Long term affects on problematic comics?

[nocutename]

I don't really know where to post this question so I am going to ask it here first. Does anyone know what the long term affects are for comics with rusty staples, foxing or water damage and is there a way to prevent further damage?

 

I have been meaning to ask this question for sometime but since I just purchased a comic with little rust on the staples I am now more curious. The rust has migrated a bit onto the paper.

 

In the long term, let's say 10 years from now, will the rust continue to spread if climate conditions don't change? And what about foxing and water damage. Foxing can spread since it is live (is that correct?) but is there a way of halting it? What about water damage, it makes the paper stiff so the paper quality itself is undermined but is there way to store the comic to better preserve it?

 

Should I move this to the Resto forum?

[BaltimoreLauren]

Around 6 years ago my roof collapsed into my bedroom. All of the comics in my room (which, at that time, were just Japanese comics) have since dried, but all of the pages are now wavy, very stiff, and they stick together. Some of the books developed mold, the covers faded, and sometimes the ink (!) ran inside of the comic. With some of my books, it's almost impossible to open them. I still keep them on a shelf in my room, but there's nothing I know to do to reverse the damage, or keep them from getting worse.

[The Black Hand ®]

From what I've heard, if you keep them in a stable, cool, dark and dry environment, The decay process will be slow and unless it's a significant and valuable comic, I wouldn't waste my money on resto. Probably better to find another unrestored copy of a book. Example: You pay 300.00 for a GA rag and another 300.00 to restore it to a vg/fine. Most likely you could have bought an unrestored copy for the 600.00.

[seank]

From what I understand, rust can't be stopped, it can only be slowed. How slow is determined by temperature and humidity and other factors.

[Count]

Around 6 years ago my roof collapsed into my bedroom. All of the comics in my room (which, at that time, were just Japanese comics) have since dried, but all of the pages are now wavy, very stiff, and they stick together. Some of the books developed mold, the covers faded, and sometimes the ink (!) ran inside of the comic. With some of my books, it's almost impossible to open them. I still keep them on a shelf in my room, but there's nothing I know to do to reverse the damage, or keep them from getting worse.

 

[BaltimoreLauren]

Around 6 years ago my roof collapsed into my bedroom. All of the comics in my room (which, at that time, were just Japanese comics) have since dried, but all of the pages are now wavy, very stiff, and they stick together. Some of the books developed mold, the covers faded, and sometimes the ink (!) ran inside of the comic. With some of my books, it's almost impossible to open them. I still keep them on a shelf in my room, but there's nothing I know to do to reverse the damage, or keep them from getting worse.

 

 

I was at a car show when my sister called me to tell me there was a hole in my ceiling. Some hole! My dad was pretty upset by it. He gave me some large Klipshorne (?) speakers for a birthday a few years ago, and they were destroyed.

[Count]

 

No one got hurt so that's a positive (thumbs u

[JazzMan]

I don't really know where to post this question so I am going to ask it here first. Does anyone know what the long term affects are for comics with rusty staples, foxing or water damage and is there a way to prevent further damage?

 

I have been meaning to ask this question for sometime but since I just purchased a comic with little rust on the staples I am now more curious. The rust has migrated a bit onto the paper.

 

In the long term, let's say 10 years from now, will the rust continue to spread if climate conditions don't change? And what about foxing and water damage. Foxing can spread since it is live (is that correct?) but is there a way of halting it? What about water damage, it makes the paper stiff so the paper quality itself is undermined but is there way to store the comic to better preserve it?

 

Should I move this to the Resto forum?

 

Dip 'em in CLR first to remove the rust, then dip 'em in bleach to kill off the mold/foxing/whatever else. Follow that up by laminating the comic and you're done. Now, report back on how it went.

[nocutename]

I don't really know where to post this question so I am going to ask it here first. Does anyone know what the long term affects are for comics with rusty staples, foxing or water damage and is there a way to prevent further damage?

 

I have been meaning to ask this question for sometime but since I just purchased a comic with little rust on the staples I am now more curious. The rust has migrated a bit onto the paper.

 

In the long term, let's say 10 years from now, will the rust continue to spread if climate conditions don't change? And what about foxing and water damage. Foxing can spread since it is live (is that correct?) but is there a way of halting it? What about water damage, it makes the paper stiff so the paper quality itself is undermined but is there way to store the comic to better preserve it?

 

Should I move this to the Resto forum?

 

Dip 'em in CLR first to remove the rust, then dip 'em in bleach to kill off the mold/foxing/whatever else. Follow that up by laminating the comic and you're done. Now, report back on how it went.

 

[nocutename]

Around 6 years ago my roof collapsed into my bedroom. All of the comics in my room (which, at that time, were just Japanese comics) have since dried, but all of the pages are now wavy, very stiff, and they stick together. Some of the books developed mold, the covers faded, and sometimes the ink (!) ran inside of the comic. With some of my books, it's almost impossible to open them. I still keep them on a shelf in my room, but there's nothing I know to do to reverse the damage, or keep them from getting worse.

