Carol

Depending on what it is you are actually putting in them, a cheaper alternative may be to buy standard archive or packing boxes and lots of acid free tissue paper as packing to provide a barrier against acid migration.  I guess material conservators will say things like the extra cost pays for itself in 30 years time when you can still read your documents / labels / recognise your finds.  But, in 30 years time will it matter or is it a compliance standard that is not really relevant?

Any properly curated archaeological collection will need some sort of monitoring so perhaps another alternative is an annual visual inspection, and investing in ph detector strips that do the same thing as litmus paper and provide some warning of impending doom.  Or even judicious culling now and saving on storage space.

Denis Gojak

>>> "Carole L. Nash" <[log in to unmask]> 11/27 3:16 am >>>
Dear list,

I'm suffering from sticker shock over the cost of acid-free artifact
storage boxes.  It's been a while since I've ordered these, but the price
list in the Light Impressions catalogue took my breath away (per box, the
least expensive order is a package of ten at $79.95).  I have ordered but
have not received Hollinger's most recent catalogue for comparison.

Do you have any suggestions for other, less expensive sources?  I realize
that the price per box falls with a larger order: I will probably be
constrained to a purchase of 50-100 boxes. Thanks in advance for your
responses.  Carole Nash, Dept. of Soc/Anth, James Madison University,
Harrisonburg, VA 22807