E.Gerber Fullback Standard Size. 2 2

[@Rogueiconic]

After pressing books I always used E.Gerber Full backs to keep the books as flat as possible prior to sending to CGC. Now take a look at how flimsy these new ones are. I might have to start pressing these too. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Robot Man]

On 6/10/2023 at 8:08 AM, @Rogueiconic said:

After pressing books I always used E.Gerber Full backs to keep the books as flat as possible prior to sending to CGC. Now take a look at how flimsy these new ones are. I might have to start pressing these too. 🤷‍♂️

 

I believe the old ones had a similar bend. It is how they are manufactured on rolls then trimmed out makes them do that.

My question is in order to obtain the maximum protection, do I now need two in a Mylar? Or maybe add a half back in with a “new” full back to do this? 

[nerf_herder]

I'm glad someone else noticed this as well. I was shocked when I ordered new Full-backs a few months ago. The pre-pandemic Full-backs were absolutely flat, no curls. Which is an absolute necessity in an archive environment. These are junk. Just like everything else these days, we're paying more for less.

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

On 6/10/2023 at 11:18 AM, Robot Man said:

I believe the old ones had a similar bend. It is how they are manufactured on rolls then trimmed out makes them do that.

My question is in order to obtain the maximum protection, do I now need two in a Mylar? Or maybe add a half back in with a “new” full back to do this? 

Indeed.

Every EG full-back that I have purchased, for decades (edit), has that curve. In fact, the approximately 8000 of them still packaged, I purchased in vast quantities from the  mid-1990s to about 2015 with a few smaller purchases until about 2019, have that curve (the packages have always had that curve, never laying perfectly (edit) flat other than perhaps when supporting the weight of many other such packages).

The same is true in my experience of BCE X-Tenders.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Tec-Tac-Toe
See above.

[lizards2]

I don't know if the bend is now more extreme, but I have always had to straighten out my fullbacks. They have never been completely flat.

[FlyingDonut]

On 6/8/2023 at 5:14 PM, MR. Pontoon said:

Two thinner boards don't provide the same rigidity as one thick one. The last time the topic came up, someone explained why in detail using carpentry as an example but by search-fu is weak today. If only we had an expert like @BlowUpTheMoon available, but he's probably busy making Power Girl having a pillow fight with the Black Cat while Julie Newmar and Scarlett Johansson share a bunch of grapes covers with AI.

 

Yes please.

[FlyingDonut]

BTW to get it back on track - does anyone know of a hack to find out if a package is old or new without opening it?

[lizards2]

Check the "best by" date.

[electricprune]

On 6/8/2023 at 5:14 PM, MR. Pontoon said:

Two thinner boards don't provide the same rigidity as one thick one. The last time the topic came up, someone explained why in detail using carpentry as an example but by search-fu is weak today. If only we had an expert like @BlowUpTheMoon available, but he's probably busy making Power Girl having a pillow fight with the Black Cat while Julie Newmar and Scarlett Johansson share a bunch of grapes covers with AI.

 

If you guys can’t find the thread, I could probably type something up that would do a fair job of explaining it.

[Dick Pontoon]

On 7/3/2023 at 11:06 AM, FlyingDonut said:

BTW to get it back on track - does anyone know of a hack to find out if a package is old or new without opening it?

Welp, the old packages say "42 mil" on the front and the new apparently says "34 pt" based on the photo the OP posted. The thing I notice the most is that they've gone to a much lighter shade of blue on the packaging. In fact, the first time I saw these on a dealer's table at a show I wondered if they were legit or not.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Dick Pontoon

[Gaard]

 

[flashlites]

This is very discouraging to hear. I am a big fan of the full backs. I may not have enough to complete my project. I remember buying a bunch (2018?) maybe enough to complete my Flash run? I got about 3/4's of the way through and put that project aside. Now I have to go back and see if I really bought enough. I know I have the rest somewhere and the Mylites to go with them but I remember thinking I was going to need more at some point. So finding out that they no longer offer the same product is very disheartening. Please Ernie give us back our full backs!

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

As concerns the new E. Gerber 35 mil thick Full-Backs, I'll note that I have many comic books stored with Half-Backs (24 mil) in Archives (4 mil) as well as BCE Thin-X-Tenders (24 mil) in Comic Gards (4 mil) (If I correctly recall, Comic Gards previously had another name circa 1980s and, I imagine, later) and have never experienced any "warping" of comic books.

These comic books are stored in acid-free boxes, E. Gerber and BCE, and are packed just tight enough as are all my comic book boxes, acid-free and regular long and short boxes, that no comic books sags. I also place acid-free boards at each end of every acid-free box and thick regular boards in the regular boxes. Simply stated, all the comic books in a box support each other. Granted, all this may be overkill but it has worked for me since at least 1980.

Lastly, I'll note that I have had some of these comic books graded and CGC has graded all of them 9.8 with white pages. Of course, there are probably some 9.6 and, shudder , 9.4 among them.

[electricprune]

I think I can offer some good news as to how this relates for storing comics.

When packing a comic bag, mylites, and even an archive with more than one backer board you will start to put the bag and the tape that seals it into tension. This is assuming you tape it tightly. As the bag goes into tension, the backers and comics will go into confinement. While in confinement, the backer boards will be able to perform more as a single unit than separate pieces. Thus, they won’t deflect as much under their own weight and the weight of the comic.

Now you just need to balance overpacking and being able to get the comic in and out of the stuffed bag safely with all those boards. 
 

Archives might act differently as they usually aren’t taped at the top, although I have seen some taped shut.

[Robot Man]

I just got a decent order of SA/GA Mylites 2 and matching full backs. I hadn’t bought any since pre Covid.

Yes, they seem considerably thinner. Although not brown on one side instead just a little yellower than the old ones. Pretty disappointing and makes me a little nervous about bending a book.

I inserted new full back and just for a little insurance, a new regular not acid free backboard behind the outside of the full back. The book is against the acid free fullback. That, with the book seemed a little more stiff but not like the old ones.

My question is, am I defeating the purpose of the Mylite and Fullback? Two new fullbacks seem about the same. Just doubling the cost on the boards and I will run out sooner.

What do the experts think? 

[musicmeta]

Well...I'm done ordering Fullbacks from E. Gerber.  Looks like BCE or Comic Pro Line (48 or 56pt boards)  for "Fullback" type backer boards.  More expensive but at least I'm getting a thicker board.