Do I really have to store my coat with a furrier every summer? Why can't I just put it in my basement or in a cedar chest? These are two of the most frequently asked questions at furs.com. Yes, professional fur storage is the most important thing you can do to keep your fur looking beautiful and keep it in good shape for years to come. No, your basement, while cooler than the rest of your home, does not offer the proper conditions for fur storage. And a cedar chest is never a good place for a fur coat. Not only does it not offer the proper temperature or humidity control, it makes your fur smell awful! Storage by a professional furrier -- not a dry cleaner -- is vitally important to your fur. As soon as the weather turns warm, your fur wants to be in a fur vault, where the temperature is a chilly 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity is controlled at 50 percent. The vault is kept dark, and your coat is protected from moths and other insects that thrive during summer months. "Sure, you can keep your coat in your closet all summer, but it will deteriorate at a faster rate," says Terry Thornton, in charge of furs and coats for Neiman Marcus stores. Eleanor Duffy of Peter Duffy Furs in New York City offers, "Storage is a must, unless you're talking about some 30-year-old stole that you're never going to wear again. Because, remember, if your coat is in good shape in a few years, when you get tired of the style, you can restyle it. You can't do that with a coat that hasn't been professionally stored." Adds John Wagner of York Furrier, Elmhurst, Illinois, "Moths can do some real damage to a fur in just a few months, if you leave your coat in your closet. We've even seen people bring in coats that have one arm lighter in color than the other. You can tell that they kept them in a closet with the door open, exposed to sunlight over the summer, and the one arm oxidized." The difference between a 10-year-old coat that has been stored and one that hasn't is usually obvious, even to someone who doesn't know furs. The fur coat exposed to heat and humidity will be slightly stiffer, since its leather has lost some of its natural oils and dried out a bit. Eventually this drying will lead to cracking, tearing of the leather and excessive fur loss due to shedding. "It's like changing the oil in your car," says Scott Rubman, president of eFurs. "You do it to protect your investment. Fur coats cared for properly can last 50, 60, 70 years. If you think you'll wear it forever, restyle it or even pass it on to a friend or relative, store it with a professional furrier every summer." That means fur trims and accessories too.