Mylar + microchamber paper

[shadroch]

About four year ago,i bought two long boxes of BA books from a guy who stored them in a wooden closet. pages were white. As there was nothing special in there, I put the two boxes in my garage. About a year later, I got around to sorting them and noticed the pages had browned significantly.

Storage conditions trump everything, in my opinion.

[Lazyboy]

From the LOC website

 

The Library’s Serial and Government Publications Division contains the world's largest collection of comic books (5,000 titles; 100,000 issues). The oldest comic book in the collection is “Popular Comics,” February 1936. The division also holds the world's most extensive newspaper collection. The oldest original newspaper in the collection is "Mercurius Publicas Comprising the Sum of Forraign Intelligence," December 29, 1659..

 

 

100,000 comics is far from the worlds largest. I dont know about the 5,000 titles.

 

I'm interested in hearing about these collections.

[ygogolak]

Microchamber paper absorbs the acidic precursors released by the existing acid in the book, before they can become additional acetic acid. It also absorbs and neutralizes other common oxidants and acidic gases. Fullbacks don't do any of this.

 

I had a horribly stinky Strange Tales/Warlock book in my personal collection - really nice copy, but it stunk to high hell. I put MCP in it maybe three years ago? Pulled it out a few months ago to take a look at it - and it didn't stink. It didn't smell fresh like a white pager, but it didn't smell like it'd been stored in a damp basement for 30 years.

 

At first, I thought I had the wrong book, so I pulled out all four and none of them smelled. So for me, I'm a believer of MCP because I've smelt how it worked.

 

Anybody ever try unscented dryer sheets? Not in direct contact with the comic, but in the same bag.

 

From the LOC website

 

The Library’s Serial and Government Publications Division contains the world's largest collection of comic books (5,000 titles; 100,000 issues). The oldest comic book in the collection is “Popular Comics,” February 1936. The division also holds the world's most extensive newspaper collection. The oldest original newspaper in the collection is "Mercurius Publicas Comprising the Sum of Forraign Intelligence," December 29, 1659..

 

 

100,000 comics is far from the worlds largest. I dont know about the 5,000 titles.

 

Aren't we in enormous debt?

[youmechooz]

From the LOC website

 

The Library’s Serial and Government Publications Division contains the world's largest collection of comic books (5,000 titles; 100,000 issues). The oldest comic book in the collection is “Popular Comics,” February 1936. The division also holds the world's most extensive newspaper collection. The oldest original newspaper in the collection is "Mercurius Publicas Comprising the Sum of Forraign Intelligence," December 29, 1659..

 

 

100,000 comics is far from the worlds largest. I dont know about the 5,000 titles.

 

Aren't we in enormous debt?

What they spend/spent to get those is most likely less than 1/10 of 1% of the budget, so that question should go somewhere else.

[shadroch]

I think he is suggesting we sell them off to pay our debt.

[ygogolak]

I think he is suggesting we sell them off to pay our debt.

 

Well, not all of it, but it could alleviate 1% possibly, ha.

[youmechooz]

I think he is suggesting we sell them off to pay our debt.

It might pay off 3-4 student loans, not much of the us debt though

[Amadeus Arkham]

They'd all come back purple, anyways but a "Library of Congress Collection" pedigree on the label would be cool.

[Illustrious]

They'd all come back purple, anyways but a "Library of Congress Collection" pedigree on the label would be cool.

 

And why would they come back purple? People have submitted comics treated with Archival Mist and they still come back blue.

[Amadeus Arkham]

I thought I saw something about the books being treated to a chemical deacidification. I don't know how CGC would treat this per se, but wouldn't it be considered restoration?

[Illustrious]

I thought I saw something about the books being treated to a chemical deacidification. I don't know how CGC would treat this per se, but wouldn't it be considered restoration?

 

Read this whole thread:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=30&Number=3771608&Searchpage=1&Main=183052&Words=deacidification+VintageComics&topic=0&Search=true

[Amadeus Arkham]

Good to know, thanks.

[Illustrious]

I use Archival Mist on my Golden Age keys myself.

[PovertyRow]

Read somewhere that a book in mylar doesnt need microchamber paper? Was wanting know about this. if anyone sciency can explain this?

 

Just a general response. The title is a bit apples/oranges. Mylar is an archival storage solution, meaning it is inert and does not introduce chemicals, acids etc.

