I'm Tempted to do something very DUMB 3 3

[Happy Noodle Boy]

I'm never, ever going to sell my comic collection, so proper storage isn't quite as pressing an issue for me as it would be for someone who regularly flips their books ("Making the hobby pay for itself!" as all the Youtube investors collectors are always advertising at us saying.)

So, as I look upon my collection of gold, silver and bronze age books all snug in their short boxes and hermetically sealed in their Mylites and backing boards, I can't help but be slightly irritated at the fact that each one of them is now its own little individual inconvenience to read, what with having to lug a short box to a table and un-scotch tape a book out of its Mylar bag every time I feel like looking at one. (And before anyone says that bagged and boarded comics all standing vertically in a box aren't inconvenient to read at all, let's remember that trade paperbacks essentially owe their entire existence to this.)  So, even though it's dumb, a silly part of me is tempted, in my old age, to simply free all of my comics from their vertical Mylite / backing board / short box prisons, and just keep them all lying flat in piles on a shelf somewhere, Edgar Church style. 

I understand that this idea is dumb. But they're my books, I'm never going to sell them, and shouldn't I be able to enjoy them once in awhile? And remember when we were kids just reading these things for the enjoyment of it? Who bothered with bags and boards and boxes back then? I just kept all my books in a pile somewhere. 

[lostboys]

Well, Ive been thinking about cracking all my slabs because it will be easier for my kids to move my collection when im gone.

 

Not the same thing, I know, but considering what Ive paid to have them graded/slabbed...still a pretty dumb idea to crack em, especially when you consider that I have reader copies or TPBs for all of em. Maybe ill crack em out when I get older.

 

In your case, I dont know man...what if you want the book at the bottom of a pile?

What if you accidentally tip a pile over?

I know youre not planning on selling but you should preserve them for the next generation.

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 8/28/2023 at 8:29 PM, Mark Warren said:

I'm never, ever going to sell my comic collection, so proper storage isn't quite as pressing an issue for me as it would be for someone who regularly flips their books ("Making the hobby pay for itself!" as all the Youtube investors collectors are always advertising at us saying.)

So, as I look upon my collection of gold, silver and bronze age books all snug in their short boxes and hermetically sealed in their Mylites and backing boards, I can't help but be slightly irritated at the fact that each one of them is now its own little individual inconvenience to read, what with having to lug a short box to a table and un-scotch tape a book out of its Mylar bag every time I feel like looking at one. (And before anyone says that bagged and boarded comics all standing vertically in a box aren't inconvenient to read at all, let's remember that trade paperbacks essentially owe their entire existence to this.)  So, even though it's dumb, a silly part of me is tempted, in my old age, to simply free all of my comics from their vertical Mylite / backing board / short box prisons, and just keep them all lying flat in piles on a shelf somewhere, Edgar Church style. 

I understand that this idea is dumb. But they're my books, I'm never going to sell them, and shouldn't I be able to enjoy them once in awhile? And remember when we were kids just reading these things for the enjoyment of it? Who bothered with bags and boards and boxes back then? I just kept all my books in a pile somewhere. 

You’ve thought it through. Why not do what makes you happy?

[paqart]

That's me with my comic collection circa 1978. Some of my comics were in bags, many weren't. A handful might have been in mylar. I don't think I'd heard of backing boards at the time. Many of my comics were not in bags, like my full run of Conan. Most of my Avengers weren't bagged, but the #1 was. I may have had a bag on #2, 3, and 4 also, not sure about those. My Barks duck comics were half and half. I'm pretty sure my Christmas on Bear Mountain was bagged, but not sure about Uncle Scrooge #1 (FC 386). My Thun'da #1 was bagged, but not my Batman #2, Comics Cavalcade #2, Wonder Woman #2, or World's Finest #2. I didn't collect GA #2's btw, it's just that I could afford them, so I got them. I had some Frazetta/Williamson cover ECs that weren't in bags, some that were. Hardly any of my new comics were in bags. 

The issue for me was that 100 bags cost $3.00, or the price of about ten comics. I usually preferred to buy comics to bags for the comics.

[Lightning55]

People still read comics?

Mine are all as yours, safely secured in plastic prisons, hard or soft. Which is perfect for me. I've read exactly 3 comics since 1970, around the time of Amazing Spider-Man 80. And no, there was nothing special at all about the 3 comics, just a whim.

