Storing Coin Collection (Folders Vs Albums)

Well an album is $17 while a folder is $3. For circulated clad, is the folder sufficient? Will it secure the coins or will they fall out? I can't justify paying the difference for an album unless a folder is junk and can't be used. For the nicer sets I think an album may be better though.

It all depends on what you have and what you want. When I was a YN I used the old blue Whitman folder because I didn't know better and there wasn't much else available. Now I keep most of my collection in dansco albums, why? Two reasons:

Reason one, dansco albums are the best. You can view both sides of the coin without removing them and for the most part they preserve the coins very well.

Reason two, I like the look of dansco albums. For my taste I think the brown and tan showcase the coins at their best.

What does the value of the coins have to do with any of this? Very little in my opinion. I have a Dansco #8104 album, this is the Lincoln Sheild cents with proofs. It has two pages, one with dates and one simply titled Lincolns cents. It is up to date with coins from mint and proof sets. On a really good day the 21 coins in it may have a value of about a buck, the album cost me $17. I don't care about the value/cost ratio, this is how I want to store my coins and that is the only thing that really matters.

Possibly the worst reason to use Dansco. So many say they look like an expensive book and then have to hide them away. Leaving any coin collection out in the open is just to risky. Almost any Album made today is about the same. Similar materials and similar methods of production so if looks is a major concern, think about where you have them stored.
Some of the major problems with using a Folder is the method of how coins are placed in them. Most people push the coins into the slots with their thumbs or fingers thus leaving acids and oils on the coins. Every time you open one the coins are exposed to your breath and dirt in the air. Sometimes coins even fall out. And in some instances the glue on the rear of the slots effects the coins.

Now you guys have got me thinking. Right now my collections are in 2x2's in pages in a 3 ring binder. Unfortunately, every time I upgrade I have to pry the staples out and it becomes a hassle. For missing coins, I either have to leave a blank space in the page to fill later (which leaves a lot of spaces and wasted pages), or I don't account for it and have to re-organize everything when I get a new coin for the set that I was missing. I originally was thinking maybe I would leave my silver sets in the 2x2's and put the clad coins in folders. Unfortunately with the ways the folders are broken up ( Roosevelt dime for example), I'd have to buy 3 folders @ $3 a pop to complete a full set. Alternatively, I can get a Dansco with every year included in one book for a little over $20. Then I could move my silver coins from 2x2's into the album and have everything in one place. I'm tempted to go with Danscos but the price still seems high.. I could spend that money on more coins! To complicate things further, what about the intercept albums? Are those good? Decisions, decisions!

I seem to be the sole person who prefers Whitman albums over Dansco for the looks. The blue to me looks really nice with silver coins in it.

Good choice .... I think you will be happy with Dansco albums

I agree with those saying that Whitman's blue and silver coins go together nicely.
That is as far as I can go with US coins :D As for my Euro collection, just today I calculated that before my next expanse, I'll probably have to invest about 100 € in capsules, album pages, boxes/trays etc :)