Watch what you bring home from shows!

There is nothing quite like coming home with new treasure from the annual Show Of Shows (SOS) each February, the MAX in September, or even just a local show down the road any time of the year. However, we need to watch for what might have come along for the ride.

The most common fear is the old wool jacket that could be infested with moths, which is why some savvy dealers and collectors will put such items into a short-term “cold storage” in the freezer. Experts agree that freezing will kill clothes moth larvae and eggs if carried out correctly, and it is suggested that a deep freeze should be conducted ideally for a week, but at least 72 hours.
Moths are a threat because, in addition to the damage they can do to old uniforms, they can also devour carpets, leather, fur and other fabrics. Charity shops and warehouses are often considered the perfect breeding ground for these pests. Vintage clothing, including that of the military variety, is especially inviting to moths due to the natural fibers, while it has been noted that moths are actually attracted to the smell of sweat – which can become ingrained on older clothing even if undetectable to a human nose.

Clothes moths have a life cycle of between 65 and 90 days, while a female adult living for 30 days can still lay up to 300 eggs! Moths were such a scourge of Victorian homes that it gave rise to the term “mothballed,” meaning to put something into storage or to suspend operation.
However, moths are just one of several concerns that collectors need to watch out for these days.

Moths also aren’t the only insect that will feast on fabrics. Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) are small, wingless insects that have a diet consisting of carbohydrates such as sugars and starches. They’ll eat the glues in old books, and also in old prints and paintings. The ugly pests will also devour cotton, silk and even leather.
They can play the long game too, as these creatures can even live for a year without eating if water is available. As a result, they’re attracted to damp, humid parts of the house, including basements and attics.
Much like moths, they’re parasites that can unexpectedly become attached to old items we collectors so love.

Recently, this reporter actually discovered a silverfish in a framed painting given to my wife by her father. It is unclear how long the insect had been in the frame, seemingly behind the actual painting, but it shows how these invaders can enter a house so undetected. We have since removed the painting from the frame, which was thrown away just to be safe on the safe side.
However, we’ve seen at least two more of the invaders, and continue to monitor the situation carefully. Fortunately, these are far easier to detect and kill than moths, but the worry is as great.

A common sight on Facebook groups and various military collectible forums during and immediately after SOS and MAX are those ubiquitous “bed photos,” where an individual may line up the helmets, uniforms, daggers or other items purchased that day on their hotel bed. As a collector who already doesn’t relish the idea of sleeping in a strange bed, the idea of adding these items only further makes my skin crawl.

But there is a good reason not to do so, beyond the grease, dirt, and other grime you’ll bring to the bed — it is what the bed might bring to your items. Bed bugs!

These insects don’t damage fabrics in the same way as moths or silverfish, but they’re an even greater scourge. As someone who lived through the bed bug infestation that impacted New York City a dozen years ago, I’ll be the first to say it is hard to spot these insidious fiends. Bed bugs hit the Big Apple by arriving with international tourists who actually stayed at some of the highest-priced hotels in the city, and soon after the bugs made their way to apartment buildings of every income level. It doesn’t take much to get an infestation, but it can be extremely difficult to address.

For us, we threw away a mattress, sprayed the bedroom, and carefully monitored for the presence of bed bugs in every other room. We were lucky, but others had to fumigate their apartments, or worse. Now we’re careful to inspect our room upon arrival.

The best advice is NOT to even place a suitcase on hotel beds, and rather keep any luggage off the floor entirely. Beds should be inspected for these horrible insects, as should the dresser drawers. Whenever my wife and I now return from a show, every article of our clothing goes straight into the laundry – or it doesn’t come into the house. Then we are sure vacuum the suitcases.

It is easy to simply buy an item and add it to the display, but that could be inviting an invader – one that could do untold harm. When possible, all new purchases I make at any show go into a specific bin or tub that is apart from what I may have brought to sell. When the weather permits, nothing is actually brought into the house until I’ve done a quick inspection in sunlight to check for moth larvae, silverfish, and most notably the bed bugs – none of which really care for the sun.

Freezing of wool items is certainly recommended, as are regular inspections to make sure something isn’t feasting on your collection. Likewise, I’ve become rather welcoming of spiders — which will help hunt down moths and silverfish.

Finally, it isn’t a bad idea to snap some photos from time to time. Did a new moth hole suddenly appear? Go to the archives and check.

No one said preserving history would be easy, but that’s just the cost of collecting.

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