Comic Book Conservation Niche Questions 1 1

[TheHulkCollector]

Hello,

I have recently decided to start a comic book collection composed solely of Hulk appearances from the main Earth-616 continuity (with some added bonuses). My collection consists mostly of TPB, Essentials, Epic Collections, among others, for the main Hulk title. However, for the sections of the original Volume 1 run that haven't been reprinted yet as well as appearances that aren't included in said volumes, I opted for back issues.

This collection is intended to be a reading collection, but I wished to have them in the best condition possible so they'd last as long as possible whenever I'm not reading them.

Considering I live in Europe, and all my research seemed to point E. Gerber as one of the best options available, I decided to look for European retailers. I came across Archonia, the only retailer with matching board and bag sizes, said boards and bags being Mylites 4 and Half-Backs Silver & Gold. I purchased 100 of each, and once they arrived I started packaging the comics. I want to mention is that I plan to store these comics in bookcases to place them alongside the aforementioned TPBs and Volumes (and yes, I intend to take a lot of precautions, from at least having varnished wood for the bookcases to making sure the comics don't get direct sunlight and are in a dry, relatively cold environment).

EDIT: One last thing is that all these problems showed up with either one book or no books in the bag, so I'm fairly sure they are not being caused by the double booking.

Now come my issues and the associated questions:

- When I placed the boards into the bags, I noticed that around 1/10th to 1/15th of an inch (2.5 to 1.5 millimeters) of the board was creeping out of the bag. I tried pushing them as much into the bag as I could but for many of them it didn't do a lot. I then creased the flap for all of them. Did I make a mistake and there's a technique to push the half-backs even further, should I trim the half-backs to fit better or is this a non-issue? 

 - When trying to push the boards onto the bags, I accidentally applied too much force with the first few bags and as a result broke around an inch to half an inch (2.5 cm to 1.25 cm) of one of the edges of the bags. Are the bags now completely compromised or will the pressure applied by other comics fix it? If there is an issue, can I fix it with a special kind of tape?

 - I'm placing two comics per bag (considering the earliest comic I have is X-Men #66) and I just wanted to make sure that mixing comics from different ages isn't an issue (I intend to place them in order to continuity, and to use X-Men as an example I have it in the same bag as Marvel Tales #181).

 - Last and practically least. I noticed that, with some comics, when I'm placing them inside the bag, the edge opposite to the spine becomes a bit misaligned (1/10th to 1/15th of an inch between cover and the contents). I would think this is an issue caused by the tight fit because of the two comics per bag but it isn't hard to place them on the bags and it also happens when I just place one comic per bag. Should I worry about this slight misalignment?

I will share a photograph of the books in their bookcase. If any more are needed, don't hesitate to ask!

I thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience, I hope my journey into comic book collecting isn't a bumpy one! 

(After you read this, if you think it is an inappropriate topic and/or there's clear information on the subject, I ask that you please reply pointing me to it)

Edited March 3, 2022 by TheHulkCollector

[KCOComics]

I'm not sure I'm totally followed, but it seems your bags are too tight? Did you order the right size? 

 

If you are struggling to fit the comics into the bag, it may mean you've bought the wrong size. Forcing it can damage the book. You want them snug, but not so snug things are getting and bags are ripping. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

I think you ordered bags that are too thick. Mylites 2 are the ones that most people use.

[lostboys]

On 3/2/2022 at 11:17 AM, TheHulkCollector said:

Hello,

I have recently decided to start a comic book collection composed solely of Hulk appearances from the main Earth-616 continuity (with some added bonuses). My collection consists mostly of TPB, Essentials, Epic Collections, among others, for the main Hulk title. However, for the sections of the original Volume 1 run that haven't been reprinted yet as well as appearances that aren't included in said volumes, I opted for back issues.

This collection is intended to be a reading collection, but I wished to have them in the best condition possible so they'd last as long as possible whenever I'm not reading them.

Considering I live in Europe, and all my research seemed to point E. Gerber as one of the best options available, I decided to look for European retailers. I came across Archonia, the only retailer with matching board and bag sizes, said boards and bags being Mylites 4 and Half-Backs Silver & Gold. I purchased 100 of each, and once they arrived I started packaging the comics. I want to mention is that I plan to store these comics in bookcases to place them alongside the aforementioned TPBs and Volumes (and yes, I intend to take a lot of precautions, from at least having varnished wood for the bookcases to making sure the comics don't get direct sunlight and are in a dry, relatively cold environment).

