Seed Storage: Plastic baggies or kraft coin envelopes?

[bower]

Good point about paper envelopes being a two way street for moisture.
Living in a place where humidity varies a lot, I use a two step process for saving seeds. When they appear dry I store them in paper envelopes at first. In autumn when the heating season kicks in, we get to see how much moisture has accumulated in the indoor air over the summer and early fall - quite a bit of condensation on the windows. After mopping that off a few times over a couple of weeks, we stabilize at a much dryer condition for the winter. When the seeds and envelopes have had time to reach that dryer state, I repack them in plastic zips with labels, for the long term. I do expect plastic to be less permeable than paper, so the seeds will stay as dry as they are when we go into another cycle of humidity in the house.

I also agree that the advantage alone of being able to see the condition and number of seeds left is well worth using plastic, for me. It's too easy to forget how many you used or sent out.
Coin envelopes do have the advantage of being rigid, which makes it easier to store them neatly and also to thumb through them in a box, while the little zips buckle over on each other and slip around.... This gets more annoying as you keep adding to the collection and squeezing in ever more bags.
This winter I switched to a ring binder system for my tomato seeds which keeps my zips straight. Picked up clear plastic sheets with pouches at the dollar store, they are exactly right size for the zips or for a small coin envelope. This way I can see what I have at a glance, without having to take out, spread out and then put back packets... unless I want to.

[psa]

I quite often receive seeds from Europe in glassine, and sometimes that within another paper envelope. Does anyone know why that is so popular there, or what the advantages/disadvantages of it are?

I appreciate reading all of the responses here. I've been doing the ground work for a new seed library (with others) and we're currently debating how to provide the seed for "checkout."

I'd just go with what your customers like the most, personally. Based on my observations, I think Baker Creek has the most addictive seed packets (whether or not they're better for seed storage). Of course, I'm sure the fruit/vegetable pictures on the packets have something to do with it. They're a glossy kind of paper (usually black), I think with resealable glue. The descriptions on the back of the packets are also nice for when you're dreaming of growing them.

I think Trade Winds Fruit's new packaging for this year looks pretty nice, too.

[Zeedman]

Originally Posted by bower

Good point about paper envelopes being a two way street for moisture.
Living in a place where humidity varies a lot, I use a two step process for saving seeds. When they appear dry I store them in paper envelopes at first. In autumn when the heating season kicks in, we get to see how much moisture has accumulated in the indoor air over the summer and early fall - quite a bit of condensation on the windows. After mopping that off a few times over a couple of weeks, we stabilize at a much dryer condition for the winter. When the seeds and envelopes have had time to reach that dryer state, I repack them in plastic zips with labels, for the long term. I do expect plastic to be less permeable than paper, so the seeds will stay as dry as they are when we go into another cycle of humidity in the house.

That is pretty much the way I dry seeds too. I leave them on trays until the outside temperature is below freezing, and the heater runs all day. This is usually some time in December. When the indoor humidity has been lowered to the point where I see lightning when I pull off a sweater, the seeds are dry enough to store. Unscientific I know... but it works. I purchased an atomic clock several years ago that displays a lot of useful info - including indoor humidity. The "lightning test" corresponds to an indoor humidity of about 30%.

[atilgan]

Can you recommend a brand with smooth sides having 4 mil thickness. I hate it if the sides are not smooth. I keep buying them without seeing them and then they go to garbage.