Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 13:38:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Larry Moss <moss@balloonhq.com>
To: Balloon Decorator List <balloondeco@balloonhq.com>
Subject: RE: expiration dates

On Tue, 22 Aug 2000, Sy, Adelaida (GXS) wrote:

> thanks for this one...  but how long will a balloon be considered as 'good
> to use' from the manufacturing date?

Given a chance, Mark will tell you that there are discussions about this
also archived.  So, I'll save him the trouble.  There's a discussion of
balloon storage in the Balloon Care chapter of the Guide.  that's a good
place to start.  Searches on the list archive will also turn up various
opinions on old balloons and uses for them.

Now, the short answer is, an unused balloon can last a very long time.
They can also be destroyed very quickly by poor storage conditions.
Properly stored (cool, dry, dark location) balloons can still be used years
after manufacture.  Left in the trunk of a hot car, balloons will be
rendered useless in hours.  So there really isn't one answer to your
question.

When buying balloons, it's always best to make sure what you get is as
fresh as possible since you don't know what someone else does with them.
But if you store your balloons correctly (read the guide chapter I
mentioned), you shouldn't have to worry about throwing out product before
you get to use it.

Larry Moss
BalloonHQ.com