[B2D327]

A compromise may be to eliminate the scotch tape from the equation but maintain the other protective aspects along with the continued convenience of vertical storage as pointed out by @Lostboys 

Although it may not seem like such a big deal now, who knows how you’d feel a week or two down the road if you switched to a less organized system and a book you really cherish were to end up damaged? Regretting a decision might end up diminishing how you feel about your books in an even worse capacity 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:12 PM, B2D327 said:

A compromise may be to eliminate the scotch tape from the equation but maintain the other protective aspects along with the continued convenience of vertical storage as pointed out by @Lostboys 

Although it may not seem like such a big deal now, who knows how you’d feel a week or two down the road if you switched to a less organized system and a book you really cherish were to end up damaged? Regretting a decision might end up diminishing how you feel about your books in an even worse capacity 

😂 much better ideas than what I was thinking, which was cut up all the comics and glue them to the ceiling and walls! Any room you want mind you bathroom bedroom but not the kitchen of course.  I'm only half way serious but if you wanted to go down that road?

I'm not necessarily being facetious, they're your books and you own them.  I remember some people making coffee laminated tables to keep from spilling food and etc. It's a brand new world!

Edited August 28, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[WolverineX]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:29 PM, Mark Warren said:

I'm never, ever going to sell my comic collection, so proper storage isn't quite as pressing an issue for me as it would be for someone who regularly flips their books ("Making the hobby pay for itself!" as all the Youtube investors collectors are always advertising at us saying.)

So, as I look upon my collection of gold, silver and bronze age books all snug in their short boxes and hermetically sealed in their Mylites and backing boards, I can't help but be slightly irritated at the fact that each one of them is now its own little individual inconvenience to read, what with having to lug a short box to a table and un-scotch tape a book out of its Mylar bag every time I feel like looking at one. (And before anyone says that bagged and boarded comics all standing vertically in a box aren't inconvenient to read at all, let's remember that trade paperbacks essentially owe their entire existence to this.)  So, even though it's dumb, a silly part of me is tempted, in my old age, to simply free all of my comics from their vertical Mylite / backing board / short box prisons, and just keep them all lying flat in piles on a shelf somewhere, Edgar Church style. 

I understand that this idea is dumb. But they're my books, I'm never going to sell them, and shouldn't I be able to enjoy them once in awhile? And remember when we were kids just reading these things for the enjoyment of it? Who bothered with bags and boards and boxes back then? I just kept all my books in a pile somewhere. 

Do it.  

[LowGradeBronze]

Ditch the tape. When you're pressed for time and craving a quick hit before bedtime, tape can be enough to put you off. Not sure if I would put them in a pile but removing the tape may be enough to make quick casual access more of a pleasure. Isn't it all about the pleasure?

[wombat]

Who are you trying to convince?

[Azkaban]

I always just stacked mine in a pile on the floor of my closet etc. I did cover them with a cloth of some type to keep them from getting dusty but as you can see after I was older and did send some off to get graded they still came back pretty nice 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Azkaban

[ADAMANTIUM]

Like I said i agree with removal of tape, as it is a time consumer? Although there have been enough threads with tape pulls mentioned, even when shipping to CGC people remove or fold tape for when in CGC hands and etc. Easier is definitely a convenience, but I can't speak, though tempting, to the wiseness of it. 

 

[zzutak]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:29 PM, Mark Warren said:

So, even though it's dumb, a silly part of me is tempted, in my old age, to simply free all of my comics from their vertical Mylite / backing board / short box prisons, and just keep them all lying flat in piles on a shelf somewhere, Edgar Church style.  I understand that this idea is dumb.

Not dumb, as long as you take care to actually replicate Edgar's storage environment:

• A cool, dry (low-humidity) climate.
• No dust
• No light
• No rodents
• No silverfish, termites, or other insects
• No curious children
• No potential sources of free water (leaky roofs, bust pipes, etc).

And even if you don't, they're your books.  So follow your heart and never look back! 

[dbcn]

You do you; but honestly my eyes aren't what they used to be and I have a hard time actually reading comics unless the light / contrast is really good, and I mostly collect for the cover art.

That said, if there is a book I want to actually read, I'll find a digital version so I don't have to hold the actual book out at arms length in order to read the tiny print.

I also don't tape the backs of the bags - I'm way too clumsy to not accidentally connect the tape to the actual book & damage it. 

