InvstmntComcSuply

You probably don't realize this, but you just proved that the BCW claim that their boards are buffered with 3% calcium carbonate is false. I have been waiting to hear this as it is perfectly clear from Mikes test that your "independent test results" are completely bogus just like the majority if the "information" you have brought to the table.

pH of totally pure water = 7.............dependent on temp. Pure water pH, the distilled you used, is easily changed as it has almost no buffer capacity. CO2 in the air bonds with the distilled water so pH is changed. Possibly, with inside air, into the acidic 5 range. The dye in the pHydrion pH pencil is acid/base and is enough to alter the results of pure water. Just say'n it's not that easy. No, it is that easy. The point IS that the distilled water has almost no buffer capacity. Thus it does not appreciably affect the pH of the paper you put it on. In addition to the fact that the same source of distilled water was likely used on all of the samples.

Perhaps now would be a good time to point out that we have not made a personal attack on any member of this forum. We only came to discuss the study that Mike has posted in a polite and professional manner. In return we have been subjected to a barrage of insults by certain members of this community. No surprise which members ether. Surprised they havn't been calling you a liar yet which seems to be one of their defenses when they are wrong. BCW Supplies is confusing "statements of fact" with "barrage of insults". BCW Supplies has consistently misrepresented the BCW comic backing boards and those of Gerber and Bill Cole. They have done this specifically to confuse potential customers into thinking that there is no difference between their coated SBS boards and the buffered boards of Gerber and Cole. They couch their arguments in misstatements of fact and inaccurate jumps in conclusion. Since chemistry is not a high priority for most people, many will take BCW's arguments to mean that there is simply a difference of opinion about the conservation merits of the different boards. This can not be further from the truth. There is NO difference of opinion among anyone that has even a modicum of knowledge regarding paper conservation. The BCW coated SBS board does not hold a candle to the buffered boards of Gerber and Cole. I fully support anyone, including manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and other industry professionals who can add positively to the boards. However, when someone continuously misstates matters of fact, solely for their own financial benefit, they should be called out.

If this statement were true then solid bleached sulfate boards would turn yellow while they are still sealed in the package. If this statement were NOT true then it would defy the laws of chemistry. Let me cut to the chase and summarize all of this for you. Calcium Carbonate has a pH of about 9.5 The front of the NEW unused BCW board that is, according to BCW sprayed with Calcium Carbonate, tested out at a pH of 7 in Mikes Study. This means that the coating that BCW applies has already lost almost ALL of its alkaline properties by the time it has been purchased. Before it has even "seen" a comic book. This BCW board will continue to get more and more acidic as it seeks equilibrium with the 24 point thick pH4 SBS board it is sprayed upon, even if a comic book is never placed upon it.

To clarify, the coating of calcium carbonate is the buffer. The buffer is not in the coating. It is the coating. To answer your specific question, the information is provided by the paper mills and verified by independent laboratory tests. No, that is not an industry accepted definition. The coating is a COATING. Any paper labeled as "buffered", should not have any single layer which is acidic (let alone 97% of the board). Your boards are NOT buffered. There is a reason why all of the other manufacturers of coated SBS boards do not claim that their board is buffered. When was the last "independent laboratory test"?

This is another in a long line of "conclusions" that you have come up with that is completely and utterly incorrect. Mike's study does nothing of the sort. Are you Dana Kellum? "Internet Sales Manager for BCW"

I can see why you don't want to identify yourself. Anyone who is spewing this much disinformation should definitely remain anonymous. The poster making the most erroneous claims about your products (and those of other manufacturers) is you.

Who were you again?

Can we get a Name and Title of the person responding on behalf of BCW Supplies? I can't recall any other "corporate" type account on the board that does not provide this information.

Far be it for me to say where you should buy your backing boards, but it seems like you're missing the point here. Simplistically speaking, the sole purpose of an alkaline buffer such as calcium carbonate is to accept the protons donated by acids and neutralize them before they wreak havoc upon the paper. The larger the alkaline buffer, the more protons it can accept before the buffer is rendered inert and the item itself starts becoming acidic. Seeing that the BCW boards (and every other regular backing board for that matter) have just a thin coated buffer on one side, their ability to absorb these protons is highly limited - which is why their coating breaks down fast and you see such a drastic change in the surface pH. The archival safe boards, however, have a much larger alkaline buffer throughout and can therefore absorb a much larger amount of protons - the fact that the surface pH of the archival safe board doesn't change noticeably over time is a very good thing, because it means that the buffer is still active & is still working to absorb the protons. vacantpassenger you are missing the forest for the trees. The coating is not absorbing the acid from the comic it is absorbing the acid from the board! That is why the coating breaks down so fast. The SBS board they use is HIGHLY acidic by the time it reaches your comic shop.

