Not sure if storing correctly 0

[Hewitt]

Hey all, 

I started collecting a few months ago. I've been bagging and boarding my stuff, and bought a storage box to put it all in. However, I went over my stuff last night, and I'm not sure if its being bent

 

I've attached some pictures (Haven't sealed flaps yet - still researching best way to do). The yellow boards are some older Hawkgirl comics I bought, all the rest is new. The rear two boards are whats got me the most worried. They used to be at the front, and seem the most visibly bent.

 

Really worried guys - most of the stuff in there isn't valuable, but I really don't want it to get damaged. 

 

On a side note, I just bought the Justice League Hawkgirl sketch cover, and REALLY don't want anything to happen to that. I was thinking of just putting laying that on its own in a drawer, with nothing on top of it. Would this be the best way of keeping it safe? 

[dfx1]

What is that?

[marvelmaniac]

As long as you are using Mylites (recommended), Acid Free Boards and storing in proper comic book storage boxes you should be fine.

(Along with storing in a controlled environment with consistent temp/humidity and away from light)

The key is not to over stuff the box, use the same size bags/boards for all of your books and boxes that are not completely filled use a towel or something similar to prevent the books from falling on each other. (it appears you have already done this)

You can also add an extra board separately between each book to prevent the books from sitting directly on each other.

If you have a book that is very expensive/special to you that you do not want damaged you can certainly lie it flat by itself in a drawer with no issues as long as it is in its bag and boarded.

Just remember this...

There were high grade collections of key books uncovered and the books were just piled on top of each other with no protection at all, if you are careful your books will bring you a lifetime of enjoyment without being damaged.

[Hewitt]

On 12/30/2018 at 4:03 PM, marvelmaniac said:

As long as you are using Mylites (recommended), Acid Free Boards and storing in proper comic book storage boxes you should be fine.

(Along with storing in a controlled environment with consistent temp/humidity and away from light)

The key is not to over stuff the box, use the same size bags/boards for all of your books and boxes that are not completely filled use a towel or something similar to prevent the books from falling on each other. (it appears you have already done this)

You can also add an extra board separately between each book to prevent the books from sitting directly on each other.

If you have a book that is very expensive/special to you that you do not want damaged you can certainly lie it flat by itself in a drawer with no issues as long as it is in its bag and boarded.

Just remember this...

There were high grade collections of key books uncovered and the books were just piled on top of each other with no protection at all, if you are careful your books will bring you a lifetime of enjoyment without being damaged.

Hey man, thanks for the help, really appreciate it. Yeah, got a towel in there at the moment, trying to keep everything as upright as possible. Does it matter if the stuff in your collection leans to one side? I’m trying to keep my stuff as straight as possible, but when i go to my local comic book store, all the books are visibly leaning forwards or backwards.

Got another question, if you don’t mind: I’ve noticed that the pages of the stuff I’ve bought and read through seem bent in comparison to stuff I haven’t read yet (I’ve attached a picture below to show what I mean). Is this to be expected, or am I doing something wrong?

Edited January 5, 2019 by Hewitt

[Bomber-Bob]

On 12/20/2018 at 4:51 PM, Hewitt said:

 

I'm not sure I like the towel there for support. You need something solid. Put some TPB books or something else in there. You can tape the flaps, not sure what you need to 'research'. Align your books better by tilting the box on it's side. Your books are staggered. If you have a better book, double board it. Yes, lying it flat in a drawer is fine but it doesn't seem feasible as a permenant solution. 

[marvelmaniac]

4 hours ago, Hewitt said:

Hey man, thanks for the help, really appreciate it. Yeah, got a towel in there at the moment, trying to keep everything as upright as possible. Does it matter if the stuff in your collection leans to one side? I’m trying to keep my stuff as straight as possible, but when i go to my local comic book store, all the books are visibly leaning forwards or backwards.

Got another question, if you don’t mind: I’ve noticed that the pages of the stuff I’ve bought and read through seem bent in comparison to stuff I haven’t read yet (I’ve attached a picture below to show what I mean). Is this to be expected, or am I doing something wrong?

That is from opening the book and reading it.

The "proper" way to read a comic book is to lie it flat on a table allowing the book to lie flat naturally, maybe on a clean soft towel (away from all food/drink/smoke/florescent light/sunlight and all sources of heat and moisture, so no reading in the bathroom.)

When turning the pages you must slowly and gently lift each page after reading it and allow the page to fall naturally on its own never opening the book fully to put any stress on the spine.

And of course be sure you sit up straight, no slouching in your uncomfortable hard wooded/metal chair. 

Sounds like "Ton's Of Fun", Huh???  

I grew up in the 60's and reading comics was FUN Entertainment for kids.