 

Thank you for the reply. I am so sorry about your collection that really stinks. I once brought a trade into the tub with me and it swelled twice the size as all the pages became wavy. That was only from the steam of the bath. I am curious why some comics became moldy and others did not.

 

Other than the newly acquired rusty staple comic, I was going through my collection last year and I had purchased a bunch of different Batman books to start up a run. Now I know I looked at all the books before filing them away but when I took them out to recheck condition to see if I wanted to upgrade them, a few had some major foxing on the inside covers that I don't know how I would have missed that. Apparently, they must of had some problems when I purchased them but I wonder if it really worsened in that short period of time.

[rodan57]

I was going through my collection last year and I had purchased a bunch of different Batman books to start up a run. Now I know I looked at all the books before filing them away but when I took them out to recheck condition to see if I wanted to upgrade them, a few had some major foxing on the inside covers that I don't know how I would have missed that. Apparently, they must of had some problems when I purchased them but I wonder if it really worsened in that short period of time.

 

You probably just didn't see it. My "comic eyes" get better with experience and my collection seems to get smaller rather than bigger as I weed out books that no longer look as good as they did when I bought them.

[Ze-man]

Hey, what are the current storage conditions? While rust never sleeps, it would have to be pretty humid for the rust to start to migrate.

 

Same with foxing, the spores might be dormant, but would have to be in a pretty humid enough environment for them to become alive again enough to react with the papers metallics.

 

Or at least thats how I understand it. FFB or Divad might know better, they like shrooms and spores and stuff like that.

[nocutename]

Hey, what are the current storage conditions? While rust never sleeps, it would have to be pretty humid for the rust to start to migrate.

 

Same with foxing, the spores might be dormant, but would have to be in a pretty humid enough environment for them to become alive again enough to react with the papers metallics.

 

Or at least thats how I understand it. FFB or Divad might know better, they like shrooms and spores and stuff like that.

 

Thanks Kenny, that is what I was thinking as well. I have them stored in a closet (not on an outside bearing wall) and the temps are pretty cool.

[nocutename]

I was going through my collection last year and I had purchased a bunch of different Batman books to start up a run. Now I know I looked at all the books before filing them away but when I took them out to recheck condition to see if I wanted to upgrade them, a few had some major foxing on the inside covers that I don't know how I would have missed that. Apparently, they must of had some problems when I purchased them but I wonder if it really worsened in that short period of time.

 

You probably just didn't see it. My "comic eyes" get better with experience and my collection seems to get smaller rather than bigger as I weed out books that no longer look as good as they did when I bought them.

 

I think you are right but I was so annoyed that I missed it because it is very apparent.

 

Are your books just suffering from reading wear and tear or other problems?

[mysterymachine]

Hey, what are the current storage conditions? While rust never sleeps, it would have to be pretty humid for the rust to start to migrate.

 

Same with foxing, the spores might be dormant, but would have to be in a pretty humid enough environment for them to become alive again enough to react with the papers metallics.

 

Or at least thats how I understand it. FFB or Divad might know better, they like shrooms and spores and stuff like that.

 

 

From what I have read it has never really been established what causes foxing but I agree with you 99 percent.

[divad]

From what I understand, rust can't be stopped, it can only be slowed. How slow is determined by temperature and humidity and other factors.

 

As Kenny says above (with credit to Neil Young, et al.) "Rust Never Sleeps" - rusty staples should be cleaned or replaced, depending on severity. A simple change in environment will not slow the advent of rust deterioration significantly (once it has started) or prevent migration.

[divad]

a few had some major foxing on the inside covers that I don't know how I would have missed that. Apparently, they must of had some problems when I purchased them but I wonder if it really worsened in that short period of time.

 

Foxing on the inside covers is major cause for alarm.

[divad]

I don't really know where to post this question so I am going to ask it here first. Does anyone know what the long term affects are for comics with rusty staples, foxing or water damage and is there a way to prevent further damage?

 

Rust damage can be mitigated through cleaning or staple replacement. Foxing can be slowed, but not reversed or ceased. Water damage on its own, just is - it's an impact damage, much like dropping a book on its corner.

[divad]

Hey, what are the current storage conditions? While rust never sleeps, it would have to be pretty humid for the rust to start to migrate.

 

Any rust will eventually worsen and migrate - it needs to be actively deterred.

 

Same with foxing, the spores might be dormant, but would have to be in a pretty humid enough environment for them to become alive again enough to react with the papers metallics.

 

This is exactly why I lean towards a bacterial origin with a chemical expression (ferric ions) instead of a fungal origin. Foxing occurs and (once established) "spreads" even in low humidity environments.

 

Or at least that's how I understand it. FFB or Divad might know better, they like shrooms and spores and stuff like that.