New to buyin bag/boards from E Gerber

[cojack16-migration]

Hi Guys,

 

I just made an account here because I wanted to ask a question about buying some great bag/boards for my comic book collection (which is about 700 comics)

 

I recently got back into collecting for fun and I bought about 300 ultra-pro bag/boards. Coated on 1 side, archival safe, etc. I recently read a great post about how these boards are no good and only E Gerber halfbacks or (I forget the other type) are truly "acid-free" and won't harm your comics.

 

Some questions.....(all are related to current age bag/boards)

 

#1) where do I buy these bag/boards? What is the best way? I looked up the E Gerber website price list and found a toll free number. Is doing it by phone the cheapest way for me? How much will shipping be?

 

#2) My ultra pro bag/boards...should I chuck them in the trash and reboard everything in E Gerbers? Are they truly going to be only harmful?

 

#3) Am I correct in assuming I want the E Gerber Half Back boards? Do I need full backs or are half backs just fine?

 

#4) Are the Ultra Pro bags harmful and should I chuck them in the trash or will they be compatible with my new E Gerber boards? I was thinking maybe when I get E Gerber boards I'd just take the ultra pro boards out and use the ultra pro bag with the E Gerber board to save money.....

 

#5) What type of E Gerber bags should I buy? I see 7 options on the website ranging from different types of archives to different types of mylites. What specific type would I want for current age comic books?

 

If anyone can answer my specific questions and take the time to help a fellow fairly new collector out, I would totally appreciate it. Thanks to whoever reads this.

[Speedy-D]

HOTFLIPS. They're here on the boards and are great to deal with.

 

Mylites2 and either half backs or full backs are great. The only difference between the half and the full is the thickness. As far as I know, they're both of equal archival quality.

 

As for the bags 'n' boards you have now, you'll get some different answers from different folk. The bottom line is that they are not harmless. But I suspect it'll take a decent amount of time, as in years and years, to see any problems.

[cojack16-migration]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

Well, I guess I'll buy like 500 e gerber half backs and 500 mylites 2

 

Should I try using my ultra pro bags with the new gerber half backs or is that a bad idea? Most of the bags already have an ultra pro board in them, is that a factor?

 

Forgive any stupid q's I ask, I just have a natural curiosity with these things and I'd like to collect comic books the correct/smart way if possible.

[heliosten]

Hi and welcome to the boards cojack. As to your questions:

 

1. You can buy Gerber supplies direct from Gerber, but www.hotflips.com are great too. Charles is a board member and they have a stellar reputation. I've ordered from them many times and will vouch for their customer service. Shipping is always a problem with bags/boards no matter who you buy them from, but that is just a fact of life unless you can get them locally. As far as shipping cost? Depends on how much you buy.

 

2. I don't know that the ultra pro bags/boards are as worthless as you've been told. Unless we are talking about high value books as long as you change bags/boards every couple of years, I think you are good. Make no mistake, once you physically compare Gerber bags/boards with the others, you will definately see and feel a difference.

 

3. For the most part this is a personal preference. I LOVE the full-backs. I just like having that extra sturdiness that comes from that line of boards. But I use half-backs for many, many books.

 

4. I am not really familiar with the bags you are talking about, but if they aren't mylar dump them unless we are talking everyday, no-value books. Mylar is the way to go.

 

5. I love the Mylite 2 bags for everyday books and use the Archives for the various complete runs I am working on. It can get expensive buying these bags & boards so be sure the books are worth the expense.

 

Take a look at Mike Schmidt's Visual Guide to Mylar: http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4751404&fpart=1

 

***HINT*** Mike's guide should be a sticky!

 

Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[lizards2]

E Gerber offers flat rate shipping, so ordering direct thru fax or phone may be more economical, depending on your location. You really need to check it out for yourself.

