So can someone explain all the things about bags, boards, mylar, acid free, and all that jazz? 1 1

[MutantMike]

Always collected just to read. Never cared about condition to much. Anything that was worth $50 or over I just double boarded and moved on

 

I have a HUGE Superman run, every single comic from DC from around 1982-2011. I want to keep it nice but really nothing is of value tbh so not sure what to do

 

Right now most of my collection (other than my new Superman that is just stacked up :\)   is in BCW poly "silver" bags, 2 comic per bag, with one board

 

Should I worry about doing this? Acid, comics turning yellow, etc? Help me understand

[shadroch]

Poly bags eventually break down, but with what you are storing, you'll be good for a few more decades.

[MutantMike]

On 11/20/2023 at 4:35 PM, shadroch said:

Poly bags eventually break down, but with what you are storing, you'll be good for a few more decades.

Thanks, that is what I was hoping someone would tell me haha

So even though only one side of the board is "treated" do not worry about storing a comic on the other side?

 

I still one comic per bag and board like I did in the old days. My boxes are so heavy, they are going to put my back out dragging them around

[Artboy99]

I encourage you to put a single comic per bag with board. The sooner you start the better. If you ever do decide to sell the books it will help as the potential buyer won't have to do additional work, and therefore won't adjust their offer. 

I switched to magazine sized boxes over long boxes for my collection for ease of moving the boxes around, I also really like the drawer box system.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Artboy99

[MattTheDuck]

I agree.  The BCW bags/boards are fine, and one book in one bag with one board is time-tested.  Like you, I have plenty of books that probably aren't worth a whole lot, but I'd hate to discover 20 years from now I screwed up and they're ruined somehow.  It will take some care, but there's decades of reading pleasure there.

[BlackCrow]

I went to the store today to buy some new bags and boards for my golden age books.  there seems to be different size golden age bags and board.  What do you think is the best product and size for each?

 

[MutantMike]

On 11/20/2023 at 8:10 PM, MattTheDuck said:

I agree.  The BCW bags/boards are fine, and one book in one bag with one board is time-tested.  Like you, I have plenty of books that probably aren't worth a whole lot, but I'd hate to discover 20 years from now I screwed up and they're ruined somehow.  It will take some care, but there's decades of reading pleasure there.

My LCS has some big runs of minor superheroes with not huge value but he has 5 comics per bag, not board and has them tight in a long box. he says they are very safe this way, calls it a "brick"

 

You heard of this?

[shadroch]

On 11/21/2023 at 6:53 AM, MutantMike said:

My LCS has some big runs of minor superheroes with not huge value but he has 5 comics per bag, not board and has them tight in a long box. he says they are very safe this way, calls it a "brick"

 

You heard of this?

Yes, it is widely used. With enough books in the bag, you don't need a board. 

Eventually, when you go to sell them, you'll get a better price if you bag and board them individually, but only you can decide if the expense and time consumed to B&B each book is worth it.  Superman books aren't on many collectors' lists these days, but maybe someday, DC will replace Clark with a minor character from the series, and that book will pop.

Edited November 21, 2023 by shadroch

[marvelmaniac]

Bags and boards protect the book from being torn, folded, curled, etc., There are two kinds of bags Polypropylene (plastic) and Mylites (Mylar)

Poly bags break down over time and emit gases and acids as they break down that could damage a book over time, it is recommended to replace poly bags every 5 years, Mylar on the other hand is an archival safe material used by Museums, The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian and does not contain any acids, does not diffuse gases or breakdown over time, unless you tear it Mylar is good for a lifetime. Poly and Mylar (Mylites) come in different sizes, Gold/Silver/Modern and Mylites come in different thicknesses, 1 Mil, 2 Mil, 4 Mil Top Loaders.

• Golden Age: 7 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches (19.7 x 26.7 cm). ...
• Silver Age: 7 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches (18.1 x 26.7 cm). ...
• Regular: 7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches (18.4 x 26.7 cm). ...
• Current: 6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches (17.5 x 26.7 cm).

Regardless of which bags you use, you want to avoid tape to close the flaps, this will prevent accidental tape pulls when removing the book from the bag. Use large yard sale blank price stickers to close the flap, you can get 300 from Walmart for $2.00.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Avery-Color-Coding-Labels-Assorted-Neon-Colors-Removable-Handwrite-Only-315-Labels-3-4-Round/641238878?wl13=2038&selectedSellerId=0&nis=6

If you are using poly you can get self sealing bags.

Backing boards are used to provide rigidity to the book when it is being stored, they come in "Full Back" and "Half Back", both are acid free, the fullbacks are thicker than the halfbacks, the fullback is the best option for expensive books. All bagged books should have a backing board.

When placing your books in a comic storage box you Do Not want to squeeze as many books as possible into the box, when full you should have about 1" of leeway,  making the books too tight against one another will cause damage. If the box is only 1/2 to 3/4 full you may want to place a towel (or other soft item) into the box to prevent the books from falling on each other when the box is moved)

Now that your books are all bagged, boarded and boxed, storage conditions have to be right for the books to maintain their present condition as long as possible. Comic books start to degrade/breakdown as soon as they are printed, the inks, the paper start breaking down and the comic book is basically killing itself, printing techniques, inks and the paper used has gotten better over time. You can never stop the degrading from happening (ashes to ashes, dust to dust), you can only slow it down using proper storage techniques, the more a book has to constantly adjust to its environment (temp and humidity changes) the quicker the degrading process becomes so you want a stable environment. Books should stored in a controlled environment with temps in the 60- 75 degree range and about 40-50% humidity (no unfinished basements/garages/attics), books should not be stored near sources of water/moisture, sources of heat (or any air vents) and kept away from all UV light (The Sun, Incandescent and Flouresant Lighting, LED bulbs do not give off heat or UV).

If you have any other questions, post them up, most importantly, Enjoy Those Books!!!

[Lazyboy]

On 11/21/2023 at 7:53 AM, MutantMike said:

My LCS has some big runs of minor superheroes with not huge value but he has 5 comics per bag, not board and has them tight in a long box. he says they are very safe this way, calls it a "brick"

 

You heard of this?

If bricks aren't made perfectly, it is very easy to cause spine curls and/or edge bends.

[MAR1979]

General observation from my years (1983-2011) as Comic Book Store shopper.

- Those who were were in it only for the reading were the life-blood of the hobby

- Readers generally would take the first copy on the racks. Occasionally taking one a little further down but almost never actually examining the copy.

- The average condition in my time for a book on the racks in my estimate was 9.2 or 9.4. Being an average many books were worse, like the top copies .

The chances of  the original poster's books being in 9.6 or 9.8 are very minimal with the number perhaps being close to zero.

As only DC keys from the time frame have "value" under 9.6, and very few post 1982 DC keys will have value under 9.4, my suggestion to the OP is pickup Mylar (2 mil Mylites are fine) and boards for only the keys. As for determining keys that's a whole other story.

 

On 11/21/2023 at 2:37 PM, Lazyboy said:

If bricks aren't made perfectly, it is very easy to cause spine curls and/or edge bends.

In my experience most shops that make bricks are NOT careful in the creation process. Damage to the book just in the insertion is the norm.  There may very be shop owners and staff who do it slower and meticulously but they are likley the exceptions.

Edited November 22, 2023 by MAR1979