MYLAR comics sleeves questions

[arnoldma]

Hi, i've just started to look into some better protection for my comics, and MYLAR seems to be the one that is best quality. so i've decided to buy some MYLAR MyLites 2 sleeves (2mm thick, 7-1/4 x 10-3/4, Use for Standard Comics 1970's-1990's)

 

but im having very hard time founding a site that will sell them to me, in the UK at a reasonable price, i found this site below, but im nto sure if they are official MAYLAR mylites 2 bags or just a copy:

 

http://www.bagsunlimited.com/cart/detail.asp?cat=9&subcat=196&product_id=s725m2

 

does any1 know this site, or has used it before?

 

also for any1 in the uk, have you buyed MALAR sleeves before and where did you get them from, or know where i can get in the UK

 

thanks in advanced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

oh, ps. does any1 know the official site for MALAR products? if they have one that is...

[dgillock]

This is where I buy my Mylite 2's:

 

E.Gerber

 

I can't imagine that E.Gerber, who's really the industry leader, wouldn't ship over-seas, but I don't know for sure. Contact them and find out. Their boards (Half-backs for the "cheapies" and Full-backs for the "serious" books) are great too. It's been a little while since I ordered from them, but I do seem to remember that their shipping rates are a little high, esp. when you order the boards which get a bit heavy.

 

I have no experience with Mylars from Bags Unlimited, though I do buy variable depth boxes from them for shipping. I would imagine that Mylar is Mylar however (right?). I might try their product next time I place an order for boxes.

[drbanner]

Go with the full-baks...the half-baks are pretty flimsy and don't really give the book a rigid storage environment.

[arnoldma]

ok, thanks for the that site, they are much cheaper then i expected!! i just hope they work out, i've e-mailed them about shipping.

 

also, do you guys know if Mylar has an official site? i think it is an actualy company, as all Mylar products have that copyright thing next to them...

 

thanks!

[deathlok]

I believe Mylar was made by Dupont, and they do not sell directly.

[CKB]

I will ship you some if E.Gerber will not. I have a few thousand on hand.

 

I disagree about the half-backs. While the full-backs are better, the half-backs are adequate and more economical.

 

If you are going to change a few hundred books to mylar, go with the fulls. If you have a few thousand, well....

[FFB]

I believe Mylar was made by Dupont, and they do not sell directly.

 

Mylar D is a registered trademark of DuPont. DuPont has discontinued making Mylar D, having switched to the use of Melinex 516, which is Mylar's archival equivalent. As Deathlok noted, DuPont supplies the polyester film (Melinex) to manufacturers who make the comic sleeves. You cannot buy comic sleeves from DuPont.

 

Mylar D discontinued.

 

Melinex can be ultrasonically welded -- why not use it for CGC's inner holder?

[FFB]

I believe Mylar was made by Dupont, and they do not sell directly.

 

Mylar D is a registered trademark of DuPont. DuPont has discontinued making Mylar D, having switched to the use of Melinex 516, which is Mylar's archival equivalent. As Deathlok noted, DuPont supplies the polyester film (Melinex) to manufacturers who make the comic sleeves. You cannot buy comic sleeves from DuPont.

 

Mylar D discontinued.

 

Melinex can be ultrasonically welded -- why not use it for CGC's inner holder?

[drbanner]

I disagree about the half-backs. While the full-backs are better, the half-backs are adequate and more economical.

 

If you are going to change a few hundred books to mylar, go with the fulls. If you have a few thousand, well....

 

If the book is worthy of a buffered board, there's no reason not to use full-backs. If not, then just get some boards from your LCS...

[OldGuy]

The last time I ordered from Gerber the person_having_a_hard_time_understanding_my_point on the phone asked me to hold so he could check shipping costs. I said "the costs are right on your site and they total $x.xx". He says "yea, but that's only in the US, not international". I tell him New Mexico has been a state longer then he's been alive. He wont take my word for it and has to find his manager.

 

Great product, but using special education drop outs for customer service is a bad move.

[dgillock]

 

I've had very good experiences ordering from E.Gerber, but somehow this story doesn't surprise me. I'm often amazed by the exact employees that some companies choose to do certain jobs.