EDIT: One last thing is that all these problems showed up with either one book or no books in the bag, so I'm fairly sure they are not being caused by the double booking.

Now come my issues and the associated questions:

- When I placed the boards into the bags, I noticed that around 1/10th to 1/15th of an inch (2.5 to 1.5 millimeters) of the board was creeping out of the bag. I tried pushing them as much into the bag as I could but for many of them it didn't do a lot. I then creased the flap for all of them. Did I make a mistake and there's a technique to push the half-backs even further, should I trim the half-backs to fit better or is this a non-issue? 

 - When trying to push the boards onto the bags, I accidentally applied too much force with the first few bags and as a result broke around an inch to half an inch (2.5 cm to 1.25 cm) of one of the edges of the bags. Are the bags now completely compromised or will the pressure applied by other comics fix it? If there is an issue, can I fix it with a special kind of tape?

 - I'm placing two comics per bag (considering the earliest comic I have is X-Men #66) and I just wanted to make sure that mixing comics from different ages isn't an issue (I intend to place them in order to continuity, and to use X-Men as an example I have it in the same bag as Marvel Tales #181).

 - Last and practically least. I noticed that, with some comics, when I'm placing them inside the bag, the edge opposite to the spine becomes a bit misaligned (1/10th to 1/15th of an inch between cover and the contents). I would think this is an issue caused by the tight fit because of the two comics per bag but it isn't hard to place them on the bags and it also happens when I just place one comic per bag. Should I worry about this slight misalignment?

I will share a photograph of the books in their bookcase. If any more are needed, don't hesitate to ask!

I thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience, I hope my journey into comic book collecting isn't a bumpy one! 

(After you read this, if you think it is an inappropriate topic and/or there's clear information on the subject, I ask that you please reply pointing me to it)

Varnished wood? 

[Artboy99]

I would put a single book per bag & board.

[shadroch]

If you are going to double bag, and I do it for some series, you need to get bags wider than usual. If bagging modern comics, don't use 700 or 725s.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/2/2022 at 4:17 PM, TheHulkCollector said:

I thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience, I hope my journey into comic book collecting isn't a bumpy one! 

Welcome to the forum @TheHulkCollector - and what a cracking first post. I like a man who dabbles in storage options 

Here's what I do with some of my books, especially those for which I make custom labels.

  

The above two copies are in the same bag. I use:

• Silver age backing boards
• Standard Size Mylites2 inner sleeve (#725M2)
• Silver & Golden Size Mylites2 outer sleeve (#775M2)

I trim the inner Mylite2 on one edge, and along the top flap. I place the book in that. That goes against two silver age backing boards and then into the outer Mylite2. The second book (in this case, the 10c version of the 15c price variant) goes at the back and I then seal the outer Mylite2 with a Post-It book marker, which is easy to remove and leaves no residue.

You could try something like that - the trick is to get the right size bags.

One other point - if you leave the books on an open shelf they will get very dusty, very quickly. It's nice to be able to see the books, but a boxed environment might be better. 

If you use the search function, you'll find lots of threads here about storage recommendations - here's just one of them:

Let us know what you decide, and always post pictures.

[Get Marwood & I]

....one other thought, Hulk, if you are using Mylar bags, you will find they tend to stick to each other unlike regular bags which slide around. So putting one Mylar into another can be tricky as they won't slide in freely. One trick is to place a backing board either side of the inner Mylar, slide that wedge into the outer bag, and then pull each board out, leaving the inner Mylar in perfect position. It's something to try....

[lizards2]

On 3/7/2022 at 6:49 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Welcome to the forum @TheHulkCollector - and what a cracking first post. I like a man who dabbles in storage options 

Here's what I do with some of my books, especially those for which I make custom labels.

  

The above two copies are in the same bag. I use:

• Silver age backing boards
• Standard Size Mylites2 inner sleeve (#725M2)
• Silver & Golden Size Mylites2 outer sleeve (#775M2)

I trim the inner Mylite2 on one edge, and along the top flap. I place the book in that. That goes against two silver age backing boards and then into the outer Mylite2. The second book (in this case, the 10c version of the 15c price variant) goes at the back and I then seal the outer Mylite2 with a Post-It book marker, which is easy to remove and leaves no residue.

You could try something like that - the trick is to get the right size bags.

