Why do people deslab CGC graded books?

[Flaming_Telepath]

long-term, the slab isn't the best storage option.

 

I'm going to guess there is a thread on this? Can anyone tell me how to research this more?

 

There's not much to tell. It's fairly simple. I believe he's just talking about what some people call "SCS" or "shaken comic syndrome".

 

If you drop your book or shake it really hard you run the risk of having the edges of the comic getting bumped on the edges of the inner holder.

 

This has been a topic of discussion for years on here.

 

In the past Borock has said that if anyone had a better holder idea that CGC would pay for it.

 

As long as the books are handled under normal conditions there really isn't a problem.

 

In addition, you have the recommendation that all books are relabbed after seven years, allowing the micro-chamber paper to be changed.

[VintageComics]

long-term, the slab isn't the best storage option.

 

I'm going to guess there is a thread on this? Can anyone tell me how to research this more?

 

There's not much to tell. It's fairly simple. I believe he's just talking about what some people call "SCS" or "shaken comic syndrome".

 

If you drop your book or shake it really hard you run the risk of having the edges of the comic getting bumped on the edges of the inner holder.

 

This has been a topic of discussion for years on here.

 

In the past Borock has said that if anyone had a better holder idea that CGC would pay for it.

 

As long as the books are handled under normal conditions there really isn't a problem.

 

In addition, you have the recommendation that all books are relabbed after seven years, allowing the micro-chamber paper to be changed.

 

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

 

[Define999]

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

You are correct sir.... a response I gave in an older thread about this issue.....

 

I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....

 

He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.

[Silver]

This will be interesting - I've never fully understood the reasoning why either, although there are lots of members who crack slabs...

 

 

Slabbing is fine to establish a grade and sell it. I don't collect slabs, I collect comics. I look through my books all the time. I might as well just collect coins or cards if I wanted stuff in slabs. Just my

 

Oh, I have de-slabbed close to 300 comics, that must make me a heathen!

[Racer-X]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

[chrisco37]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

[Racer-X]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

[chrisco37]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

 

I assume that most of the de-slabbers are buying mid-grade books. People buing slabbed moderns are mostly buying the uber-grades. Who is cracking 9.8's? Why would anybody pay that HG premium just to crack it out. Nobody is buying mid-grade moderns.

 

For GA/SA books, mid-grades tend to be priced near the same if it's slabbed or raw (keys excluded). So, you buy a graded book from unkown seller for the resto-check/grade verification and crack it out.

[Waylander]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

 

I assume that most of the de-slabbers are buying mid-grade books. People buing slabbed moderns are mostly buying the uber-grades. Who is cracking 9.8's? Why would anybody pay that HG premium just to crack it out. Nobody is buying mid-grade moderns.

 

For GA/SA books, mid-grades tend to be priced near the same if it's slabbed or raw (keys excluded). So, you buy a graded book from unkown seller for the resto-check/grade verification and crack it out.

 

+1

[Flaming_Telepath]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

It's the other way around...the Bronze and later books have pretty much zero value without the slab and that's the only reason why they're bought...it's not as though any of them are hard to find other than slabbed. (thumbs u

 

GA and SA are being liberated continually.

[chromium]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

 

I assume that most of the de-slabbers are buying mid-grade books. People buing slabbed moderns are mostly buying the uber-grades. Who is cracking 9.8's? Why would anybody pay that HG premium just to crack it out. Nobody is buying mid-grade moderns.

 

For GA/SA books, mid-grades tend to be priced near the same if it's slabbed or raw (keys excluded). So, you buy a graded book from unkown seller for the resto-check/grade verification and crack it out.

 

[shadroch]

I buy cheap slabs and deslab them so I can use the holders on my own books.

[Jeffro.]

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

You are correct sir.... a response I gave in an older thread about this issue.....

 

I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....

 

He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.

 

Interesting info.

 

I've never heard of using 5 sheets of microchamber paper though. Why 5?

[VintageComics]

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

You are correct sir.... a response I gave in an older thread about this issue.....

 

I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....

 

He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.

 

Interesting info.

 

I've never heard of using 5 sheets of microchamber paper though. Why 5?

 

I think some people believe that the paper slows down the aging process of the newsprint found in comics, so the more the better.

 

 

[Define999]

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

You are correct sir.... a response I gave in an older thread about this issue.....

 

I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....

 

He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.

 

Interesting info.

 

I've never heard of using 5 sheets of microchamber paper though. Why 5?

 

Good question....

