Popular Post mschmidt Posted August 28, 2009 Popular Post Share Posted August 28, 2009 Seeing that this question seems to show up in every single "what supplies should I be using?"-thread on these boards, I figured it was about time to show the visual differences between the various sizes of E Gerber mylar that can be purchased from board member Hotflips or E Gerber themselves. A couple of notes: - Mylites, Mylites2 and Archives are the same size across product numbers, the only difference between them is the weight (Mylites2 are twice the thickness of Mylites, Archives are twice the thickness of Mylites2) and the fact that the Archives are open at the top & have a 7/8" flap that cannot be folded over. - For this guide I'll be focusing on the 5 primary comic book sizes: Current (700), Standard (725), Silver/Gold (775), Gold (800), and Super Gold (825). The number in parantheses refers to the width of the product group - for instance all Gold-sized Mylites, Mylites2, and Archives are 8" wide. The height amongst these product groups never changes, however - it's always 10.5". - Picking out half-backs or full-backs for these mylars is easy - simply choose a half-back or full-back one size smaller than the mylar itself. For instance, the 700 half-back or full-back fits inside the 725 mylar. - I picked three random books to show inside the mylars: a Sandman #8 (modern book), a Daredevil #64 (silver age book), and a Black Terror #11 (golden age book), so feel free to ignore whatever doesn't apply to your specific collecting focus. - Yes, it annoys me as well that it's "Mylites2s" instead of "Mylite2s", but that's just how it is. - (Current) 700M2 and (Standard) 725M2 mylars are the only two sizes that will fit in a regular comic book box and a drawerbox - for all other sizes, you'll need to either use the E Gerber acid-free comic book boxes (which are wider than a regular comic book box), Magazine-sized boxes or CGC-sized boxes. Anyway ... on with the show - all scans have been cropped & resized to the same aspect ratio, so the mylar sizing differences should be obvious across the images. --------------------------------------- Modern book inside a Mylites2: For a modern book, my preferred size is the (Standard) 725M2 - it doesn't fit too tight, and can be used for BA and SA books as well. Stay clear of the (Current) 700M2 size - it's way too small for anything other than books printed within the last 10-15 years, and it just doesn't make sense to spend money on a mylar that only fits one very specific type of book. Modern book in Mylites2 (Current) 700M2 Modern book in Mylites2 (Standard) 725M2 Modern book in Mylites2 (Silver/Gold) 775M2 Modern book in Mylites2 (Gold) 800M2 Modern book in Mylites2 (Super Gold) 825M2 --------------------------------------- SA book inside a Mylites2: In a pinch, the SA book will fit inside a (Standard) 725M2 mylar, but I much prefer the larger sizes. A SA book will not fit inside a (Current) 700M2 mylar. SA book in Mylites2 (Standard) 725M2 SA book in Mylites2 (Silver/Gold) 775M2 SA book in Mylites2 (Gold) 800M2 SA book in Mylites2 (Super Gold) 825M2 --------------------------------------- GA book inside a Mylites2: My favorite here is the (Super Gold) 825M2 mylar - it takes oversize indies (like Cerebus #1) as well. A GA book will not fit inside anything smaller than a (Silver/Gold) 775M2 mylar, and even that feels a bit too tight for my liking. GA book in Mylites2 (Silver/Gold) 775M2 GA book in Mylites2 (Gold) 800M2 GA book in Mylites2 (Super Gold) 825M2 --------------------------------------- Modern book inside an Archive: Archives are open at the top, so make sure you stock up on E Gerber's grey acid-free boxes to store them in - I personally don't use Archives by themselves at all, only in combination with a Mylite or Mylite2 (the popular double-bagging combo). Seeing that Archives are a fair bit thicker than Mylites2 (which translates to a tighter fit around the book), you have to be much more careful sliding the books in & out - the reason I'm not attaching a scan of the (Current) 700R size below is because I was worried I'd damage my modern book trying to get it in there. Even the (Standard) 725R size seems too tight here because of the increased thickness. Modern book in Archive (Standard) 725R Modern book in Archive (Silver/Gold) 775R Modern book in Archive (Gold) 800R Modern book in Archive (Super Gold) 825R --------------------------------------- SA book inside an Archive: The SA book barely fits inside the (Standard) 725R mylar - I wouldn't recommend using it like this. SA book in Archive (Standard) 725R SA book in Archive (Silver/Gold) 775R SA book in Archive (Gold) 800R SA book in Archive (Super Gold) 825R --------------------------------------- GA book inside an Archive: The GA book barely fits inside the (Silver/Gold) 775R mylar - just like with the Mylites2, I much prefer the versatile (Super Gold) 825R size here. GA book in Archive (Silver/Gold) 775R GA book in Archive (Gold) 800R GA book in Archive (Super Gold) 825R --------------------------------------- Combos For more expensive books in my collection, I bust out the double-bagging Mylite+Archive or Mylites2+Archive combos - one combo for modern books, one combo for SA books. I've found that when you're doing combos there's really no need to use full-backs - half-backs will do just fine because you're doubling up the bag (you put one half-back in the inner bag next to the book, and one half-back in the outer bag for support). I also like using Mylites instead of Mylites2 - I find the Mylites too flimsy to use by themselves, but inside an Archive they work great. Of the SA combos below, my favorite is the one that uses the Mylites2 (Gold) 800M2 and the Archive (Super Gold) 825R. A tip: When you're using a combo, put the book inside the Mylite or Mylites2 with the flap at the bottom of the book - it makes it a lot easier to slide it in & out of the Archive. Modern book in