MYLAR?

[supapimp]

i was just thinking about the x-men 100 cgc nm/mint 9.8 auction, and i was reading the item description and it said Slipped into a mylar right off the stand in the '70's. the book has off-white to white pages, so does that mean that mylars do not keep pages white? what do you guys think about mylar sleeves?

[greggy]

Still better in the long run than the alternatives. However there are other variables that will affect the page quality. Slip a book in mylar and keep it in a humid environment and it will deteriorate regardless.

[fantastic_four]

Mylars do not keep pages white, but they do it better than polybags. Bags never help paper degradation; Mylar just hurts a whole lot less than polyethylene/polypropylene. Humidity and temperature are the primary determinant in page whiteness.

 

Stick a box of comics out in your shed, and it doesn't matter whether they're in polypropylene, Mylar, or whatever blend of plastic they've got the U.S. Constitution sitting in. They'll still go cream/brown/tan ten times quicker than inside your house.

[murph0]

I've noticed if it gets humid, polywhatever CAN stick to the cover of your book..just a warning for anyone out there who has those in a humid environment

 

Brian

[Bonds25]

I put a lot of my new books in Mylar (in the 80s and 90s), and when I looked at them recently, there were a lot that had off-white or off-white/white pages. I think it's because the top of the bag is open and lets in light, dust, humidity, etc. I'm beginning to think that mylites that you can close are better than mylars.

[Guest]

All my spiderman #1'S that I stored in mylites back in 90 all have been graded

9.8 w/ white pages . The ones I stored in poly all graded either 9.8 or 9.6

w white pages. This was a 20 book study that I did for piece of mind. I store my books in a dehumidifited room @ about 60. I like the mylites but will continue to use poly for the most part.

[Guest]

The prime factor in oxidation is... oxygen .

 

So, in terms of preservation quality, mylar is the best, but the open-topped sleeves may actually be worse than polypropylene. This is why I go with mylites.

 

Temperature and humidity accelerate the process, as noted above.

[PovertyRow]

Mylar doesn't prevent a book from being impacted by changes in humidity and temperature. What it DOES do is give the comic book a storage place that, in conjunction with a buffered backing board (to neutralzie acids), keeps it flat and straight and prevents spills, tears etc. The real thing with mylar is that it is chemically inert so it doesn't exude plasticiers the way plastic bags can. It is just a safer bag to use.

[Darthdiesel]

I just keep all my books stored in my personal sauna, so I can read while I sweat off a few pounds, Then I towel off with a few Golden and Silver Age books. Their absorbency rivals that of Bounty or Brawny...

[Bronty]

Heh heh, good one....

 

 

Although I'm no expert on the subject, I've always shunned the open top mylar... air gets in, snaggy edges.. no thanks!

 

Again, I'm no expert, but it just seems like common sense that if the top edge of the book is open to the elements, it will get brown...

 

However, a mylite inside a mylar, or alternatively mylite 2s, as some people on this board have championed, seem like the ultimate way to go.

[PovertyRow]

Although I'm no expert on the subject, I've always shunned the open top mylar... air gets in, snaggy edges.. no thanks!

 

Like I said - a mylar will not STOP anything. It is plain and simple a way to store a book in a substance that does not exude plasticers. So what is the issue? It does not keep a white page book white. It does not retain cover gloss. It simple is a NEUTRAL STORAGE MEDIUM. What so hard to understand about that?

 

If you want to create a proper environemnt you START with a mylar and a backing board with a calcium carbonate or other archival buffer. Then you place the &*^&*$ book in a sealed nitrogen gas environment.

 

God! All I am saying is that a mylart is better than a plastic bag because it does not exude plasticers.

 

Now here is one for the clever boys - you ever think that when you fold over a flap and seal a book - exactly what are you sealing in that now has no place to go? Geeze.

[PovertyRow]

I just keep all my books stored in my personal sauna, so I can read while I sweat off a few pounds, Then I towel off with a few Golden and Silver Age books. Their absorbency rivals that of Bounty or Brawny...

 

Why are you telling me this?

[Darthdiesel]

just responded to the last post, which unfortunately was you

 

and I figured you for the type to enjoy a personal sauna story...

[PovertyRow]

and I figured you for the type to enjoy a personal sauna story...

 

Well, yeah, I am old enough to have accumulated a considerable number of stories myself - I remember a movie theater in San Francsico (when I was living in Boston - this was in the 70's and I was visiting) - well - anyway - yep sauna is most relevant here. Heat. Humidity. Add a comic and you have "awwww jeeeze".

[Bronty]

Poverty,

 

What makes you think that I didn't understand what you were saying?

 

Why so worked up? My post was not directed at you. To be honest, I missed your initial post in scrolling through the above posts.

 

My main point about the mylars is that I can't stand the snaggy edges and open tops. The snaggy edges especially.

 

Your point about sealing in some air I can appreciate, however, I don't know enough about paper chemistry to comment. My hunch, which may be wrong, is that the book is exposed to more oxygen and therefore browns faster with the open top. So I play it safe with the flaps. The open tops I dislike for other reasons too. God forbid, but let's you have a glass of OJ in hand, something happens, you spill some on an open comic box. You now have OJ running down all of those open tops. Flaps would probably have saved the books.

 

I know that's a bit of an extreme situation, but nontheless I do not like the fact open tops are more vulnerable to accidental spills.

 

But again, for me the snaggy edges are the clincher.

 

 

[PovertyRow]

But again, for me the snaggy edges are the clincher.

 

The easiest way around the snaggy edge (which CAN be a problem) is to lay the mylar falt on a smooth surface with the bottom edge folded back. Then fold back the top edge and slide the book out. This usually prevents any snagging.

 

Sorry if I sounded harsh. It really was not my intent - got a bit "off-tracked" by other posts. I sincerely apologize. I was definitely off-base.

[Bronty]

Hey no problem, I appreciate your sincerity.

 

Talk to you later, I think I'm headed for bed in a few...

[PovertyRow]

Hey no problem, I appreciate your sincerity.

 

Thanks yourself!

[Crackandpresstoan11]

Jeff Hinds sells mylar d sleeves that have a folding lock tops (called Idealocks).

http://www.jhcomics.com/mylar.htm

[scottish]

I recall an old thread were the bottom line was:

 

Doesn't matter what you do...your books will eventually disintegrate.

 

Unless as suggested you manage to store them in a true vaccum or other oxygen free environment.