In a pinch ..... 0

[Chicago Boy]

Ok to use my flashlight on my I -phone to look for restoration on both the covers and the interiors ??  Golden Age books FYI .......

[Tony S]

No - it is CRITICAL that only the flashlight on Android phones be used. Sorry  

More seriously, there is no fool proof tool that will make sure you catch restoration. Black Lights for instance are best used in a dark room and the wavelength of the light matters.  There is a sticky on how to detect restoration on this forum. Like many discussions here it gets off topic and repeats itself, but it is worth reading 
 

 

[Chicago Boy]

1 hour ago, Tony S said:

No - it is CRITICAL that only the flashlight on Android phones be used. Sorry  

More seriously, there is no fool proof tool that will make sure you catch restoration. Black Lights for instance are best used in a dark room and the wavelength of the light matters.  There is a sticky on how to detect restoration on this forum. Like many discussions here it gets off topic and repeats itself, but it is worth reading 
 

 

Thanks Tony. The owner was worried about my I phone light affecting the paper if I used it to detect restoration ( ie fading, degradation.....especially the interior pages ). Any truth to that ?  

[aszumilo]

2 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

Thanks Tony. The owner was worried about my I phone light affecting the paper if I used it to detect restoration ( ie fading, degradation.....especially the interior pages ). Any truth to that ?  

For the couple minutes you would use it, I would say it wouldn't hurt the book at all.

[Bomber-Bob]

10 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

The owner was worried about my I phone light affecting the paper if I used it to detect restoration ( ie fading, degradation.....especially the interior pages ). Any truth to that ?  

Try approaching his books with a heat iron and see what he thinks.

[Chicago Boy]

1 hour ago, Bomber-Bob said:

Try approaching his books with a heat iron and see what he thinks.

   In all seriousness, thoughts on any effect with a GA book ( even a brittle one ) ?

Edited September 30, 2018 by Chicago Boy

[aszumilo]

3 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

   In all seriousness, thoughts on any effect with a GA book ( even a brittle one ) ?

The fluorescent lights would probably do more damage than your phone.

[Tony S]

17 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

Thanks Tony. The owner was worried about my I phone light affecting the paper if I used it to detect restoration ( ie fading, degradation.....especially the interior pages ). Any truth to that ?  

The owner is badly misinformed. seriously paranoid - or doesn't want people looking to close....

Damage from exposure to light takes a great deal more time than a few minutes with a cell phone flashlight. More importantly, the light on one's phone (iPhone or Andriod) is from LED's.  LED lights emit no UV wavelengths - the most destructive wavelengths of light. As Aszumilo observes, the fluorescent lights at most venues that host comic book shows are doing much more in the way of aging paper. 

[Bomber-Bob]

I wonder if the owner is just saying he is afraid of the light to deter the use. At conventions, I will sometimes see flippers take a video of all the edges of a book, even in a slab. They then study the video to look for pressable defects. I sense the big dealers don't like this, I know I wouldn't like it.

[Chicago Boy]

18 hours ago, Tony S said:

The owner is badly misinformed. seriously paranoid - or doesn't want people looking to close....

Damage from exposure to light takes a great deal more time than a few minutes with a cell phone flashlight. More importantly, the light on one's phone (iPhone or Andriod) is from LED's.  LED lights emit no UV wavelengths - the most destructive wavelengths of light. As Aszumilo observes, the fluorescent lights at most venues that host comic book shows are doing much more in the way of aging paper. 

Thanks for such an insightful response. While we are on the topic are either the cgc or voldy holders made with materials to “ protect” books from damage caused by “light” ??

[Tony S]

12 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

Thanks for such an insightful response. While we are on the topic are either the cgc or voldy holders made with materials to “ protect” books from damage caused by “light” ??

No
You can order UV blocking film. Slab-pro makes such already pre-cut for CGC slabs. 

https://slab-pro.myshopify.com/products/uv-clear-protectors

It is worth noting that while UV wavelengths are the most destructive, all light is damaging over the long term to paper. If you display your slabs, for safety it should be in a room with no windows and the (LED) lights should be off except when you are actually in the room. 