 

As far as the Half-back versus Full-back question. I generally order the half-backs since they are a good low-cost alternative to the fulls. I've found them stiff enough for my storage needs and unlike your run of the mill "Acid Free" glossed white boards, they truly are Ph neutral. I do have Full-Backs on some of my high-end books, but I often don't feel they are necessary since most of my collection doesn't get handled or moved very often.

 

On some books in my collection, I'll use a half-back inside of the Mylite 2 and then put that inside of a "Snug" (4 mil open top Mylar) or a turtle (you know, those hard plastic shells) with a regular backing board behind. This can also be done with a poly-bag as the outer shell for a lower-cost, but still durable and safe alternative. It's the stuff that's actually touching the comic that needs to be archival.

[FFB]

 

I've had very good experiences ordering from E.Gerber, but somehow this story doesn't surprise me. I'm often amazed by the exact employees that some companies choose to do certain jobs.

 

As far as the Half-back versus Full-back question. I generally order the half-backs since they are a good low-cost alternative to the fulls. I've found them stiff enough for my storage needs and unlike your run of the mill "Acid Free" glossed white boards, they truly are Ph neutral. I do have Full-Backs on some of my high-end books, but I often don't feel they are necessary since most of my collection doesn't get handled or moved very often.

 

On some books in my collection, I'll use a half-back inside of the Mylite 2 and then put that inside of a "Snug" (4 mil open top Mylar) or a turtle (you know, those hard plastic shells) with a regular backing board behind. This can also be done with a poly-bag as the outer shell for a lower-cost, but still durable and safe alternative. It's the stuff that's actually touching the comic that needs to be archival.

 

If you use a non-archival bag to hold a comic that is encased in a mylar sleeve, I believe that the non-archival bag will still off-gas and result in deterioration over time. I base this on that email I received from the Library of Congress in which the conservationist told me not to use PVC of any type to store collectibles because it will off-gas and accelerate deterioration.

[Arty]

Non-mylar comic bags are made from polyethylene or polypropylene not PVC.

[FFB]

Non-mylar comic bags are made from polyethylene or polypropylene not PVC.

 

True (I haven't seen a new PVC comic bag being sold in ten years), but polyethelene and polypropylene comic bags are treated with plasticizers that turn the otherwise archival-safe material into non-archival safe material. These plasticizers will also result in accelerated deterioration of comics.

[dgillock]

With good storage conditions, I don't believe that one would have any problems with using non-archival materials for an outer supporting shell. It's the material that is actually in contact with the comic that counts. CGC's non-archival outer shell is a good example. Assuming that the inner storage is archival (i.e. inert), the outer layer(s) shouldn't cause any problems.

 

Though, it should be pointed out that the issues of long-term archival storage (say 50+ years) are still open for debate, even amongst the highest level of conservation professionals. Most of the materials and methods that are now considered "archival" have not been around long enough for true empirical evidence.

 

Now, if you are using non-archival storage products for your primary layer (poly bags, PVCs, glossed boards, etc), you might want to be more concerned about the "exterior" storage. This page on E.Gerber's site is interesting:

 

About preservation

 

Read the section at the bottom about Acid Free boxes.

 

All of this said cool, dry, and dark will go a long way towards preserving your comics regardless of the storage products you are using. Mylar's great, but many collections have survived decades in wonderful shape simply due to proper environmental conditions.

[Silver Surfer]

OG,

 

Did he say "please hold Senior?" Where's Gerber's head office, Texas?

[musicmeta]

The last time I ordered from Gerber the person_having_a_hard_time_understanding_my_point on the phone asked me to hold so he could check shipping costs. I said "the costs are right on your site and they total $x.xx". He says "yea, but that's only in the US, not international". I tell him New Mexico has been a state longer then he's been alive. He wont take my word for it and has to find his manager.

 

Great product, but using special education drop outs for customer service is a bad move.

 

[sterlingcomics]

Don't forget to read this thread too

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=comicgen&Number=361948&Forum=All_Forums&Words=Jeff%20mylar&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=361576&Search=true