 

http://www.egerber.com/

[heliosten]

Also to add, if you have any high dollar books you might want to consider buying microchamber paper as well. You place this between the front and back cover of the comic and this paper will absorb any acids produced by the decaying paper of the book thereby protecting the comic itself. CGC places it in all books they grade. We have a boardie grinin who offers this item but you should be able to find it elsewhere too.

[cojack16-migration]

I want to clarify that while I'm a comic book collector and while I want to store my comics in the correct manner, I'm not 100% anal about it. I enjoy reading my comics and many of them are not in "mint' condition but I do take some pains to try and keep them in good condition overall. I'm not interested in selling my comics someday, only in having a sick collection of my own that maybe someday I'll give to someone special who gains an interest in comic books. Anyway, on to more questions....

 

1) Does it matter who I buy the e gerber bag/boards from? Which is cheaper?

 

2) http://www.the2buds.com/sucmrbgc.htm

These are the bags I use at the moment. Should I trash these? They don't seem to be "Mylar" but I'm not really sure.

 

3) These mylite 2 bags from e gerber seem extremely expensive. 11 dollars for just 50 (not 100??). Is there a way I can do this cheaper without sacrificing quality? I thought the most important thing to consider was the board since it can't be acid-laden? Why does it need to be mylar and why mylite 2?

 

4) I'm kind of stumped on what to do. I feel like since e gerber half back boards are basically the same price as the ultra pro boards (and other various bad quality boards), I should only buy those from now on. But maybe I should only buy mylite 2's for the comics I want to protect the most (no.1's, old comics, special comics, etc) and use something else that's still decent for the rest of my comic books?

 

[cojack16-migration]

Heliosten, I'm fairly sure I don't have any comics that are high-dollar. The highest (i think) is an old JLA I've seen that's 28 dollars in mint condition but mine isn't in mint condition.

 

I just want to find a way to economically keep all my comics in great shape for decades to come and not unknowingly sabotage my collection

[DailySuperpower]

It sounds like the bags and boards you already own will suit your collection just fine for a few years at least. I wouldn't reinvest in upgrading your bags/boards right now, take that money and buy some more comics you like. If you stay active on the boards then over time you'll learn everything you need to know about preserving your books. There is a lot of info here you just need to take the time to read it. After you fill up this batch of bags/boards you can take what you've learned and use it to make a well informed decision about what products you want to use from then on. After that you can slowly phase out any products you are uncomfortable with.

 

 

[cojack16-migration]

Well I do need new products now since I recently got 200 more comic books (all current age but fairly old).

 

So I really need new products. Most of the comics I bought were Avengers from the 1980's. Should I buy certain products for the not so valuable comic books and perhaps the better stuff for the other regular comics (like the avengers, heroes reborn stuff I have, etc)? If so, what would be a good idea? It doesn't seem like buying mylite 2 bags for all 700 of my comics would be a great idea since they are so expensive.....are my ultra pro bags not mylar? It's hard to tell....

[HOTFLIPS]

Hi Guys,

 

I just made an account here because I wanted to ask a question about buying some great bag/boards for my comic book collection (which is about 700 comics)

 

I recently got back into collecting for fun and I bought about 300 ultra-pro bag/boards. Coated on 1 side, archival safe, etc. I recently read a great post about how these boards are no good and only E Gerber halfbacks or (I forget the other type) are truly "acid-free" and won't harm your comics.

 

Some questions.....(all are related to current age bag/boards)

 

#1) where do I buy these bag/boards? What is the best way? I looked up the E Gerber website price list and found a toll free number. Is doing it by phone the cheapest way for me? How much will shipping be?

 

#2) My ultra pro bag/boards...should I chuck them in the trash and reboard everything in E Gerbers? Are they truly going to be only harmful?

 

#3) Am I correct in assuming I want the E Gerber Half Back boards? Do I need full backs or are half backs just fine?

 

#4) Are the Ultra Pro bags harmful and should I chuck them in the trash or will they be compatible with my new E Gerber boards? I was thinking maybe when I get E Gerber boards I'd just take the ultra pro boards out and use the ultra pro bag with the E Gerber board to save money.....