One other point - if you leave the books on an open shelf they will get very dusty, very quickly. It's nice to be able to see the books, but a boxed environment might be better. 

If you use the search function, you'll find lots of threads here about storage recommendations - here's just one of them:

Let us know what you decide, and always post pictures.

Wow - I gave good advice in that thread. 

One other point I could emphasize more, it the item that I find super useful is a paper guillotine. Not for chopping on my books, but for solving the "backing board too big for the bag" problem. I am able to reuse most of the odd-sized boards that I get in with shipments of comics, simply by trimming them a bit.  Really, really useful to have around - and you can get them cheap from those commies at Amazon.  

I also use it to chop the 8 1/2" x 14 microchamber paper in half, to double the amount of sheets, instead of using the custom comic-sized ones - I'm always on the cheap. 

 

[TheHulkCollector]

Oh god,

Here I was starting to think I'd get buried with other posts with no replies. Thank you to all who have already messaged me. I'll try to go reply-by-reply to clarify any doubts you may have had regarding my post and discuss.

@KCOComics I understand I wasn't clear regarding my issues with the board. My comics aren't tight even with two annual since I ordered two packs of 775M4, and I only have one book in my collection that is from the Silver Age (X-men #66) and I've decided since to place that one into its own bag. The tightness I found came when I placed the Half-Back into the bag with no comics inside, and since then I contacted a retailer for E. Gerber products on eBay that gave me the following explanation 

Quote

The beauty of the 4 Mil mylars (personal preferences of everyone including mine aside) is that they are very rigid for maximum protection if that is what your primary is. The downside which is just the other side of the same coin is that the rigidity makes it a snugger fit in the bottom of the mylar as well the bending of the flap over is not as pliable as lets say the Mylites2 or Mylites+.

Given you said a little was peeking out (I am paraphrasing your words), that would be normal. You could shove it down but we would not advise it. If astatically you do not like that , you could trim it. We would only suggest if you do that , you do not introduce any unseen containments from an edge of a blade/scissors to put in with your comic or documents offsetting either the ph of the board or impacting the paper.

So relatively normal for a very fine edge to go above the smaller length (non flap edge) of the mylites 4.
 

I'll also annex two pictures of the bag and board, one of the top and one of the bottom, to give a better idea of how much is sticking out.

@theCapraAegagrus Indeed you touched on the same subject as the eBay retailer. Unfortunately, I couldn't find Mylites 2 with size I wanted at a reasonable price, nor was I able to find Full-Backs, so I was "forced" to go with this combo.

@lostboys I came across this post on CGC some time ago: 

and newshane said straight away that wood is bad, and although they mentioned the issues with shellacs and paint, they seemed to make clear uncovered wood seemed to be the worst option. I am looking at metal options though, of course.

@Artboy99 I indeed wish to at least heavily consider having only one bag and board for comic, the thing is my budget prevents me from doing so at the moment. I recently have "discovered" another possible benefit from the double booking method which is spine pressure prevention. By having the books alternate between front and back, I can have the comics apply pressure between themselves more evenly. This obviously can be just as easily achieved by still having only comic per bag and board but reversing the orientation of them every other book.

@shadroch I sure will. After purchasing these Silver & Gold 775M4 bags and 750HB boards I've realized I can't go in any smaller if I want to double book.

@Get Marwood & I Wow, thank you so much for the tip! As I'm able to better build by collection I may very well try that method instead of even just having one comic per bag and board. It seems to pack the comics in a much more isolated environment. The only issue will be either finding Mylites 2 or making due with Mylites 4 (or possibly finding an European retailer who sells the BCW Mylar 2 Mil bags).

Regarding the storage matter, I'll surely look into dust accumulation but in all my years of purchasing TPBs and storing them in the same bookcase I'm now storing my back issues, I've never seen any noticeable dust accumulation. I am, however, moving into a new house so I'll have to be sure of the dust accumulation there and act accordingly. I'll annex two pictures, one of the shelf in its entirety and another with a better resolution of the books (along with the other two).

@lizards2 A paper guillotine seems like a great idea for my potential problem. I may also be able to access one at the college I attend or order it at a local stationery shop (or even see if a friend or family member owns one. Although, the comment from the eBay retailer regarding trimming the board worried me a bit:

Quote

Given you said a little was peeking out (I am paraphrasing your words), that would be normal. You could shove it down but we would not advise it. If astatically you do not like that , you could trim it. We would only suggest if you do that , you do not introduce any unseen containments from an edge of a blade/scissors to put in with your comic or documents offsetting either the ph of the board or impacting the paper.

