Field Journal
Why Peeling Labels Cause Catalog Drift
Exterior wallet labels degrade faster than most owners expect. Here is how we catch mismatches during a quarterly refresh.
A catalog is only as reliable as the labels on the wallets it describes. During last quarter’s visits across Cheongju and Daejeon, we found that roughly one in eight hardware wallets had an exterior label that no longer matched the recovery sheet stored inside.
How labels fail
Heat from safes, adhesive aging, and repeated handling all contribute. Document wallets suffer from ink transfer when stored against printed receipts. Hardware wallets near windows fade within eighteen months.
What we do during refresh
Our archivists photograph each label before replacement, cross-reference the serial number against the interior sheet, and note the correction in the reconciliation page. The old label, if legible, is taped into the catalog as an appendix entry.
Prevention between visits
Store wallets away from direct light. Avoid writing on adhesive labels with ballpoint pens—the oil softens the glue. If you add a wallet between quarterly visits, apply a temporary index card rather than waiting for the next refresh.
When to call us early
If you notice a label peeling or a serial number becoming unreadable, schedule an interim visit rather than waiting for the quarterly date. Catalog drift compounds quietly.