Ever see moisture damage like this?

[HongDa]

The player put some kind of thin dehumidifier pad inside the case and then the instrument on top of the pad. It was left like this for a few months and when the case was opened this was the result.
The moisture penetrated through the varnish all the way to the inside of the instrument.
Difficult to see in the pictures but it's slightly swollen inside also.
The entire area is .5~.75mm thicker than the surrounding area.
 

[vathek]

I think there was more moisture damage to the Titanic violin, but this post is a good reminder about being really careful with what humidifying devices one uses.

[Rue]

I am somewhat flabbergasted that anyone would put a humidifier in a case...and then not check it for months.

Dry storage is one thing...but this is quite another. I wouldn't do it to begin with...but if I did...I'd be checking daily...

[bungling_amateur]

Well... inside the case, perhaps, but pressing against the instrument does seem excessive.

[David Burgess]

Having experimented heavily with this stuff for about 35 years, I'm much more in favor of controlling the humidity level in an instrument practice or storage room, than in the case.

 

That said, there is at least one case which claims to have a really good humidity control system (and I did some tests on that case).

Kinda depends on how much you want to spend, and how much time the instrument spends outside of your usual practice/storage environment. You can set up a decent room humidity control system (both high and low) for around 350 bucks. Sounds high, until you compare it with the cost of a crack repair or neck reset. Or the cost of the climate-controlled case.