Comic Care

Preserving Your Collection

If you’ve recently started collecting comics, especially if it started as a novel interest and has turned into a full-blown hobby, you may have started wondering what to do with all your books.  When every book you buy costs upwards of $3 it is important, not only that you read and enjoy them, but that you can come back and do it again in the future.  This is where proper comic book storage can help. 

There is no one right way to keep your comics safe.  There are three things that a detrimental to the life of your books aside from your own personal clumsiness.  Light, Temperature, and Moisture are the three comic book killers.  As long as you have your books in a dark area with controlled temperature and humidity they will be fine.  That being said there is a lot more you can do to extend the life of your books.  Keeping them in a box tucked away in your closet will give your comics a life of about 10 to 15 years before you might notice some yellowing of the pages.  If you have decided that you are going to collect or that you want to preserve your books so that you can enjoy them as they are 20, 30, or even 90 years down the road, there are steps you can take to ensure that.

Bags

There are two bag families, mylar and poly.  Poly bags get their name from either of the two plastics from which they are made, polyethylene and polypropylene.  While these bags have their drawbacks they are still suitable for protecting and preserving your books.  Polyethylene is preferable for a few negligible reasons, which are outlined here, but if you have a choice go with the option that only has one p.  In either case you’re gonna want to change the bags out after about 5 to 7 years.

If you have the cash to burn then the choice bag for your comics is mylar.  While this option is a bit pricier and harder to find you wont need to change them out in your life-time.

Boards­

What you are looking for here is acid free.  There is acid free at time of manufacture, which is fine for about 5 years.  Acid free is a little bit longer but when it comes to boards you are going to need to change them out periodically.

Here is a video that explains how to get the comic in the bag.  This may seem ridiculous but when you get your bags and boards home and go to bag your first comic you will wish you had taken the time. click this

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