Golden Age Collection 22 22

[buttock]

I don't know for sure if Mylar is the end all for perserving comics, but I can say this. When I stopped collecting in around 1987 I had bagged and boarded my whole collection and placed them in comic boxes. The comics that were in Mylar snugs or mylites(the original flimsy ones 1 mil) as opposed to standard poly bags and boards did retain more gloss and extreamly white pages. This was across the board after 15 yrs of storage, the big thing was page quality, the poly bagged comics had more of off-white to white page look, and the mylar books had stunning fresh printed white pages.

Of course I don't know if this means anything. Looking at BZ's books make me wonder, they seem to have extreamly high gloss with almost no color loss or any at all. I can say that the mylars do add a stiffness to the comic which enables it to remain crease free easier.

I really prefer the Mylite 2's with Full backs. They provide a wide range of sizes, and give extreamly good viewing quality. On top of that the are extreamly stiff with the full back and another half back can be added to provide a more solid holder. The closable flap also keeps dust out and deters pests. One of the items I like best is that they still remain plyable enough to make comic insertion easy and safer than conventional snuggs, but care should alway be taken when placing a comic in a bag. Oh, and one more thing, I have noticed that Mylar snugs the 4 mil version often scratch very easy and viewing is diminished over time. I have been using the Mylite 2's for about 4 years and have converted all of my collection over to them aside from graded books and at this time have seen no scratching issue and so viewing is clear and scratch free.

The Gerber's did however have a spliting problem at first, but I have had none of these issues in the last several years.

Paul

 

Yes, I have even seen the splitting problem. The way I see it with BZ's storage method(and why it seems to work) is that books are stack horizontally and the weight from the books helps to compress air out and possibly impeded page degradation(hence the reason that Church's books held up). This usually leaves the problems with the top most books and spine edges having damage. But since the books are in baggies, it probably helps with that as well. Though, I would expect the top most and bottom most books to not be the same quality as the books in the middle of the stack. Still, a bottom or top stack book in one of BZ's stack still out classes what a great many collectors have in their GA collections.

 

True enough, but what worries me is the lack of backing boards. Full backs should be high on his list. With his stuff, a bend here or there would mean thousands of dollars. Not worth the risk. He obviously loves his stuff and seems to go through the collection often. Moving books around in poly bags with no backers is an invitation to disaster.

 

4 mil mylars and full backs all the way. I usually go one step further on anything worth more than $1000. I put the comic in a Mylite with no board. Then insert it into a 4 Mil Archive with a full back.

 

The best way to preserve a comic book is to smash it.

 

 

Seriously, Mylar is all well and good, but if you put a comic in a mylar and leave it standing up the paper is exposed to oxygen and all the mylar in the world won't do you any good.

 

Mylar does nothing for the preservation of the book, it simply provides an inert structural support, and a protective coating that WON'T hurt the book. This is NOT true of polypropylene/ethylene bags, which are essentially a sheet of grease that WILL change the paper.

 

Edgar Church knew what he was doing when he stacked his books up in a closet. Those at the bottom had the whitest pages due to the pressure exerted on them - i.e. lack of exposure to oxygen.

 

Bangzoom's preservation method of stacking is great, but the bags HAVE to go. You could stick a piece of typing paper in between all your books and that would be fine. Just ask Frank Blankis (who bought all the Salida books and stored them that way).

 

Just keep on smashing them underneath eachother.

[Ogami]

I keep reading and ing. Every time I view this thread, the amount of overwhelms me. The money, the time, the expense, the love put into this collection. Simply, .

 

Also, all the guys giving you on how to care for your collection- . I know they mean well, and they are technically right, but... for telling you how to care for this goldmine.

 

This may sound like a , and I'm sure someone else out there is saying, , but thanks again for all the comics you have shared with the boards.

 

I'm by the sheer creamy goodnes.

[BangZoom]

[FFB]

Those are amazing....and what more amazing is you still have them in those cheesy glad wrap bags

 

I know nothing about the subject of Mylar and backing boards.

 

Is there a universal standard (regarding mil thickness, etc.) used by most collectors in the hobby?

 

I'm willing to give them a try.

 

Who do you recommend I buy them from?

 

You can get mylar sleeves and buffered backing boards from www.comicsupply.com. Russ (the owner) is a fellow forum member and his service and pricing have been great every time I've ordered from him. He is usually a lot faster (and a little cheaper) than ordering direct from E. Gerber (the manufacturer of mylars and archival-quality back boards that Russ sells).

 

If you are going to use backing boards, make sure you ONLY use backing boards that are buffered with an alkaline reserve (3% calcium carbonate, usually). Unbuffered backing boards will turn acidic even if they were "acid free at the time of manufacture."

