Proper Preservation/Storage of Golden Age

[Johnny545]

Goldenagers-

 

Looking for some information/advice on the proper storage of Golden Age raw comics to ensure they are preserved.

 

I was unable to find a topic on the issue and so I thought I would start a new topic. If this is thoroughly discussed elsewhere I apologize.

 

Otherwise your sage advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Johnny

[jimbo_707]

Keep comic books out of sunlight and fluorescent light at all costs! Store them at 50 degrees F, 50% humidity in Mylar sleeves with acid free backing boards infused with an alkaline buffer. Keep some desiccant paper in the cabinet with them in order to prevent rusting of the staples. Store them high enough up off the ground that there's no risk of damage if there's a flood. Opinions are divided on whether the sleeves should be sealed. I'm in favor of sealing.

 

Here's a link to a thread about backer boards:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4534727

[Primetime]

Cool, dark, and dry with full back boards, milites, and Mylars. Although, me and some others have also toyed with not letting the board touch the book at all--but, rather, slip the book into the milite bag and place the board behind that--then insert into a GA/magazine size Mylar. I usually top it off by inserting the whole thing in a magazine size poly bag.

 

Otherwise, some guy named Edgar Church didn't have any bags, boards, or Mylars. He stacked his comics naked on cedar wood shelves in a dark, cool, dry Colorado basement for forty years and that worked quite well

[Johnny545]

Keep comic books out of sunlight and fluorescent light at all costs! Store them at 50 degrees F, 50% humidity in Mylar sleeves with acid free backing boards infused with an alkaline buffer. Keep some desiccant paper in the cabinet with them in order to prevent rusting of the staples. Store them high enough up off the ground that there's no risk of damage if there's a flood. Opinions are divided on whether the sleeves should be sealed. I'm in favor of sealing.

 

Here's a link to a thread about backer boards:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4534727

 

Thank you very much for the advice and link.

 

Johnny

[Johnny545]

Just curious, what negative effect are you trying to avoid by preventing the book from contacting the board?

 

Johnny

[Johnny545]

Just curious, what negative effect are you trying to avoid by preventing the book from contacting the board?

 

Johnny

 

Ahhhh I read from the link your trying to avoid acid from the backer board contacting the comic.

[Primetime]

Just curious, what negative effect are you trying to avoid by preventing the book from contacting the board?

 

Johnny

 

Ahhhh I read from the link your trying to avoid acid from the backer board contacting the comic.

(thumbs u and the mylites/Mylar are non reactive with paper products. I don't think it's a big affect but not sure. If anything, cool-dry-dark are absolutes as far as environment goes.

[AnkurJ]

50 degrees??

[Timely]

Probably 68 degrees would be better.

[Cat-Man_America]

50 degrees??

 

[font:Times New Roman]There is an established school of thought that cooler temperatures are better, but 50 degrees seems a bit too frosty to me. Before buying a cold storage unit I'd like to see a few well documented scientific studies.

 

One reason I'm dubious of the arctic approach to storage is the fact that many examples of supple GA books with White pages still exist having survived in less than optimum temperatures for decades. That said, I do believe consistency is best to stabilize and maintain comics, keeping books just below room temperature (60 to 70 degrees) and slightly under 50% humidity.

 

IMO, excessive and/or careless handling are much bigger contributors to GA comic book aging, but everyone's mileage varies.[/font]

[EC ed]

Cool, dark, and dry with full back boards, milites, and Mylars. Although, me and some others have also toyed with not letting the board touch the book at all--but, rather, slip the book into the milite bag and place the board behind that--then insert into a GA/magazine size Mylar. I usually top it off by inserting the whole thing in a magazine size poly bag.

(thumbs u

 

My standard approach is a mylite2 + fullback + 5 sheets of microchamber. Overkill on the microchamber? I think not...it's the least I can do to help extend their lives as much as possible while they are in my care. This very fact alone makes me want to crack slabs open, because I don't think 2 sheets are enough...

[EC ed]

Opinions are divided on whether the sleeves should be sealed. I'm in favor of sealing.

I also seal, and I use acid free Scotch scrapbooking tape to seal the flap...I figure the less acid involved in the overall picture, the better...again, the least I can do. Although, maybe I am overkilling the situation....

[jimbo_707]

That reminds me of a question I had - does the microchamber paper prevent a) transfer stains, b) tanning on the inside covers, or c) page quality deterioration (or more than one of the above)? I haven't typically used it on my raw books (which are mostly lower dollar value), but I want to start.

 

[EC ed]

That reminds me of a question I had - does the microchamber paper prevent 1) transfer stains, b) tanning on the inside covers, or 3) page quality deterioration (or more than one of the above)? I haven't typically used it on my raw books (which are mostly lower dollar value), but I want to start.

There are surely more knowledgeable boardies on this than I (any chemists out there?)....I just know that if 2 sheets are good, 5 sheets must be better! However, my partially informed opinion is that it should help with all 3. My understanding is that tanning is usually a manifestation of deterioration, and I think the mc paper helps slow that process down...of course, it won't reverse tanning that is already present. As for transfer stains, seems like it would help, as it presents a barrier between the covers and the adjacent pages...but again, I'm sure it won't reverse any transfer that has already occurred....just my

[Primetime]

That reminds me of a question I had - does the microchamber paper prevent 1) transfer stains, b) tanning on the inside covers, or 3) page quality deterioration (or more than one of the above)? I haven't typically used it on my raw books (which are mostly lower dollar value), but I want to start.

There are surely more knowledgeable boardies on this than I (any chemists out there?)....I just know that if 2 sheets are good, 5 sheets must be better! However, my partially informed opinion is that it should help with all 3. My understanding is that tanning is usually a manifestation of deterioration, and I think the mc paper helps slow that process down...of course, it won't reverse tanning that is already present. As for transfer stains, seems like it would help, as it presents a barrier between the covers and the adjacent pages...but again, I'm sure it won't reverse any transfer that has already occurred....just my

5 sheets may be overkill. One inside FC, at cf, and inside BC probably sufficient but not sure if its cool, dark, dry then the micro chamber paper probably do very little to enhance paper preservation. My guess is they would do more if the environment was slightly bad (maybe warm or moist).

 

I think 60 degrees is a good temp.

[Johnny545]

Does CGC puts microchamber paper in with the book when slabbing golden age??

[Primetime]

Does CGC puts microchamber paper in with the book when slabbing golden age??

yes with SA and GA. One sheet inside FC and one inside BC.

[jimbo_707]

Does CGC puts microchamber paper in with the book when slabbing golden age??

Yes - 1 sheet inside of the front cover and 1 inside the back cover.

[Johnny545]

Does CGC puts microchamber paper in with the book when slabbing golden age??

yes with SA and GA. One sheet inside FC and one inside BC.

 

Got it.

 

Do they make any recommendation as to the time you would want to re-slab?

 

That is any estimate of life expectancy?

 

Johnny

 

 

[jimbo_707]

On a side note, I'm not a huge fan of the ultra-stiff 4-mil Mylar sleeves. They are stiff enough to tear a comic book if the edge of the sleeve catches the edge of the cover. I learned that lesson the hard way, unfortunately. The edge is also sharp enough to scrap flecks of color off of a book. Now when I put a comic into a sleeve, I slide it in between two backing boards and just remove the one from the front.