Comic book collection with an odor, what is it?

[divad]

I bought a collection once and it had a smell. Turns out they keep the comics in a garage and also keep animals in there. They pooped and pissed in the garage for months, not on the books (supposedly) but boy did they smell.

 

 

I never realized how much paper grabs and hangs on to smell. I had purchased two trade paperbacks and they must have been stored in a garage. The oil smell is too much for me to bear that I cannot even read it.

 

Yep - Newspint can really be a "sponge" for odors.

[PovertyRow]

 

I am a fellow "sniffer" There is nothing more disappointing than smelly books. The vinegar (acetic acid) odor is very distinct - if you can't discern that, you probably should have your nose checked

 

Yes, that vinegar smell - one has to weight the balance. How strong is it? How rare is the book? Can you maintain the book in a good environment. etc etc. But try to tell the seller about it and it is often (not always) futile.

[rodan57]

Sometimes that vinegar smell is not as serious as it might be. Some 'vinegar' books just need to be out of the bag for a day or two with the pages opened to different sections.