 

The buffered backing boards many people use are the "Full Backs" manufactured by E. Gerber & Co. (and sold at comicsupply.com). They are buffered with 3% calcium carbonate and are safe for long-term storage of comics. They are 42 mils (thousandths of an inch) thick, so they provide plenty of support for the comic book inside the mylar sleeve. This is the brand of back board that most people I know use. Gerber also manufactures 24 mil back boards called "Half Backs." Most people use these for less expensive books.

 

For mylar sleeves, most people use either the 4 mil Archives (open top mylar sleeves) or the 2 mil "Mylite2" sleeves (which look like a normal comic bag and have a foldable flap that you can fold over the opening in the sleeve. Whether you want Archives or Mylite2 sleeves is purely a personal preference thing. I prefer the Archives (4 mils thick), but quite a few people are satisfied with the Mylite2 sleeves. In any case, you want to make sure you go with the "Super Golden Age" size mylar sleeves and make sure the back boards are also sized appropriately. If you call Russ at the phone number on his site instead of placing the order through his website, he can steer you toward the right product numbers.

 

You probably already know this, but "mil" does not mean "millimeter." It means "thousandths of an inch." I mention that only because people who are not familiar with mylar sleeves hear "4 mil Archives" and they expect a thick, rigid piece of plastic. Not so.

 

whats your take on Bill Coles products? My understanding is that he had licensed Gerbers "invention" many years ago. But when it expired, Gerber went back into business making and selling Mylar products now in competition with Cole. I dont know if Cole had to come up with a comparable knockoff product or continued to make and sell Gerber's patented Mylars in some fashion. Do you?

 

Also, in the beginning, quality control at the new Gerber was lousy, with many many sleeves splitting up the sides and often with two stuck together by the edges!! Have they cleaned up their act since then?

 

The last time I looked at Bill Cole's mylars and back boards, they were considerably more expensive than the E. Gerber product. I've never had a quality problem with the E. Gerber product, so that's what I use.

[FFB]

I don't know for sure if Mylar is the end all for perserving comics, but I can say this. When I stopped collecting in around 1987 I had bagged and boarded my whole collection and placed them in comic boxes. The comics that were in Mylar snugs or mylites(the original flimsy ones 1 mil) as opposed to standard poly bags and boards did retain more gloss and extreamly white pages. This was across the board after 15 yrs of storage, the big thing was page quality, the poly bagged comics had more of off-white to white page look, and the mylar books had stunning fresh printed white pages.

Of course I don't know if this means anything. Looking at BZ's books make me wonder, they seem to have extreamly high gloss with almost no color loss or any at all. I can say that the mylars do add a stiffness to the comic which enables it to remain crease free easier.

I really prefer the Mylite 2's with Full backs. They provide a wide range of sizes, and give extreamly good viewing quality. On top of that the are extreamly stiff with the full back and another half back can be added to provide a more solid holder. The closable flap also keeps dust out and deters pests. One of the items I like best is that they still remain plyable enough to make comic insertion easy and safer than conventional snuggs, but care should alway be taken when placing a comic in a bag. Oh, and one more thing, I have noticed that Mylar snugs the 4 mil version often scratch very easy and viewing is diminished over time. I have been using the Mylite 2's for about 4 years and have converted all of my collection over to them aside from graded books and at this time have seen no scratching issue and so viewing is clear and scratch free.

The Gerber's did however have a spliting problem at first, but I have had none of these issues in the last several years.

Paul

 

Yes, I have even seen the splitting problem. The way I see it with BZ's storage method(and why it seems to work) is that books are stack horizontally and the weight from the books helps to compress air out and possibly impeded page degradation(hence the reason that Church's books held up). This usually leaves the problems with the top most books and spine edges having damage. But since the books are in baggies, it probably helps with that as well. Though, I would expect the top most and bottom most books to not be the same quality as the books in the middle of the stack. Still, a bottom or top stack book in one of BZ's stack still out classes what a great many collectors have in their GA collections.

 

True enough, but what worries me is the lack of backing boards. Full backs should be high on his list. With his stuff, a bend here or there would mean thousands of dollars. Not worth the risk. He obviously loves his stuff and seems to go through the collection often. Moving books around in poly bags with no backers is an invitation to disaster.

 

4 mil mylars and full backs all the way. I usually go one step further on anything worth more than $1000. I put the comic in a Mylite with no board. Then insert it into a 4 Mil Archive with a full back.

 

The Library of Congress does not advocate storing acidic artifacts (such as comics printed on newsprint sized with alum rosin sizing) inside of ANY enclosure, not even Mylar, unless there is an alkaline reserve inside the enclosure. For that reason, the buffered back board needs to be inside the inner Mylar sleeve if you're going to double up with two mylar sleeves.