 

Microchamber paper is an active solution, meaning it provides absorption of said contaminants.

 

I tend to look at microchamber paper in a similar way I look at a BUFFERED backing board. Both are designed to absorb airborne contaminants and acids.

 

I use both in the few boxes I have left. The microchamber paper does one thing the backing board doesn't. Help prevent ink transfer stains to the inside back cover.

 

But I will say that sometimes the microchamber paper does its job too well. I have looked at some of my books with a smaller microchamber paper inside the back and front covers over several years and found a distinct "outline" of darker color on those covers where the microchamber paper did not lay.

 

I consider that problematic and would suggest a microchamber paper large enough to fully cover the pages/covers.

[Ze-man]

Hey, as I was getting into a WDC&S #1 that was slabbed. After taking off the cover for tape removal I stuck the micro papers between the outer and second wrap of the interior, as I was looking at the interior today to see how much leaf casting it needed , I noticed the MCP....and remembered this discussion of whether or not MCP was necessary, or even effective.

 

Did it just counteract off gassing by being buffered,and become less effective over time, or actually absorb acids like a filter.

 

So I took out my PH Pen, hit the paper that was inside the WDC&S 1 a few times and to my surprise it did not stay blue(which means acidic). I went upstairs, grabbed some fresh sheets of MCP, hit it with the pH pen. The lines stayed Blue.

 

So the MCP that was sitting inside a 70+ year old comic was turning acidic, absorbing off gassing from the interior. Which made me wonder how acidic would it become over the years, and what effect this would have if any on the lifespan of already C/OW newsprint if not swapped out.

 

Anyhow, take a look, and try it yourself.

 

My cameras battery literally gave out in the middle...hence the two videos.

 

[cousin itt]

Is there really a reason to use that mist stuff if you are also using microchamber paper? I put typically 4~8 pieces of MCP inside all of my keepers (I even send them off to CGC that way and ask them not to remove them, though I have no way of knowing if they remove them or not.)

 

I would be nervous about doing any spraying - I'm afraid it could have the side effect of turning blue labels purple.

[Ze-man]

If done too heavy, or improperly, and depending on what brand is used. The mist can leave behind a powdery residue.

 

Which to my knowledge wont get a purple label, just maybe downgraded.

 

 

[etanick]

I am in the camp that Microchamber paper is not a waste of money but I am not sure how much benefit it can do other than the immediate 2 pages that is is sandwitched between.

 

I think the benefits are the cover and the first wrap unless there are micro between every page

 

 

[InvstmntComcSuply]

Did it just counteract off gassing by being buffered,and become less effective over time, or actually absorb acids like a filter.

 

It both absorbs acids (due to the Calcium Carbonate) and offgasing (via the zeolites) from the book.

 

So I took out my PH Pen, hit the paper that was inside the WDC&S 1 a few times and to my surprise it did not stay blue(which means acidic). I went upstairs, grabbed some fresh sheets of MCP, hit it with the pH pen. The lines stayed Blue.

 

Many pH pens are yellow = acid, blue = alkaline

Is the color of the MCP from the WDCS a green? gray?

My guess is: it is probable that the MCP is still alkaline

Compare the result to the Elmer Fudd book which is clearly acidic, as it turned yellow within a second.

 

So the MCP that was sitting inside a 70+ year old comic was turning acidic, absorbing off gassing from the interior. Which made me wonder how acidic would it become over the years, and what effect this would have if any on the lifespan of already C/OW newsprint if not swapped out.

These are perfect books for microchamber paper. There is already a lot of acid in the book and without intervention, the formation of additional acids will likely increase exponentially, along with additional deterioration.

 

As an aside the state of preservation of these books is probably what CGC had in mind with the 7 year replacement recommendation. If you have a Fullback or Halfback in with the book and MCP between the covers and the centerfold, all in a mylar bag, you should be able to go at least 15 years. However, I think I would check my most acidic book stored in this manner after the first 10 years, then every 5 years thereafter. That pH pen would would be great for testing.

[Ze-man]

Many pH pens are yellow = acid, blue = alkaline

Is the color of the MCP from the WDCS a green? gray?

My guess is: it is probable that the MCP is still alkaline

Compare the result to the Elmer Fudd book which is clearly acidic, as it turned yellow within a second.

 

It is more of a yellowish green.