Hand/water marks 0

[Hewitt]

Hey all, 

I've been reading volume 1 of Lady Mechanika, and I've been having some issues with hand marks. I usually hold the book in my hands when I read, and can see the marks of my fingers and palms on the back, cover and occasionally pages of the book, leaving what look like wet imprints. They seem to fade over time, but a few are left behind. I haven't encountered the issue with other books in my collection. The thing is, I have taken to washing and drying my hands before reading. I've been increasingly thorough in drying my hands to see if that helps, but its still happening, albeit perhaps less severely, I'm not 100% sure. My hands do seem to get clammy when I'm reading, but I've only started noticing this since I've started washing and drying (I had the odd finger stick here and there to a cover, but now its happening all the time). 

 

Not really sure what to do to be honest. If I don't wash my hands I'm inevitably gonna get some chicken grease or something on a book, but I seem to be leaving noticeable marks when I do. Its frustrating, and I'm worried about ruining my comics because of this. 

 

I've tried to take some photos, but its kind of hard to see. In the first photo, its a black mark below the knee, highlighted by the light. In the second, its a white mark on the shoulder. 

[Crops068]

You could buy some white gloves? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LG3BHZF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Or create a robotic comic holder that turns pages for you without damaging the book.  You would be rich I tell you RICH!

[Yorick]

Take a piece of scrap paper, fold it in half, and set the book spine into the fold.  Now you'll be "handling" only the scrap.

[theCapraAegagrus]

[csaag]

Your primary concern should be ENJOYING THE COMIC

[theCapraAegagrus]

4 minutes ago, csaag said:

Your primary concern should be ENJOYING THE COMIC

[Krismusic]

wear gloves like someone else previously mentioned if you really don't want to leave finger prints on your comic you can also lay it down on a clean lint free towel. 

Personally I still touch my SA Spidey's that are pretty old and beaten up but again they are old and beaten up, but I try to be as careful as possible. 

[Hewitt]

55 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

I guess the question I’ve got, then, is that are such marks normal to see in a book, or are am I leaving behind some kind of  sweat or even damp imprint that is unusual or could be avoided? The marks don’t look so bad now; they largely seem to dry off or evaporate.

 

On a side note, do people usually wash their hands before reading their stuff? Tbh, at this point I think it might just be making things worse, either by making my hands sweaty or leaving moisture on them.

 

side note 2: tried some surgical gloves, even with something thin like that, turning pages is difficult.

[theCapraAegagrus]

5 minutes ago, Hewitt said:

I guess the question I’ve got, then, is that are such marks normal to see in a book, or are am I leaving behind some kind of  sweat or even damp imprint that is unusual or could be avoided? The marks don’t look so bad now; they largely seem to dry off or evaporate.

 

On a side note, do people usually wash their hands before reading their stuff? Tbh, at this point I think it might just be making things worse, either by making my hands sweaty or leaving moisture on them.

 

side note 2: tried some surgical gloves, even with something thin like that, turning pages is difficult.

#1. Yes. It's a thermonuclear astrophysical material reaction between your epidermis and the glossy paper stock. Have you ever put the AC on in your car, when it's warm outside, but raining? There's a residual reaction from the chemical exposure to your windshield. Same concept between the human body's operational temperature colliding with the 'room temperature' of your comic book.

#2. Also, yes. Comic books are meant to be handled. Sterile, sweaty hands, are better than 'question mark' hands that may contain bacteria or other infernal microscopic creatures looking to destroy the integrity of your Bubble Boy comic books.

[Hewitt]

37 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

thermonuclear astrophysical material reaction

 

bacteria or other infernal microscopic creatures looking to destroy the integrity of your Bubble Boy comic books.

Is this actually a thing, or is this a joke that went over my head? Like can you actually ruin a book with bacteria?

Edited June 21, 2019 by Hewitt

[Hewitt]

2 hours ago, csaag said:

Your primary concern should be ENJOYING THE COMIC

I try to man. I just worry a lot about breaking/ruining stuff, kind of kills the enjoyment for me. My collecting background is largely militaria, and that stuff was generally built to withstand a lot more than my hands.

[theCapraAegagrus]

4 minutes ago, Hewitt said:

Is this actually a thing, or is this a joke that went over my head? Like can you actually ruin a book with bacteria?

Thermonuclear astrophysics are real, but not the real explanation for the material reaction between your hands and paper, it's just an Avengers reference.

I'm no expert on the impact of bacteria or other biological nuisances on paper, but, it's always better to be safe than sorry! Hence the use of gloves on 20th century comics. I'm sure Modern stuff is more protected by the glossy paper and stuff. I'm never concerned with handling them. I just enjoy reading them.