 

When I did the initial research into this area of storage I followed threads here closely and learned a lot. On my own though I decided to go directly to the source when purchasing my microchamber paper and see if I could pick the brains of the people at CRI. I was hoping that the salesperson could connect me with someone who knew the molecular trap business inside and out….. Sure enough they were able to!

 

Anyway the acid byproduct that the newsprint creates migrates….. when CGC puts sheets of microchamber paper between both covers it does protect the covers from acid migration and in so doing discoloration. It also protects a good quantity of the paper near the covers… I asked the guy at CRI if this was suffiecnt in his view? He said that in order to ultimately protect all the paper to the ravages of time and itself you would need to interleave this paper between all pages similar to what archivist’s do with very important documents. But he agreed with me that this wasn’t really possible with comic book collections because of cost and time.

 

The pages most at risk of damage are the ones furthest from the microchamber paper, so I asked him what he thought a good compromise would be? He said maybe every 10 to 15 pages or so should be enough in his opinion to adequately protect all the pages of my books. So I told him my idea….

 

One sheet behind both covers…. One right in the middle of the book, and one sheet in the average middle of that….. that creates this……

 

 

 

 

He said yea, that could work…… I also in cutting the sheets down have leftover scraps.. these go into the bottoms and sides of my comic boxes and enclosures…. The paper doesn’t have to touch stuff to be effective…. It handles off gassing from all kinds of pollutants so I don’t waste the scraps that come out of the process of cutting sheets to fit books…. Any nasty compounds in the air around my precious books have to tackle the high volume of microchamber paper that exists in my comic boxes and enclosures…

 

I’m anal I know, its what I do…..

 

And of course I cant afford to do this with all my books…. Just my valuable books, bronze age and older stuff…..

 

I also keep a spreadsheet of my collection and highlight with a color all books that have been given the microchamber treatment…. Depending on the year it gets a different color. This way I can be sure what year any given book has been microchambered…. This project is ongoing, when I am bored or have a moment to myself and no family around I throw some music on, pull out my cutter, put on my white archivist gloves, get my Overstreet page quality card(OWL), and my microchamber paper and go to work. Any excuse to pull my books out of their EGerber mylar and full backs is a good enough excuse for me. While I am there my database is updated with page quality info and microchamber notification.

 

Why do I spend so much time keeping this data? That way in the future when I go back and change microchmaber paper to new sheets in like 10 or 15 years cuz I am bored.... I will know if there has been a change in page quality....

 

About 60 % of my old books have been “microchamberd” in the past 3 years. When I get done maybe I will do the moderns or I will find some other anal thing to do….

 

My wife says I should have been a archivist because I love the science of this.... I would love to do this or work on objects in a museum... Did you know there is a microchamber emulsion that can be painted on enclosures? but alas I am a graphic designer....

 

 

One day I plan on putting a blog post on my site on the two different storage plans I use to protect my books….

 

 

[Fazybones]

I have a couple of more reasons and I'm slowly trying to collect one HG raw

book from every SA Pedigree collection and sometimes I have to buy a slabbed

copy and then crack it out.

 

Also I don't mind many back cover flaws other than water, missing pieces,

tape or big creases and I can find some Beautiful CGC 7.5/8.5's for great

prices and crack them out and pop them into mylar after enjoying that

incredible smell, the inside art and story.

 

I do love certain special books to me in a slab and plan on leaving them that

way. I do find if I ever run into any financial problems the slabs are the first to

go which hurts. That is not going to happen this year!

[VintageComics]

Yup, forgot about that one...although I believe that CGC put 7 years as a recommended time frame based on the limit of their testing (the 7 year period).

 

I don't think anyone should worry that their books are going to self destruct after the 7 year period of a book doesn't get reholdered. At least I personally wouldn't.

 

You are correct sir.... a response I gave in an older thread about this issue.....

 

I use Egerber boards and Egerber mylars for all my books. 5 sheets of microchamber interleaved in each book to deal with acidity. Someone earlier discussed the longevity of microchamber paper and how 7 years was conservative. Well I spoke with a gentlemen that was involved in the testing and creation of conservation resources microchamber paper. I talked to him when I placed my last order with CRI. I told him what CGC said about the 7 years inert thing. He laughed, and told me that microchamber paper was designed to protect valuable ephemera collections in the most polluted environments in the US... like the library's in our biggest cities. ie: New York, Washington DC etc.....

 

He told me the amount of pollutants and acids they pushed thru these papers during testing was staggering, and that realistically it could be 50 years before a sheet loses its acid nuetralization qualities.... If he wanted to sell paper he could have told me somthing different, so I tend to believe him. Real nice guy, and passionate about conservation. He told me that CRI loves comic collectors, they are quirky and different from the usual conversations they have with library archivest's.

