New to collecting

Thanks, I'll look into those. And I think I know what you mean about vinegar syndrome. Some of the cels I received did have a vinegar odor to them.

Thanks for the advice. Right now I'm storing the layers that make up a complete cel (separated by PE bags) in one page of the portfolio, sometimes with a background. The most I have consist of 3 layers (sometimes with a background) in a page. I think this should be fine. Right now, the portfolio is being stored upright.

Thanks all of you. This has been very helpful

All cels have a chemical smell. The kind that reminds you of a photocopy machine in use is normal and not a sign of trouble. And most cels slowly move toward a more acrid chemical smell in time. But a vinegar smell is an indication that the acetate on which the cel is painted is breaking down into acetic acid aka vinegar.

In its acute phase, vinegar syndrome is unmistakeable: the smell hits you in the face when you open the bag and the cel is visibly warped or buckled. If your cels still lie flat and don't have a visible ripple along the registration holes, they probably are healthy.

But any vinegary smell is ominous. You may want to store these in a separate place from your others and layer them in MicroChamber paper (available from Bagsunlimited) to absorb the fumes. These can, unfortunately, transmit the condition to other, healthy cels.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.