV show banknotes/bills printed (Using an office computer!) on both paper and vellum and measuring from 3" x 5" to 4" x 6" (roughly). I want to safely store them for the long term, but also want to be able to view and display them. My initial thought is to use self-locking sleeves for this purpose. Are there better options? Also,is there a preferred material for the sleeves (polyester, polypropylene)? Thanks, Sean
A. Dear Sean,
What an interesting piece of TV history to have! You can store them in self-locking sleeves or simple L-sleeves (two pieces of polyester welded together at one long and one short side). They are very easy to get items in and out of and they are held in place with static alone. The best plastic to use is polyester as it is chemically stable, strong, and very clear. Polypropylene can sometimes be milky and is very soft.
For display, be sure to frame them using museum-quality materials and UV-blocking glass and don't hang them in direct sun or other bright light. If they are ink-jet printed, their colors could be very fugitive.