 

Interesting info.

 

I've never heard of using 5 sheets of microchamber paper though. Why 5?

 

Good question....

 

When I did the initial research into this area of storage I followed threads here closely and learned a lot. On my own though I decided to go directly to the source when purchasing my microchamber paper and see if I could pick the brains of the people at CRI. I was hoping that the salesperson could connect me with someone who knew the molecular trap business inside and out….. Sure enough they were able to!

 

Anyway the acid byproduct that the newsprint creates migrates….. when CGC puts sheets of microchamber paper between both covers it does protect the covers from acid migration and in so doing discoloration. It also protects a good quantity of the paper near the covers… I asked the guy at CRI if this was suffiecnt in his view? He said that in order to ultimately protect all the paper to the ravages of time and itself you would need to interleave this paper between all pages similar to what archivist’s do with very important documents. But he agreed with me that this wasn’t really possible with comic book collections because of cost and time.

 

The pages most at risk of damage are the ones furthest from the microchamber paper, so I asked him what he thought a good compromise would be? He said maybe every 10 to 15 pages or so should be enough in his opinion to adequately protect all the pages of my books. So I told him my idea….

 

One sheet behind both covers…. One right in the middle of the book, and one sheet in the average middle of that….. that creates this……

 

 

 

 

He said yea, that could work…… I also in cutting the sheets down have leftover scraps.. these go into the bottoms and sides of my comic boxes and enclosures…. The paper doesn’t have to touch stuff to be effective…. It handles off gassing from all kinds of pollutants so I don’t waste the scraps that come out of the process of cutting sheets to fit books…. Any nasty compounds in the air around my precious books have to tackle the high volume of microchamber paper that exists in my comic boxes and enclosures…

 

I’m anal I know, its what I do…..

 

And of course I cant afford to do this with all my books…. Just my valuable books, bronze age and older stuff…..

 

I also keep a spreadsheet of my collection and highlight with a color all books that have been given the microchamber treatment…. Depending on the year it gets a different color. This way I can be sure what year any given book has been microchambered…. This project is ongoing, when I am bored or have a moment to myself and no family around I throw some music on, pull out my cutter, put on my white archivist gloves, get my Overstreet page quality card(OWL), and my microchamber paper and go to work. Any excuse to pull my books out of their EGerber mylar and full backs is a good enough excuse for me. While I am there my database is updated with page quality info and microchamber notification.

 

Why do I spend so much time keeping this data? That way in the future when I go back and change microchmaber paper to new sheets in like 10 or 15 years cuz I am bored.... I will know if there has been a change in page quality....

 

About 60 % of my old books have been “microchamberd” in the past 3 years. When I get done maybe I will do the moderns or I will find some other anal thing to do….

 

My wife says I should have been a archivist because I love the science of this.... I would love to do this or work on objects in a museum... Did you know there is a microchamber emulsion that can be painted on enclosures? but alas I am a graphic designer....

 

 

One day I plan on putting a blog post on my site on the two different storage plans I use to protect my books….

 

 

[Wally's Comics]

I'm all about the smell...

 

I love dat dirty comic stench!

 

 

 

 

[lizards2]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

 

I assume that most of the de-slabbers are buying mid-grade books. People buing slabbed moderns are mostly buying the uber-grades. Who is cracking 9.8's? Why would anybody pay that HG premium just to crack it out. Nobody is buying mid-grade moderns.

 

For GA/SA books, mid-grades tend to be priced near the same if it's slabbed or raw (keys excluded). So, you buy a graded book from unkown seller for the resto-check/grade verification and crack it out.

 

+1

I collect SA in the 9.0 to 9.6 range - never thought that was considered mid-grade. :shrug:

[chrisco37]

I'm assuming most of the de-slabbers are bronze and later collectors? I collect silver and gold and would only de-slab if I wanted to press. I do, however, buy raw, b/c as has been mentioned, I want to hold, read and smell that book...

 

I would think it's opposite of that. Probably more GA/SA de-slabbers than Bronze/Modern.

 

Why?

 

I assume that most of the de-slabbers are buying mid-grade books. People buing slabbed moderns are mostly buying the uber-grades. Who is cracking 9.8's? Why would anybody pay that HG premium just to crack it out. Nobody is buying mid-grade moderns.

 

For GA/SA books, mid-grades tend to be priced near the same if it's slabbed or raw (keys excluded). So, you buy a graded book from unkown seller for the resto-check/grade verification and crack it out.

 

+1

I collect SA in the 9.0 to 9.6 range - never thought that was considered mid-grade. :shrug:

 

You crack SA 9.6 books?