TIme-lok mylars versus sleeves and cedar cabinets ???

[RedRaven]

Ok, other than having a nice tabbed envelope to tuck in what exactly is the benefit of buying a time-lok versus a regular 4mil sleeve

 

I'm about to bite the bullet and purchase archival supplies for my magazine collection so I'm curious whether or not the added price for time-loks are worth it???

 

Also, I'm noodling having a custom cedar cabinet built for the collection and would like any ideas you have on tailoring this toward a Edgar-church cedar basement kinda time stasis chamber

My main thoughts on that topic right now are sealing the joints with silicone (airtight) and including a tray for cedar chips and dessicant packs.

 

 

[blowout]

Personally, I don't like the time-lok mylars as the comic is far too snug inside and appears to get 'squashed' by the pressure the time-lok exerts on it. It is also very difficult to remove the book and re-insert again without damage.

The open top mylar sleeves are not a great storage solution either as they let too much air in, and long term, the top edge of the book will yellow faster than the rest of the pages.

My preference is for mylites2, they are not to tight and the have a sealable flap that keeps excess air away from the book.

[Shield]

For myself, I "triple bag" the expensive Golden Age books. I use a standard non-acidic backing board + Golden bag for the book itself. Then, I place that inside a magazine size backing boards + bag. Finally, I put it in a Ziploc bag that's air tight, place them in a Magazine half-size box, in a low humidity "no light" closet.

 

Let's see those damn silverfish get to them now!

 

 

Of course, my theory is they should be air tight if possible. Think of food; it stays fresher sealed up, right? That, plus non-fluctuating temperature, low humidity and low light should do the trick. Others I've spoken to think the paper needs to "breathe", but I don't necessarily agree.

 

Lastly, we could all be wrong, as the Mile High books certainly weren't bagged and boarded. Time will tell.

[Ares]

What if we double bag and board them.

Then put them through one of those machines that removes the air from bags?

[RedRaven]

"Lastly, we could all be wrong, as the Mile High books certainly weren't bagged and boarded."

 

 

Somewhere in the fullness of time I heard that the camfers in cedar wood are excellent at preserving comic books. I can't remember where I heard that but It may explain the condition of the mile high collection (cool,dark,padlocked, cedar basement.)

[Arty]

Somewhere in the fullness of time I heard that the camfers in cedar wood are excellent at preserving comic books. I can't remember where I heard that but It may explain the condition of the mile high collection (cool,dark,padlocked, cedar basement.)

 

Hmm...if my memory serves me correctly cedar (or any wood) isn't very good for storing comics. (woods are acidic)

 

But those camfers in cedar work as insect repellant. I believe that was the reason for using cedar cabinets in the early days of comic collecting.

 

 

[mlovest]

Just use Mylars with the thick acid-free boards, place the comics in them carefully, and put them gently into a comic box filled up with other comics. You want them to be snug, but not too tight. The snug fit will help remove the air from the Mylar and comic pages. then place the boxes in cool, dry, dark place away from outside walls and moisture sources. After 100 years they will be almost perfect as the day you stored them. You don't need to get overly carried away. Also, make sure you don't put your high-value books on either ends of the boxes as there is more of a chance of damaging them if you move the boxes regularly.

 

Just my 2 cents worth...

 

Mike

[Bugaboo-migration]

Also, even though the books will be bagged, it's probably not a good idea to store them at floor level if you can avoid it. It's best to have them elevated, even a few inches off the floor, just in case of flooding or a water pipe breaks. This proabably won't apply to you if you're having a custom cabinet built, but it's worth mentioning to others.

[mlovest]

Good point!

[RedRaven]

THanks for the advice guys. Good points all. I am definitely not going with the timeloks now (which is gonna save me approx 2grand). Still havent decided about the cabinet though.