Mylites2 (Standard) 725M2, which is then placed inside an Archive (Silver/Gold) 775R SA book in Mylites2 (Silver/Gold) 775M2, which is then placed inside an Archive (Gold) 800R SA book in Mylites2 (Silver/Gold) 775M2, which is then placed inside an Archive (Super Gold) 825R SA book in Mylites2 (Gold) 800M2, which is then placed inside an Archive (Super Gold) 825R --------------------------------------- CGC Bags For CGC slabs you have a couple of different options: Mylites2 (Legal Size) 914M2 fit a slab pretty well and look amazing, but are relatively pricey. Transplant also mentioned that due to their size & stiffness when put in a regular CGC box, they "make the box bow out some". He suggested using CGC Magazine-sized boxes instead. E Gerber, unfortunately, doesn't carry Mylites in the Legal Size, but Bill Cole Enterprises have 1 mil Mylar Arklites that are sized specifically for CGC slabs. Bill Cole & E Gerber share the same Mylar patent, so Arklites are completely identical to Mylites. Bill Cole products are horribly overpriced, though, so 50 CGC 1 mil Arklites actually cost more than 50 Legal Size Mylites2 (even though the Mylites2 are twice as thick). A lot of board members swear by the Hotflips CGC Flip-n-stick bags which are clear polybags with a reseable flap. Another option would be the Bags Unlimited resealable CGC bags which are very similar to the Hotflips Flip-n-stick bags; it seems like the Hotflips bags are clearer & cheaper, though. Lucky Baru, Ladic, KobaltDog and 17 others 10 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comicopolis Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheezyWhiz Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 :winnah: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedge Collector Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 That is an absolutely awesome resource. Thank you so much, I was just going to purchase too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharpComics.com Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Some very helpful tips here Michael (thumbs u . Have to make some use of these shortly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t3quila Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Is there a CGC sized mylar? Professor K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno McCoy Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boozad Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Is there any way to favourite a thread? Very useful, thanks Michael (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckp1680 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 This is perfect! I don't own any golden age comics so I didn't have to worry about that size. I just went through my trial and error process and arrived at the 775M2 for all my books, silver age to copper. I'm weird and I like to have them all fit into the box the same When I use the archives however I do like to use the 800R with the 750HB, otherwise its such a tight fit and I get paranoid I'm smooshing them This is a great resource Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypinkblu Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 What a terrific and constructive thread. Thank you, Michael! Now we need to find Paratrooper, who seemed very confused yesterday:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snitzer Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) awesome! sticky this sumperson_without_enough_empathy (thumbs u Edited August 28, 2009 by snitzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachBum Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Great work Michael! I agree with you assessments. I always use the next size up when bagging my books. Never use Modern or Current size bags for Moderns, only the Standard or Regular 725 size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiceX Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcade Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 That is exactly what I was asking for in the Hot Flips thread. Thank you very much. Hot Flips should really use this on their web page. Would save on a lot of mistakes by crazy customers like me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 This is perfect! I don't own any golden age comics so I didn't have to worry about that size. I just went through my trial and error process and arrived at the 775M2 for all my books, silver age to copper. I'm weird and I like to have them all fit into the box the same When I use the archives however I do like to use the 800R with the 750HB, otherwise its such a tight fit and I get paranoid I'm smooshing them Yep, I've noticed that as well. Usually the half-back/full-backs are 1/2" smaller than the bag they're supposed to go into, but when you hit the Gold (800) and Super Gold (825) mylar, the half-backs/full-backs are only 3/8" smaller - in order to get the 1/2" size difference, you need to do what you're doing and go down 2 sizes instead of one (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Is there a CGC sized mylar? Yep - the Legal size Mylites2 (914M2) is 9" x 14 1/4" which fits a slab. Professor K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mylar Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) Thank you Michael for the info! I really needed this tutorial. Edited August 28, 2009 by mr.mylar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Great idea! One question, because it wasn't clear from the pictures - when you do the Mylite+Archive combo, you put the Full Back inside the Mylite next to the book, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ringfinger Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Nice job, great info. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subliminal Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 That was good (thumbs u This would be handy in a pinned thread of Faqs on comics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...