When does CGC Insert MicroChamber Paper? 2 2

[Get Marwood & I]

Hello, Ask CGC.

May I ask, when specifically do CGC insert MicroChamber paper?

My own understanding has always been that it should be used in all cases but recent customer examples have cast doubt on that and there is a clear suggestion that the policy has changed at some point. The only reference I can find on CGC's website is this one below, which is not clear as I do not know how CGC define 'vintage':

https://www.cgccomics.com/about/help-center-faqs/cgc-grading/cgc-labels-and-holders/

Is it necessary to get my CGC-certified books reholdered after a certain number of years?

No. The CGC holder is designed for long-term preservation and provides superior protection for your books. A properly handled and stored CGC-certified book can last for generations.

The CGC holder is made from high-quality materials and is entirely archival-safe. The inner well that holds books, for example, is comprised of PETG, a plastic that is well known to be archival-safe and extremely clear. This PETG well is placed inside of a durable outer case that is sonically welded to ensure a secure, tamper-evident seal. For added long-term preservation, CGC inserts *MicroChamber® paper into vintage books prior to encapsulation. This MicroChamber paper helps to neutralize the natural acidity of some books by using a specialized, proprietary "zeolite" that was designed to absorb and hold the molecules known to damage archival collections. That is why MicroChamber paper is used by many of the world's most respected museums and institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Louvre, the British Museum and the Northeast Document Conservation Center. To further protect books from the natural off-gassing that releases acidic molecules over time, CGC has a secure sonic seal that is NOT airtight so that acidic molecules are not trapped inside the holder.

 

Can you clarify please?

It was suggested that CGC no longer insert MicroChamber paper in books that have calendarized paper. Is that correct?

Thank you.

 

[MattM CS]

Hello!

Thank you for your interest in the use of microchamber paper. Vintage is Pre-1975 as stated in our Services & Fees. We have updated the FAQ to indicate Pre-1975 after which we state Vintage for extra clarity. There has been no policy change; microchamber paper continues to be used for all vintage books. Thanks for your understanding. Let us know if you have any other questions! 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/8/2023 at 6:47 PM, MattM CS said:

Hello!

Thank you for your interest in the use of microchamber paper. Vintage is Pre-1975 as stated in our Services & Fees. We have updated the FAQ to indicate Pre-1975 after which we state Vintage for extra clarity. There has been no policy change; microchamber paper continues to be used for all vintage books. Thanks for your understanding. Let us know if you have any other questions! 

Thanks Matt. So to be completely clear, any comic book cover dated 1975 or later will not have MicroChamber paper inserted, correct?

If I submit Amazing Spider-Man #139 (December 1974), it will have MicroChamber paper inserted by design because CGC consider it to be vintage. Issue #140 (January 1975) won't have it however, as CGC consider it a post-vintage / modern book - correct?

And you're saying it has always been that way?

 

https://microchamberpaper.com/microchamber-paper-golden-size/

 

[MattM CS]

In the past we placed microchamber paper inside all books, but currently, the sheets are usually not placed inside the modern tier books.

This would be true for the example you used. The ASM 139 will receive microchamber paper while the ASM 140 likely will not.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:28 PM, MattM CS said:

In the past we placed microchamber paper inside all books, but currently, the sheets are usually not placed inside the modern tier books.

So there has been a change in policy. 

On 11/8/2023 at 7:28 PM, MattM CS said:

This would be true for the example you used. The ASM 139 will receive microchamber paper while the ASM 140 likely will not.

Likely?

This seems odd, considering what MicroChamber paper is designed to do (see the company link I posted above) and given that there is little difference between the paper stock used for comics before and sometime after 1975. I suspect there will be a lot of unhappy people with 1975 or later slabbed comics out there Matt, when this becomes more widely known!

Thank for your time and swift responses.   

[Gaard]

From the other thread

Quote

I just opened 2 silver-age slabs.

The first was graded on 9/22 and had no paper at all.

The second was graded on 1/23 and one sheet between the 1st and 2nd pages.

They were both low grade (3.5 & 4.0) so I wonder if that enters into it at all?

[The Lions Den]

On 11/8/2023 at 2:35 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

So there has been a change in policy. 

Likely?

This seems odd, considering what MicroChamber paper is designed to do (see the company link I posted above) and given that there is little difference between the paper stock used for comics before and sometime after 1975. I suspect there will be a lot of unhappy people with 1975 or later slabbed comics out there Matt, when this becomes more widely known!

Thank for your time and swift responses.