 

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

[ciorac]

I don't know for sure if Mylar is the end all for perserving comics, but I can say this. When I stopped collecting in around 1987 I had bagged and boarded my whole collection and placed them in comic boxes. The comics that were in Mylar snugs or mylites(the original flimsy ones 1 mil) as opposed to standard poly bags and boards did retain more gloss and extreamly white pages. This was across the board after 15 yrs of storage, the big thing was page quality, the poly bagged comics had more of off-white to white page look, and the mylar books had stunning fresh printed white pages.

Of course I don't know if this means anything. Looking at BZ's books make me wonder, they seem to have extreamly high gloss with almost no color loss or any at all. I can say that the mylars do add a stiffness to the comic which enables it to remain crease free easier.

I really prefer the Mylite 2's with Full backs. They provide a wide range of sizes, and give extreamly good viewing quality. On top of that the are extreamly stiff with the full back and another half back can be added to provide a more solid holder. The closable flap also keeps dust out and deters pests. One of the items I like best is that they still remain plyable enough to make comic insertion easy and safer than conventional snuggs, but care should alway be taken when placing a comic in a bag. Oh, and one more thing, I have noticed that Mylar snugs the 4 mil version often scratch very easy and viewing is diminished over time. I have been using the Mylite 2's for about 4 years and have converted all of my collection over to them aside from graded books and at this time have seen no scratching issue and so viewing is clear and scratch free.

The Gerber's did however have a spliting problem at first, but I have had none of these issues in the last several years.

Paul

 

Yes, I have even seen the splitting problem. The way I see it with BZ's storage method(and why it seems to work) is that books are stack horizontally and the weight from the books helps to compress air out and possibly impeded page degradation(hence the reason that Church's books held up). This usually leaves the problems with the top most books and spine edges having damage. But since the books are in baggies, it probably helps with that as well. Though, I would expect the top most and bottom most books to not be the same quality as the books in the middle of the stack. Still, a bottom or top stack book in one of BZ's stack still out classes what a great many collectors have in their GA collections.

 

True enough, but what worries me is the lack of backing boards. Full backs should be high on his list. With his stuff, a bend here or there would mean thousands of dollars. Not worth the risk. He obviously loves his stuff and seems to go through the collection often. Moving books around in poly bags with no backers is an invitation to disaster.

 

4 mil mylars and full backs all the way. I usually go one step further on anything worth more than $1000. I put the comic in a Mylite with no board. Then insert it into a 4 Mil Archive with a full back.

 

The Library of Congress does not advocate storing acidic artifacts (such as comics printed on newsprint sized with alum rosin sizing) inside of ANY enclosure, not even Mylar, unless there is an alkaline reserve inside the enclosure. For that reason, the buffered back board needs to be inside the inner Mylar sleeve if you're going to double up with two mylar sleeves.

 

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

That is quite a procedure Scott!

 

I will consider the board inside the mylite.

 

I worry about insects, so I am not comfortable with leaving an open Mylar and the book inside unprotected.

[The Black Hand ®]

 

Hey BZ, what are the earliest comics that you have?

[BangZoom]

Hey BZ, what are the earliest comics that you have?

 

Excluding the Platinum Age stuff, I think the earliest is probably the Century of Comics (1933).

 

I also have Famous Comics (mid 30's); Detective Picture Stories #1 (1936); Wow #'s 1 & 4 (1936); Western Picture Stories (1937); and some other stuff I can't think of without going downstairs to take a look.

[october]

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

[selegue]

Of course the value of the books you're protecting makes it worth the investment, but about how much does that cost per book?

Probably for only 3% of my holdings would the contents be worth more than the packaging!

Jack

 

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

[BangZoom]

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

 

I wonder how much of all the advice that has been recommended would be wise for me to follow and how much is just for the individual collector's peace of mind?

 

I can see how Mylar and backing boards are good. The Mylar offers protection and shows off the comic nicely and the backing board aids in keeping the comic flat and prevent warping; but do most of you think it is necessary to use micro chamber paper?

 

I've always kept my collection in a darkened room in the lower level of the house where the temperature year round is in the 60's. Am I overlooking something? I wonder because a large part of my collection I've had for over 30 years and it seems to be doing OK thus far.

[FFB]

The cost varies depending on whether you buy your supplies in bulk. A rough estimate is anywhere from $1 to $1.25 per book to use this storage system, unless you're buying in very large bulk lots (as in multiple thousands of mylars, Full Backs, and Microchamber paper at one time), where you might get the cost down to 85 cents or so.

 

Of course the value of the books you're protecting makes it worth the investment, but about how much does that cost per book?

Probably for only 3% of my holdings would the contents be worth more than the packaging!

Jack

 

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

[FFB]

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

 

I wonder how much of all the advice that has been recommended would be wise for me to follow and how much is just for the individual collector's peace of mind?