 

(hmm... maybe this isn't the hobby for me...  )

Edited August 28, 2023 by dbcn

[paqart]

On 8/28/2023 at 4:22 PM, LowGradeBronze said:

Ditch the tape. When you're pressed for time and craving a quick hit before bedtime, tape can be enough to put you off. Not sure if I would put them in a pile but removing the tape may be enough to make quick casual access more of a pleasure. Isn't it all about the pleasure?

I remove tape from every bag as soon as I buy it. I hate tape!

[JollyComics]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:34 PM, zzutak said:

Not dumb, as long as you take care to actually replicate Edgar's storage environment:

• A cool, dry (low-humidity) climate.
• No dust
• No light
• No rodents
• No silverfish, termites, or other insects
• No curious children
• No potential sources of free water (leaky roofs, bust pipes, etc).

And even if you don't, they're your books.  So follow your heart and never look back! 

Those books were in a closet with cedar shelves I believe.  Edgar's bungalow house has nice masonic stones and is much similar to many bungalow houses in Chicago.  I have seen and smelt cedar shelves in those closets. Nearly all of them have bricks and masonic stones that keep cooling from scrounging sun.

Edited August 28, 2023 by JollyComics

[Cat]

These books have had a life before us, and will have a life after us (hopefully). We are but their custodians. In my view, it is upon us to do what we can to treat them as well as possible for their next owners. 

Note I'm only talking about certain items, not all. The bigger stuff. It's why I just spent $200 on new UV cases for my vintage carded Star Wars figures. The old ones weren't doing the trick any longer, and as their custodian, they deserved better, so they got it. Some damage seemed to have been done, which is one of my Ewoks got a bit of yellowing, and I'm annoyed about that, but it's also a natural process which some bubbles are prone to, so I have to accept some things are out of my hands there. But I do what I can for those who will have them after I pass on, to keep them in as close to the condition they were in when I got them, some 25 years ago now. 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 8/28/2023 at 4:12 PM, Cat said:

These books have had a life before us, and will have a life after us (hopefully). We are but their custodians. In my view, it is upon us to do what we can to treat them as well as possible for their next owners. 

Note I'm only talking about certain items, not all. The bigger stuff. It's why I just spent $200 on new UV cases for my vintage carded Star Wars figures. The old ones weren't doing the trick any longer, and as their custodian, they deserved better, so they got it. Some damage seemed to have been done, which is one of my Ewoks got a bit of yellowing, and I'm annoyed about that, but it's also a natural process which some bubbles are prone to, so I have to accept some things are out of my hands there. But I do what I can for those who will have them after I pass on, to keep them in as close to the condition they were in when I got them, some 25 years ago now. 

I thought about this too, I did, in some cases (no pun) things can be so rare that you hate to have damage to ANY of them, as he didn't specify I figured he was going to the grave with them or wasn't interested in passing along his collection, legacy and etc.

But your right it's worth stating that anything 1 of 1 or even 1 of 10, and thereabouts and so on need to be helped. I wouldn't call it selfish nor even being decent, but I don't think anyone in the hobby world would just have a dust to dust mentality.

Upbeat is where it can be comfortable  but think of posterity, remove the tape, and get some sexy black sleeves so it's not such a chore to slip'em on and off! 

[Dr. Balls]

I love the way my books look in mylar or slabs. I also have something like 2 TB worth of comic books in digital format. On the off-chance I have time to read, I simply load whatever I want onto my iPad. 

As a kid, I used to read my comics on the floor on or the bed. I still do the majority of any reading I do on my bed at night. Crumpling up my comics, or having a stack on my nightstand, etc is not what I'm interested in. Having them on the iPad and reading as many issues I want with the lights off is pretty cool. I'd buy an old used iPad, do some research on comic apps (there's lots of them) and do that before getting rid of your bags and boards.

And it's not that intimidating - if you can be patient to see how the apps work, you'll be just fine.

[Ken Aldred]

On 8/28/2023 at 9:42 PM, dbcn said:

You do you; but honestly my eyes aren't what they used to be and I have a hard time actually reading comics unless the light / contrast is really good, and I mostly collect for the cover art.

That said, if there is a book I want to actually read, I'll find a digital version so I don't have to hold the actual book out at arms length in order to read the tiny print.

I also don't tape the backs of the bags - I'm way too clumsy to not accidentally connect the tape to the actual book & damage it. 

 

(hmm... maybe this isn't the hobby for me...  )

Just your focus in comics evolving.

Digital is very useful if you have eyesight problems as you can pinch magnify, or, in Kindle / Comixology’s case, tap and go through the story panel by panel, magnified in sequence.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Ken Aldred