I'm thinking about getting a Foodsaver tomorrow, Kohl's has a mini Foodsaver for $39.99; so I'm just making sure that the Foodsaver bags are acid free, pvc free and archival quality... all that jazz. I'm pretty sure they should be, because they should be food quality. Thank you for any thoughts or experiences with Foodsavers.
I'm assuming that you're planning to use them for storing coins and not food. I use zip lock bags myself and haven't had any issues with them. I don't think that I'd pay the extra price for foodsaver bags.
im almost positive their pvc free, not sure on the others. Check out food savers website, it should say whether or not they are.
Food saver creates a vacuum seal which is more reliable than ziplock. The downside is the bags are not transparent and the force of the bag which is exerted upon the coin when the vacuum is created - remains constant and would probably cause damage over time.
PVC is not FDA approved for food storage devices. Anything intended for kitchen use does not have PVC. The chance of hydrochloric acid or chlorine leaching out is significant, and not too many people want to eat that.
I have some coins that I sealed in foodsaver bags about 4-5 years ago, they look the same like when they where but in, Blast whites and red coppers. I put 40 or so coins in one bag as not to waste them. Dividing up the coins with the melting function of the sealer so every coin had its small 2x2 compartment as physics-fan3.14 said the bags are intended for food so they are 100% PVC free. If I can put a smarteese in a bag and seal it up for 2 years without it crushing , I hardly believe that I would cause any damage of any kind to coins ( just curious how much sucking power do you think this machine has ? )
I store my safe deposited coins in the Reynolds Handy-Vac food storage bags that come with a hand held vacuum sealer that sucks the air out of the bag through a valve. I toss in 1 or 2, 1 gram, 2"x1" silica pouches and reseal them each time I add or remove a coin. The silica turns colored when used up. I bring the hand Vac into the bank and use it right there in the stall. I bought the silica packs on ebay from "sidtoh" from Malaysia who had a great deal and fairly quick shipping. I think it is less than $5 for 50 of them including shipping, I feel assured that my coins are well protected from any environmental changes in the bank vault. At least I've done what I can. Bruce
Food saver bags might work great, but there still could be problems. If one of the coins sealed in the bag has any traces of PVC on it at all, it can still cross-contaminate even in the bag. It's not a true vacuume, and even if it were gases such as chlorine can still migrate freely. Watch carefully what you seal up. Guy~
I've been using food saver bags regular for the past 8 years and love them. I use them to protect my silver bullion that I stash at the bottom of my aunt's Koi pond. They haven't failed me yet.