 

I can see how Mylar and backing boards are good. The Mylar offers protection and shows off the comic nicely and the backing board aids in keeping the comic flat and prevent warping; but do most of you think it is necessary to use micro chamber paper?

 

I've always kept my collection in a darkened room in the lower level of the house where the temperature year round is in the 60's. Am I overlooking something? I wonder because a large part of my collection I've had for over 30 years and it seems to be doing OK thus far.

 

Microchamber paper is not a necessity. It is just a nice thing to have to help preserve the paper even moreso than the Full Back and Mylar will, since it is designed to absorb offgassing and acids from the paper in the book itself. But a stable environment that is cool, dry, and dark will make a bigger difference than a few sheets of Microchamber paper will.

[FFB]

One last comment, BangZoom -- I am not advocating that you change anything. The reason I responded is because you asked about Mylars. But I believe that if what you're doing now is working, it's up to you whether you want to change it or not.

[RareHighGrade]

Would one or more of you storage experts please comment on how the CGC holder stacks up to these recommended mylar/mylite storage methods. In other words, from a storage conservation standpoint, is there any reason to crack the CGC slab and reholder the book in a mylar and mylite?

 

Also, is a slabbed book sealed in a 100% air-tight sleeve inside the outer CGC holder? As you can tell from these questions, I haven't cracked any of my slabs yet.

[selegue]

The cost varies depending on whether you buy your supplies in bulk. A rough estimate is anywhere from $1 to $1.25 per book to use this storage system, unless you're buying in very large bulk lots (as in multiple thousands of mylars, Full Backs, and Microchamber paper at one time), where you might get the cost down to 85 cents or so.

 

Thanks for the estimate. Make that "Probably for only 0.5% of my holdings..."

 

Jack

(if I buy in bulk)

 

Of course the value of the books you're protecting makes it worth the investment, but about how much does that cost per book?

Probably for only 3% of my holdings would the contents be worth more than the packaging!

...

[selegue]

How extensive is your Platinum Age collection?

Some months ago, everyone would have asked whether you had showcase4's current (at the time) grail of grails, Obadiah Oldbuck! (Do you?)

Thanks,

Jack

 

Hey BZ, what are the earliest comics that you have?

 

Excluding the Platinum Age stuff, I think the earliest is probably the Century of Comics (1933).

 

I also have Famous Comics (mid 30's); Detective Picture Stories #1 (1936); Wow #'s 1 & 4 (1936); Western Picture Stories (1937); and some other stuff I can't think of without going downstairs to take a look.

[Sal]

ComicSupply is having a stupidly awesome sale right now, $5.99 per 50 pack of Mylite2's. check out his thread in the Forum Marketplace...basically, this is half-price, but i believe supplies are limited...

 

i'm getting 10 packs myself.

[The Black Hand ®]

What I do for my best books is I take a Golden Age size Full Back and place the Full Back and the comic book upside down into a Golden Age size Mylite2. Then I fold the flap over and crease it with my finger, then I slide that entire package into an open-top Super Golden Age size (the next size up from Golden Age) 4 mil Archive mylar sleeve, so that the folded flap of the Mylite2 is at the bottom and the book is facing upright in the Archive. That way, I get maximum protection from the two mylar sleeves, and the alkaline reserve is inside the inner sleeve to buffer against acid hydrolysis occuring within the inner mylar. I will also slide three sheets of Microchamber paper (which www.comicsupply.com also sells) into the book, one each inside the front and back cover, and one at the centerfold.

 

With the exception of the microchamber paper at the centerfold, that is the EXACT same method I used with Centaurman's books (he asked me to help him organize his collection), even down to the sizes used. The books end up well protected, in a fairly inert environment, and looking great. I liked the way the looked so much that I switched some of my own golden age stuff into the same package.

 

I wonder how much of all the advice that has been recommended would be wise for me to follow and how much is just for the individual collector's peace of mind?

 

I can see how Mylar and backing boards are good. The Mylar offers protection and shows off the comic nicely and the backing board aids in keeping the comic flat and prevent warping; but do most of you think it is necessary to use micro chamber paper?

 

I've always kept my collection in a darkened room in the lower level of the house where the temperature year round is in the 60's. Am I overlooking something? I wonder because a large part of my collection I've had for over 30 years and it seems to be doing OK thus far.

 

Cool, dark and dry is how Church stored his and it's how you are storing yours. Seems to be working just fine. Mylars and boards do help protect against dents and dings if the books are handled a lot, though.

[tth2]

the thing i dont like about Mylites is that they exhibit friction against each other. That is, sliding a comic between 2 other comics pressed together in a tight box just wont go smoothly. The Mylites cling and stop the comic half way down into the box... Both Bags and Mylars snugs slide more easily.

 

maybe I just have too many books in a box! : )

I put books in an upside down mylite, and then into a mylar. Friction all gone!