Using Photo Boxes To Keep Your Memories Safe

We take pictures so that we'll have something to remind us of the way things once were.  Some pictures are of special events, places, and people caught in moments that we cherish and want to preserve, both in our memories and as an image we can look back at again and again.  By having a picture, a part of us feels like we have we something that will be around forever to keep such a past moment alive.  While a picture may be worth a thousand words and maybe a whole lot more, we know that it can't stay around forever.  If we're careless, it may get lost, thrown away, or just be destroyed by the natural ravages of time.  In the interests of doing all we can to keep pictures and various types of archives well preserved and safe, we would do well to invest in quality photo boxes to store them in.  Or, we may choose to use a photo box to send pictures and other important items through the mail undamaged.  Whatever the case, there are photo boxes of all different sizes and offering differing types of protection.  For your really important pictures, you will want to make sure you get photo storage boxes that will do what you want without offering any nasty surprises.

You'll want to get photo boxes that are acid free, as acid can leach onto photos and discolor or even destroy them.  Acid free paper also lasts far longer than non acid-free and is used for all archival printing purposes.  For good value, there are photo boxes made of archival board (a strong material made of paper) which have metal edges, which means the most vulnerable and likely to be damaged part of your photos or documents will be protected.  You can also get inserts to separate the materials inside the box.  material used is the trademarked ArchivalGrade boxboard, which is suitable for most needs related to archival photo storage boxes.
If you have a lot of photos or other materials that need to be archived, it can be important to get boxes that are stackable. 
For storing normal, loose 4x6 prints, certain archival photo boxes come in kits that are capable of holding 2400 individual prints and can cost around fifty dollars.  This is for a kit that also contains index dividers to keep your photos organized, something that is very important if you are going to be looking at your pictures from time to time and don't want to wade through all 2400 to find what you're looking for!  Of course, there are also cheaper options, like a photo box which is a bit more plain but stores 1100 photos for just around $5.  It too is made of acid free quality board.  So shop around, because you can end up paying a lot more than you planned to or getting an inferior product if you don't.

For a photo box of a different type, you may prefer to use wooden photo boxes for those very special photos, as these are more substantial than what we talked about in the previous paragraph.  However, these are generally designed not to hold a large number of photos, but to feature one very special photo, usually on the lid.  These are also known as photo presentation boxes or photo frame jewelry boxes and are usually used for storing other small items and accessories, though some can be used to store photos.  Such photo jewelry boxes can make excellent personalized gifts for close friends and family.  There are also decorative photo boxes that some may prefer, if they want something that has a design that's more impersonal.  More expensive than most wood photo boxes are leather photo boxes, which can have a very classy and elegant look.
Photo album boxes to hold your photo albums also exist, but are a bit more of a rarity.  There are some photo boxes that look like a photo album but store pictures like a photo box.   

Of course, it is possible to go the cheap route and store your photos for free inside shoe boxes or other types of containers.  The problem with shoeboxes is that they are made of thin material, making the whoe thing rather flimsy.  This may be okay for pictures that aren't so important or if the box won't get handle that much, but a shoebox won't offer much protection, mainly just storage.  And remember that it doesn't matter how well you store your photos if you don't treat them right in the first place- keep from getting your fingerprints or other substances on your photos, and keep them out of the sun because that causes fading.  Areas with high humidity can also cause problems for photos, so take measures that will account for this if it applies to you.  Plastic photo storage boxes may work better in this situation, if the boxes are able to keep moisture out.