Modern boxes for storing VHS players?

[holocron]

Not exactly about buying/selling, but it seemed like the most appropriate section. I'm moving and need a solution for boxing up my VHS players. I don't want to stuff them all in a box with just bubble wrap between them, but searches aren't turning anything up that seems appropriate. Even AI-enhanced searches keep assuming that I'm looking for boxes to hold media, not players.

[Davis]

For a little more protection, you could put them in a plastic bin and put bubble wrap between them and pack paper around the sides or more bubble wrap. That would be better than just a cardboard box I think.

Marty Davis

[Disharmony]

I keep my VCRs and tapes inside plastic tub boxes with a humidifier inside and I have the sides lined with cardboard to protect from sunlight. The boxes sit outside the house in a shade. Been doing this for three years now without issue.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davis

you could put them in a plastic bin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disharmony

I keep my VCRs and tapes inside plastic tub boxes

This is a horrible idea, because plastic tubs/bins off-gas. VOCs are released (volatile organic compounds), aka the off-gassing process.

And in a sealed tub, it creates (essentially) a humid gaseous environment that isn't necessarily absorbed by an silica desiccants. So not humidity from water vapor, but "humidity" from gasses. The air inside becomes thick and saturated with something, and desiccants won't fix it.

The VOCs leech into all components of the VCR, and can even cause a hardened film to develop on the heads. The plastics (including the main case) is forced to absorb the gasses, which can cause it to deplasticize. I've especially seen JVC S-VHS decks cases turn brittle and shatter from deplasticizing. Rubber often turns gooey and sticky, especially those hard-to-find belts.

Your experience will vary widely, because the compounds found in plastic bins is unregulated, unlike food containers. The "better" tubs (Rubbermaid, etc) are manufactured to a low standard of "human handling safety", but nothing about VOC safety. There's no telling what sort of totally toxic crap is in Chinese no-name tubs sold on Amazon/etc, as those are often unrelegulated.

VCRs belong in cardboard boxes only. Double-corrugated is best, such as Lowe's heavy-duty large moving boxes. Wrap the entire VCR, including face, loosely with large bubble wrap (not the small stuff), for at-home non-moving situations.

Same for tapes.

For moving or shipping VCRs, the bubble wrap must be more layers, secured by tape, in a bubble burrito. And then the box cavities filled with packing paper and/or peanuts, paying close attention to corners of the units. Added padding on the bottom of the box, to protect from drop impact.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disharmony

tapes inside plastic tub

This is often a death sentence for tapes. Inducing oxide shedding and mold is almost a given.

[holocron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

VCRs belong in cardboard boxes only. Double-corrugated is best, such as Lowe's heavy-duty large moving boxes. Wrap the entire VCR, including face, loosely with large bubble wrap (not the small stuff), for at-home non-moving situations.

I guess there's nothing out there that's of a classic shaped box appropriate for a VCR? Those Lowes boxes are huge and would easily hold 4 or 5 VCR's stacked vertically, which would be its own nightmare. A huge waste of space to just store one unit inside though.

[lordsmurf]

Cut the box down.
- Put the deck in.
- Take box cutter and score the inside. (score = shallow cut .... not a cut through)
- Start with smaller flags, fold over
- Then longer flaps, folder over.
- You can then cut the small flaps by "eyeballing it"
- Then cut one longer flap near the middle, open
- Then fold uncut flap down, put cut flap over it. Using it as template, cut other flap.

You now have a custom sized box.

Some decks don't need the large box, medium works. But I think medium only has standard thickness. For decks, I prefer heavy duty boxes.

You mentioned 5 decks in a box. Note that it's not good to stack more than 2-3 decks on each others, if even that. I'm guilty on this myself at times, so I try to add simple shelves, using some 2x4 frames and 1x6 shelves. Not in a box of course, far too heavy. I keep my stored gear in large cupboards, with some charcoal packs that get refreshed at least twice per year.
charcoal @ https://amzn.to/4c4KE7q

[themaster1]

Chat GPT says:
1) The right type of storage boxBest option: sealed plastic storage bins (polypropylene)
Look for:Thick, rigid plastic (not flimsy)

Even better: “weatherproof” or gasket-sealed bins
These have:Rubber seals in the lid, Much better humidity isolation
They’re not fully airtight like lab containers, but significantly better for multi-year storage.

2) Moisture control (critical), Use desiccants (non-negotiable), Silica gel packs (cheap, reusable)
Or moisture absorbers (calcium chloride type)

3) Storage environment (this matters more than the box)
Ideal conditions Temperature: 10–20°C stable Humidity: 40–60% No rapid fluctuations

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaster1

Chat GPT says:
1) The right type of storage boxBest option: sealed plastic storage bins (polypropylene)
Look for:Thick, rigid plastic (not flimsy)
Even better: “weatherproof” or gasket-sealed bins
These have:Rubber seals in the lid, Much better humidity isolation
They’re not fully airtight like lab containers, but significantly better for multi-year storage.

ChatGPT and Grok are horrible with hallucinating. Push back, tell the AI that offgassing will ruin your VCRs. Both of those models are stubborn, will double down on terrible advice.

Gemini and Claude are less stupid, but far from perfect. Both have an "oh yeah" moment when pushed back on.

AI is only as good as prompting, and your own knowledge of the subject. Your lack of knowledge is its lack of knowledge, so it ends up giving bad hallucinated advice.

Quote:

2) Moisture control (critical), Use desiccants (non-negotiable), Silica gel packs (cheap, reusable)
Or moisture absorbers (calcium chloride type)
3) Storage environment (this matters more than the box)
Ideal conditions Temperature: 10–20°C stable Humidity: 40–60% No rapid fluctuations

That's true of almost anything being stored.

[holocron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Cut the box down.

*cutting, cutting, more cutting*

Quote:

You now have a custom sized box.

Some decks don't need the large box, medium works. But I think medium only has standard thickness. For decks, I prefer heavy duty boxes.

You mentioned 5 decks in a box. Note that it's not good to stack more than 2-3 decks on each others, if even that. I'm guilty on this myself at times, so I try to add simple shelves, using some 2x4 frames and 1x6 shelves. Not in a box of course, far too heavy. I keep my stored gear in large cupboards, with some charcoal packs that get refreshed at least twice per year.
charcoal @ https://amzn.to/4c4KE7q

Yeah. I'm waiting some of those cardboard reinforcements to compensate for how thin they are. The only way these are getting crushed is if something strikes it at a really odd angle. It's strange thinking that large electronic devices (even A/V/ switchers) are so scarce now that nobody is making storage for them now, not even places like Uline.

I just mentioned that large cardboard boxes COULD fit that many units. I don't even want to put 2 into a single box if I can avoid it. If this was 1990, I'd just be going to Walmart and asking them to let me rescue some actual VHS-player boxes from the carts by the baler.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

This is often a death sentence for tapes. Inducing oxide shedding and mold is almost a given.

*shudder* I found a sealed VHS box in my girlfriend's garage, full of Barney recordings from when she was a kid. There were probably 80 tapes in this massive thing. Unsealing that box felt like the salt acid trap from "The Mummy" with Brenden Fraser. I'm amazed I didn't experience any neurotoxic effects after getting blasted by the 'cloud.'