I personally make color copies of covers I like and frame those. My comics - slabbed or raw - stay in boxes, in the dark. 

Edited October 2, 2018 by Tony S

[Chicago Boy]

10 hours ago, Tony S said:

No
You can order UV blocking film. Slab-pro makes such already pre-cut for CGC slabs. 

https://slab-pro.myshopify.com/products/uv-clear-protectors

It is worth noting that while UV wavelengths are the most destructive, all light is damaging over the long term to paper. If you display your slabs, for safety it should be in a room with no windows and the (LED) lights should be off except when you are actually in the room. 

I personally make color copies of covers I like and frame those. My comics - slabbed or raw - stay in boxes, in the dark. 

You’re my go to for lighting questions    

How about the flash of light when you are making color copies of your covers ?  ( I’m probably getting to granular here....). 

[Tony S]

4 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

You’re my go to for lighting questions    

How about the flash of light when you are making color copies of your covers ?  ( I’m probably getting to granular here....). 

If you lay a comic book out on your driveway - in full sun - you'll start to notice a change in paper within just a few days. Comic books hung on dealers walls where the store has big windows and florescent lighting and the lights are on 8-12 hours a day 5-7 days a week will start to look faded and have color shifts in a couple of months.  

Experts in the field displaying and preserving valuable paper documents (Library of Congress, Northeast Document Conservation Center) list "best practices" for such. LED lighting at the lowest level practical, lights only on when the items are being viewed, no windows with sunlight coming in.  And of course temperature and humidity should be controlled to the ideal ranges. Which fortunately isn't hard. If you are hot and sweaty in the room with your comics - the room is too hot and humid. If you are comfortable, your books are as well. 

So the takeaway from all of this is limited exposure to light - including using light to examine books or scan them - isn't going to be an issue at all. The real damage occurs from long term exposure. And it's possible to balance display and exposure.  A windowless room (or darkening window shades), LED lights - and the lights only on when you are admiring the books. 

I personally prefer to frame pictures of covers and art prints for display in my comic room and keep my comics - raw and slabbed - in boxes in the dark.  But I know many collectors like displaying their professionally graded and slabbed comics. If one follows the recommendations of professionals in the field of paper conservation it is possible to do so safely. If one displays their slabbed books in bright, sunny rooms there will - in a year or less - be regrets. 

Edited October 2, 2018 by Tony S

[Chicago Boy]

6 hours ago, Tony S said:

If you lay a comic book out on your driveway - in full sun - you'll start to notice a change in paper within just a few days. Comic books hung on dealers walls where the store has big windows and florescent lighting and the lights are on 8-12 hours a day 5-7 days a week will start to look faded and have color shifts in a couple of months.  

Experts in the field displaying and preserving valuable paper documents (Library of Congress, Northeast Document Conservation Center) list "best practices" for such. LED lighting at the lowest level practical, lights only on when the items are being viewed, no windows with sunlight coming in.  And of course temperature and humidity should be controlled to the ideal ranges. Which fortunately isn't hard. If you are hot and sweaty in the room with your comics - the room is too hot and humid. If you are comfortable, your books are as well. 

So the takeaway from all of this is limited exposure to light - including using light to examine books or scan them - isn't going to be an issue at all. The real damage occurs from long term exposure. And it's possible to balance display and exposure.  A windowless room (or darkening window shades), LED lights - and the lights only on when you are admiring the books. 

I personally prefer to frame pictures of covers and art prints for display in my comic room and keep my comics - raw and slabbed - in boxes in the dark.  But I know many collectors like displaying their professionally graded and slabbed comics. If one follows the recommendations of professionals in the field of paper conservation it is possible to do so safely. If one displays their slabbed books in bright, sunny rooms there will - in a year or less - be regrets. 

and thank you !