Think of it this way; we have a total of 3% calcium carbonate to "offset" or "absorb" acid regardless of whether that 3% is distributed throughout the board or sitting on top. Solid bleached sulfate is washed in an acid bath, and as Mike's data clearly demonstrates, the uncoated board is acidic with a pH level of 4. If the board is buffered throughout then most of the calcium carbonate is offsetting, or absorbing, the acid from the board itself and not the comic book. Therefore, if the board is buffered throughout, you would need much more than 3% to achieve the same result as a board with a 3% coating of calcium carbonate as demonstrated by the fact that the used E. Gerber half-back is still neutral after 2 years according to Mike's data. Where did you get the information that your boards have a "total 3% calcium carbonate" buffer "sitting on top" in the coating?

We like Mike, too. We assume that he is trying to provide you with accurate information to help you preserve your valuable collections, and that's a good thing. We simply differ in our opinions about what is best for your comic books. We do agree on one thing, though. Microchamber paper is the best solution for preserving your comic books, but it is expensive. We must agree that the statement that you have quoted above could use some revision. However, we would disagree that the rest of the site would fully pass muster with the most demanding of high school English teachers. The board itself is NOT buffered. The coating may be. See above No, you do not "clearly state" this at all. You have to go to a separate page to see that the board is actually SBS. On the page showing the 7 boards you sell (which most people order from) you state "- Buffered with 3% calcium carbonate" This clearly implies that the entire board is buffered with 3% calcium carbonate which is patently untrue.

WTTB and since you are here can you address the following statements about your boards on your website: "-Buffered with 3% calcium carbonate " "The BCW ... Backer Boards are made from a full 24 point solid bleached sulfate, coated on one side with a buffered with 3% calcium carbonate , and are precision cut to size." This implies that the entire board is buffered with 3% calcium carbonate, which is untrue. It seems odd that such a poor use of grammar would remain on your website for years, when the rest of the site would fully pass muster with the most demanding of high school English teachers. However, it does mislead customers into thinking that the entire board is buffered throughout.

I thought the same, but there is likely some loss as they were mostly Thor a couple weeks pre-opening. Additionally, now it would be a broken OO run. I would offer them to bongo off ebay less fees.

nicoscomics has won 300 auctions most of which came from 18 sellers (so 10-20 per seller) over the last 30 days. I doubt this person is going to stop simply because their account was suspended. They already have at least two accounts.... I also doubt the suspension will be upheld for any substantial time period. ebay is making it's money, regardless of whether sellers are screwed. The only time ebay loses is when she returns everything, because the invoices are usually combined.

My mother used to always tell me, usually over a meal at my favorite restaurant Poe's Diner or when watching our favorite movie genre, science fiction: "Not everyone in Tallahassee (born and raised!) should be trusted just because they lived on elm street or went to Jefferson elementary. Only trust the Morrisons (her family) and our dog Rex. Dad's family ... not so much.

+1

Other than greengods last Orwellian post with the Watchmen #1 example (which is pretty inane as far as I am concerned), he is simply reiterating what many others have said in the past. However, feel free to continue on with the torches and pitchforks

I agree with your statement but you are going on strictly eye appeal. If the spine ticks and creases don't break color CGC seems to let them slide. However, get one miniscule hidden flaw and they hammer it. I suspect they consider some flaws irreversible whereas the NCB spine ticks, in theory, are not = they can be 'fixed'. Whether we agree with their grading criteria or not, they are consistent, which is important. I would not go that far

Thanks for the supplies order, Ken! Everything went Perfectly smooth! Anything you need, give me a jingle. Drew

Craig (Sandflea) won our microchamber auction in the Comicdonna auction thread, paid promptly and was overall great to deal with! Let me know if I can help you out with any more supplies!

Books made of low quality paper were pretty much exactly what microchamber interleaving paper was designed for. Super thin, so as not to cause structural stress, but over 100 times the acid removal capability of the same size buffered paper. I would consider a sheet behind the front covers of each book. You might want to go with a smaller size down or even our modern size to accommodate the trimmed edges and gutter loss. I also think bound volumes would be one of the few instances where I would consider a de-acidification spray, especially for very old newsprint. However the microchamber would probably be cheaper.

Barrier paper is not even as good as Gerber or Cole buffered boards, because it is usually just pH neutral. Thus it doesn't even provide the acid neutralization capabilities of the buffered boards, let alone the additional capabilities of Microchamber paper.

There is no way around the cost of shipping boards internationally. Too much mass, too much volume. The best option is to source buffered boards locally if possible.

Thanks, Arnould!