36Nowthatyouvespenttimeconditioning,adjusting,andcustomizingyourreeds to the point where they play exactly as you desire, you need to store and carefor them in such a manner that they willwork for you as longas possible. All reeds, nomatter how carefully you prepare and care for them, have a nite life span. This willnot be the same for each reed, and there is no magic number that indicates how longa reed will, or should, last.Longevity is determined by a number of factors discussedearlier in ourdiscussion of theconditioning process. Generally, though, thelifespan ofa reed is measured in playing hours, which can vary considerably.Herearesomesuggestionsoncaringproperlyforyourreedstogetthemostout of their longevity and their playability while being used:1.Store your reeds in ahigh-quality reed case. While myown preference is to storemy reeds in a case that has a means of controlling the relative humidity insidethe case, it is perfectly acceptable to place a traditional case inside a sealedzip-lock bag containing acigar humidier or some other method of controllinghumidity. See the section on equipment for a discussion of these cases.