But I'm sure that I could completely avoid this by either disinfecting and cleaning or requesting to disinfect and clean the blade beforehand.


Once again, I thank you all for giving me helpful advice and "looking into my case", so to speak!
 

Edited March 7, 2022 by TheHulkCollector

[lostboys]

On 3/7/2022 at 12:38 PM, TheHulkCollector said:

Oh god,

Here I was starting to think I'd get buried with other posts with no replies. Thank you to all who have already messaged me. I'll try to go reply-by-reply to clarify any doubts you may have had regarding my post and discuss.

@KCOComics I understand I wasn't clear regarding my issues with the board. My comics aren't tight even with two annual since I ordered two packs of 775M4, and I only have one book in my collection that is from the Silver Age (X-men #66) and I've decided since to place that one into its own bag. The tightness I found came when I placed the Half-Back into the bag with no comics inside, and since then I contacted a retailer for E. Gerber products on eBay that gave me the following explanation 

I'll also annex two pictures of the bag and board, one of the top and one of the bottom, to give a better idea of how much is sticking out.

@theCapraAegagrus Indeed you touched on the same subject as the eBay retailer. Unfortunately, I couldn't find Mylites 2 with size I wanted at a reasonable price, nor was I able to find Full-Backs, so I was "forced" to go with this combo.

@lostboys I came across this post on CGC some time ago: 

and newshane said straight away that wood is bad, and although they mentioned the issues with shellacs and paint, they seemed to make clear uncovered wood seemed to be the worst option. I am looking at metal options though, of course.

@Artboy99 I indeed wish to at least heavily consider having only one bag and board for comic, the thing is my budget prevents me from doing so at the moment. I recently have "discovered" another possible benefit from the double booking method which is spine pressure prevention. By having the books alternate between front and back, I can have the comics apply pressure between themselves more evenly. This obviously can be just as easily achieved by still having only comic per bag and board but reversing the orientation of them every other book.

@shadroch I sure will. After purchasing these Silver & Gold 775M4 bags and 750HB boards I've realized I can't go in any smaller if I want to double book.

@Get Marwood & I Wow, thank you so much for the tip! As I'm able to better build by collection I may very well try that method instead of even just having one comic per bag and board. It seems to pack the comics in a much more isolated environment. The only issue will be either finding Mylites 2 or making due with Mylites 4 (or possibly finding an European retailer who sells the BCW Mylar 2 Mil bags).

Regarding the storage matter, I'll surely look into dust accumulation but in all my years of purchasing TPBs and storing them in the same bookcase I'm now storing my back issues, I've never seen any noticeable dust accumulation. I am, however, moving into a new house so I'll have to be sure of the dust accumulation there and act accordingly. I'll annex two pictures, one of the shelf in its entirety and another with a better resolution of the books (along with the other two).

@lizards2 A paper guillotine seems like a great idea for my potential problem. I may also be able to access one at the college I attend or order it at a local stationery shop (or even see if a friend or family member owns one. Although, the comment from the eBay retailer regarding trimming the board worried me a bit:

But I'm sure that I could completely avoid this by either disinfecting and cleaning or requesting to disinfect and clean the blade beforehand.


Once again, I thank you all for giving me helpful advice and "looking into my case", so to speak!
 

Thanks!

That was a nice, panic inducing read. 

My house is made of wood so my comics are DOOMED !

[lizards2]

Jeebus - the eBay retailer - yeah, if you're cutting chicken with it, probably best clean the blade before you use on backing boards.

The "upsetting the ph" is pure BS.

[TheHulkCollector]

@lostboysI apologize for it  , got me a little worried too but the commenter clarifies afterwards that this is basically just over examination on their part. 

@lizards2 I see... what do you think about their comments regarding the small overhead from the Mylites 4 (along with the images I posted)? Do you think they're odd-sized and justify the use of the guillotine or is it just something I should only worry about for aesthetic reasons?

@Pancakes! I bet , but it's the only good pairing I can get here in the EU. I don't plan on doing a 1000+ comic book collection, it probably won't even reach 500 comics, and I intend to have these books be preserved enough to be handleable and readable in 50 years or more. It shares its bag with another book.

Edited March 7, 2022 by TheHulkCollector