 

#5) What type of E Gerber bags should I buy? I see 7 options on the website ranging from different types of archives to different types of mylites. What specific type would I want for current age comic books?

 

If anyone can answer my specific questions and take the time to help a fellow fairly new collector out, I would totally appreciate it. Thanks to whoever reads this.

 

Hi there,

 

If you have any questions on what you need please send me a PM and we'll take care of you. Once again, to the forum members here, thanks for the kind words,

 

Jeff

[Boozad]

are my ultra pro bags not mylar? It's hard to tell....

 

No they're not. (thumbs u

[Speedy-D]

They are certainly not mylar. It sounds like you don't have comics of super high value, so it really just depends on what you're trying to do. Your regular bags & boards aren't going to destroy your comics overnight. As has already been said, if you change the bags & boards every couple years you should be fine.

 

The Mylites2 look better than regular bags, which is just a product of mylar in general. And the fullbacks (even halfbacks I believe) give better support. If you're worried about cost, buy 100 Mylites2 and try them out. See if the difference is worth the money to you. You can also by plain Mylites. it's the same material, just thinner. And they've got a crinkly vibe that I don't care for personally.

 

For just about all my post-1971 comics I'm using regular old bags & boards and switching them out every once in a while.

[OldGuy]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

For me it all came down to the fact that on my last order from E. Gerber I had to talk to a supervisor in order to avoid an international shipping charge to New Mexico.

 

In stark contrast to that, Hotflips aren't stoopid.

[Speedy-D]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

For me it all came down to the fact that on my last order from E. Gerber I had to talk to a supervisor in order to avoid an international shipping charge to New Mexico.

 

In stark contrast to that, Hotflips aren't stoopid.

[shadroch]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

For me it all came down to the fact that on my last order from E. Gerber I had to talk to a supervisor in order to avoid an international shipping charge to New Mexico.

 

In stark contrast to that, Hotflips aren't stoopid.

 

 

Did you press #2 for Spanish?

[Speedy-D]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

For me it all came down to the fact that on my last order from E. Gerber I had to talk to a supervisor in order to avoid an international shipping charge to New Mexico.

 

In stark contrast to that, Hotflips aren't stoopid.

 

 

Did you press #2 for Spanish?

Jeez, they're pressing #2 now?

 

scatology

[HOTFLIPS]

what's the different between using hotflips and calling e gerber itself to place an order? just wondering....

 

For me it all came down to the fact that on my last order from E. Gerber I had to talk to a supervisor in order to avoid an international shipping charge to New Mexico.

 

In stark contrast to that, Hotflips aren't stoopid.

 

I'm edumacaded.

[cojack16-migration]

Okay, I'll probably buy e gerber half back boards from now on, since they are the best and far better than ultra pro (plus they hardly cost more than ultra pro's, although shipping pushes it higher....)

 

But what about the bags, what's the difference between mylar bags and the ultra pro bags? Will the ultra pro bags damage my comics if I use them with e gerber half backs? Can't I use ultra pro bags and e gerber half backs together and be fine? I'm wondering if it's purely "they look better" type of argument or if there's an actual damaging effect with using ultra pro bags.....

 

Also, what's the difference between mylites and mylites + ?

 

As for what I'm trying to do, I guess I don't want to go TOO crazy but I am definitely trying to keep my comics in very good condition. I just don't want 15-20 years to pass and see them turn yellowish and stuff. I'm probably not planning to change boards every few years (more like every 15-20 I'm sure). Maybe I'll buy some top of the line bag/boards (e gerber half backs, mylites 2) for the few special comics I have and I'll figure some other arrangement out for the others..... I don't know. Could still use some help here I guess....

[cojack16-migration]

still not sure what to do.....I'm planning to order these soon since I really need some bag/boards.....

 

I'm also not sure whether I should just call e gerber themselves or use hotflips. Hotflips are more expensive so maybe I should jsut deal directly with egerber....has anyone else done so and not had problems?