Storing & Preserving Game Used Jerseys

[BU54CB]

I wanted to bring this back up for discussion in order to get feedback and a possible long term storage solution. Please let me know if anyone has knowledge on this. I have many high end unwashed NFL items that I would rather not see deteriorate over the years. All educated feedback would be appreciated.

Clay

ALWAYS LOOKING FOR 49ER GAMERS AND PAYING BIG $$$$$$!!!!! EMAIL ME WITH ANY 49ER GAMERS YOU HAVE.

cdubois@carolina.rr.com

I guess I don't worry about it, I don't have super high end jerseys, but I display them on Mannequins in a room I store my other memorabilia in. There's a UV filtering shade over the window that never opens, and I am purchasing UV film for the window for good measure.

I have mine out so they can be viewed by anyone that comes to my house, otherwise what's the point of having them? If I can't display what I have, then I just have some expensive clothes stored away.

I look at it like this, there are tons of jerseys 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years old and more. Most are in great shape and lasted this long and will continue to last. Some of those jerseys weren't taken care of as well as I take care of mine even though they are displayed, so I don't worry.

[BU54CB]

I guess I don't worry about it, I don't have super high end jerseys, but I display them on Mannequins in a room I store my other memorabilia in. There's a UV filtering shade over the window that never opens, and I am purchasing UV film for the window for good measure.

I have mine out so they can be viewed by anyone that comes to my house, otherwise what's the point of having them? If I can't display what I have, then I just have some expensive clothes stored away.

I look at it like this, there are tons of jerseys 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years old and more. Most are in great shape and lasted this long and will continue to last. Some of those jerseys weren't taken care of as well as I take care of mine even though they are displayed, so I don't worry.

I meant to add that if I had super high end items, I'd display them same as I do now with no worries.

[chd49er]

I agree with displaying the jerseys that one has. My concern is not about displaying a jersey or actually how one might store it but the overall possible deterioration over time whether displayed or not with all of the grass, dirt, sweat stains etc. Will the unwashed jerseys with all of the heavy use from staining cause a jersey to deteriorate more rapidly? If so is there a way to preserve the current state of the jersey with all of the stains etc. so that there is no accelerated deterioration caused by the unwashed state? I am just curious as now we are seeing and buying more unwashed jerseys than in earlier years. Is this something to be concerned about? When you have significant money invested in game used items I want to make sure the jerseys etc. stay in the same condition over the years.

Clay

I WANT TO PAY YOU BIG $$$$$ FOR YOUR 49ER GAMERS AND WILL MAKE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE!!!!!!! PLEASE EMAIL ME!!!

cdubois@carolina.rr.com

[spartakid]

I'm looking for a plastic storage box large enough to hold my jerseys flat (without folding them) and I haven't been able to find one large enough. I measured them out and I'm looking for a 40 in. by 40 in. box, height doesn't matter as I can get multiple. Does anyone know where I may be able to find a box big enough, or have any similar ideas for flat jersey storage without hanging them?

Thanks,

Ricardo

[Mark17]

My first thought is those plastic containers they sell at Walmart for storage of Christmas wrapping paper rolls. They would be long enough, but they aren't very wide. So... if you're looking for a non-folding solution, could you carefully roll your jersets and store them that way?

I wonder if a rolled jersey could be easily pressed flat, years later, without any damage? I'd think so, as long as they weren't rolled too tightly.

Good luck.

[brewcrew]

Not sure if this would work for you, but when we moved I used Space Bags to pack up my jerseys. I believe the XL sized ones were big enough to have the jerseys lay completely flat.

I used a vacuum to seal them to take up less space, but you could just skip that step. The disadvantage to using a Space Bag would be that it isn't hard plastic, but it would keep dirt and debris out while letting the jerseys lay flat.

[spartakid]

Thanks for the ideas guys, I hadn't thought of the space bag idea, perhaps that'd work.

[psmachetti]

I'm considering getting my jerseys out of the closet and storing them.If I hang anymore jerseys I'm liable to have my closet rod torn from it's brackets. My wife suggested space bags but I thought that might wrinkle them. I was leaning towards the plastic storage boxes but I don't have much room to store them. I have hockey and baseball jerseys. Thing is I like wearing my jerseys .I'm thinking of rotating my collection into storage every 6 months. May have to go the space bag route if it's not going to wrinkle my jerseys.

[brewcrew]

Here's what I can tell you about the wrinkling concerns. I packed up my jerseys in a Space Bag, vacuumed out the air, and had them sitting around our condo waiting to be moved for a few weeks. When we arrived in Texas, I waited a couple of weeks or so before letting the air out of the bag and hanging the jerseys up (couldn't help it, sometimes you just want to look at your jersey collection, LOL).

The jerseys, for the most part, remained wrinkle-free. I also have some dress blouses and other items that were in Space Bags and they have the normal wrinkles one would associate with having dress clothes compressed in a bag, but nothing major. I think as long as you got one of the giant bags and didn't vacuum out the air, you'd be fine. It'd be more of a dust protector than anything else.

Also, I don't know if the dimensions of the bags are listed on the Space Bag website; if anyone is really interested I can probably get one of ours out and measure it for you or send example pics. I found them to be a decent product for what I paid for them.

[RJB44]

Curious to know how other collectors are storing their game jerseys. These would be the ones you aren't displaying, but may have in closets, on racks or in drawers. I have 40+ baseball jerseys from the 1980s and keep them on hangers. I recently decided to put light weight clear garment covers over them in hopes of better protection. I only have them on about half of the collection, but plan to pick up some more covers from my local dry cleaners.

I have purchased jerseys in the past which were obviously folded for a very long time and found it a challenge at get the creases out. I think most of us agree, a heavily creased jersey doesn't display well. I have also seen some older jerseys with discoloration along the shoulders from extensive time on a hanger, commonly called "Hanger Marks". I have seen this more often with white jerseys. I know the benefits of having them in a smoke free environment, which I do, but curious to see what other feedback collectors have with regards storage.

Thanks
RJB44