I have a collection of antique light bulbs that I had to store up until a couple years ago when I was able to procure I nice display case for them, so here are a few suggestions based on my experience.
The most obvious is, of course, to protect them from breakage. I kept my bulbs wrapped in a soft cushy material like cotton. Some packing agents commonly used for shipping are prone to transmitting vibrations to the bulb, and you'll want to avoid those materials as there is a risk of damaging fragile filaments. Once a filament breaks open, the value of the lamp is reduced considerably. I have it on good advice from experienced collectors to avoid bubble wrap which apparently transmits vibrations. For the same reason, avoid those ubiquitous styrofoam "peanuts" which, in addition to transmitting vibrations, have a way of shifting around in the packing possibly exposing the bulb to damage. As I mentioned, I have found cotton to be excellent. Also newspaper, especially shredded, can be OK, but if you are storing a lamp with outside frosting on the envelope, over time the newsprint can leach into the etched glass which is then difficult to clean. I have also found the very cushy kind of kitchen paper toweling wrapped around the bulb many times works well. There's also a cotton-like material available at places like the UPS store (I can't remember what it's called) that should probably also be OK.
I have packed several bulbs to a box, but not too many as a large box can shift when picked up which could damage some bulbs. Starting with a sturdy box, I wrap a good amount of cotton or cushy paper toweling around each lamp (be generous!) and then stand them upright (base down, exhaust tip up) against each other with the cushioning material packed in just tight enough that the bulbs won't shift or jiggle around. (For shipping, I would never do more than one bulb per box, but I assume you are dealing with on-site storage.)
Be careful not to damage the glass exhaust tip. Give it a little "breathing space" by not crushing the tip tightly with packing material but let the cotton or whatever be a little less compacted around the top of the bulb where the tip is. Make sure there is a little clearance between the tip and say, a box lid. And, of course, be sure something isn't placed on top of the stroage box that could crush in the lid.
If any of your bulbs have outside paper labels giving information such as the manufacturer, candle power and voltage rating, etc., you want to avoid these being exposed to direct sunlight as this could lead to the print fading. When wrapping your bulbs in packing material, avoid rubbing the paper labels with the packing material.
Finally, avoid storing the bulbs in a damp or moist environment. Over time, moisure can lead to corrosion of the brass base. Moisture would also be the enemy of the afore-mentioned paper labels, and if your bulbs have plaster secured bases, moisture is definately a no-no.
Well, I hope this helps. Perhaps some other collectors might have additional advice as well. The things I have described seemed to work well for my collection over a period of several years, but I have to say that I am very happy to be able to have my bulbs "out of the dark" and in a place where I can enjoy them! Best wishes with your collection.
Regards,
PCris