When reading comics we completely opened the book and folded it over to make it easier to hold while reading, folded in half and put in our back pocket when riding our bikes or walking down the street and wrote and drew on them to personalize them and let everyone know who they belonged to.

We read them wherever you were at the time, at the 7-11, lying in your yard, lounging on the couch, in a tree, did not matter.

That is why I LOVE reading copies  , they look like the books i bought "New" in the 60's, who knows, they could be.

[Hewitt]

On 1/5/2019 at 3:21 PM, Die Humberto Die! said:

I would not waste a Mylar on that book, a polyethylene or polypropylene bag would be fine.

That's not the expensive one I bought, although that one isn't in Mylar either. 

 

I know its not a expensive book, but still don't want any of my stuff getting damaged. At the same time, I don't want to put off reading anything for fear of it getting damaged. 

Edited January 6, 2019 by Hewitt

[Hewitt]

23 hours ago, marvelmaniac said:

That is from opening the book and reading it.

The "proper" way to read a comic book is to lie it flat on a table allowing the book to lie flat naturally, maybe on a clean soft towel (away from all food/drink/smoke/florescent light/sunlight and all sources of heat and moisture, so no reading in the bathroom.)

When turning the pages you must slowly and gently lift each page after reading it and allow the page to fall naturally on its own never opening the book fully to put any stress on the spine.

And of course be sure you sit up straight, no slouching in your uncomfortable hard wooded/metal chair. 

Sounds like "Ton's Of Fun", Huh???  

I grew up in the 60's and reading comics was FUN Entertainment for kids.

When reading comics we completely opened the book and folded it over to make it easier to hold while reading, folded in half and put in our back pocket when riding our bikes or walking down the street and wrote and drew on them to personalize them and let everyone know who they belonged to.

We read them wherever you were at the time, at the 7-11, lying in your yard, lounging on the couch, in a tree, did not matter.

That is why I LOVE reading copies  , they look like the books i bought "New" in the 60's, who knows, they could be.

So am I getting worried about nothing? It's just something you have to accept unless you want to be super pedantic? Like I said, don't want to damage or ruin a book, but I don't want to be pedantic to the point of it becoming a chore. 

Edited January 6, 2019 by Hewitt

[Cpt Kirk]

If you are going to have hundreds (or even thousands) of comic books, I suggest Mylites+ and acid-free backing boards (half backs should be fine for comic books that aren't too expensive).   They aren't cheap (probably 20 to 30 cents per comic book depending on how many you buy), but I recommend mylar because the regular poly bags eventually get yellow and wrinkly.   After changing the cheap bags for about the 3rd time, I went with Mylites in the mid-1990's for everything.  20+ years later they still look perfect and I'm really glad I made that move.

[The Lions Den]

22 hours ago, Hewitt said:

So am I getting worried about nothing? It's just something you have to accept unless you want to be super pedantic? Like I said, don't want to damage or ruin a book, but I don't want to be pedantic to the point of it becoming a chore. 

I wouldn't say you're worried about nothing, but as long as you're bagging and boarding and storing your books carefully, chances are you're going to be OK. I have some pretty valuable high grade books that I handle on a regular basis and I am not afraid!   

One of my old bosses would always ask if it made me nervous to handle a comic book that was worth a lot of money. My reply was this: "No, because I handle them all the same way---very carefully." 

The books you really have to watch out for are books that already have damage of some kind (such as tears, chips or splits) or books that are extremely fragile due to improper storage or their inherent manufacturing weaknesses. I hope this helps, and have fun with your collection!  

[marvelmaniac]

11 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

I wouldn't say you're worried about nothing, but as long as you're bagging and boarding and storing your books carefully, chances are you're going to be OK. I have some pretty valuable high grade books that I handle on a regular basis and I am not afraid!   

One of my old bosses would always ask if it made me nervous to handle a comic book that was worth a lot of money. My reply was this: "No, because I handle them all the same way---very carefully." 

The books you really have to watch out for are books that already have damage of some kind (such as tears, chips or splits) or books that are extremely fragile due to improper storage or their inherent manufacturing weaknesses. I hope this helps, and have fun with your collection!  

+1, have fun with your collection!!!

My last post was an "over exaggeration" of how "they" tell you to "properly handle your comics".

If you buy an older/more expensive book just be careful when reading it and placing it in and removing it from the bag. if it is a newer book that is not expensive but is something you really, really like buy two copies, one to put in your collection and one to read.

With a lot of older/key books they have been reprinted so you can have the actual book stored safely away and still read the actual story in a very inexpensive reprint, Marvel Milestone Editions and Marvel Tales for instance (Not sure about DC reprints since I do not collect DC)

It is fun to collect and have the actual books that you can go to when you feel the urge to hold actual paper and print in your hand however, there are collections on DVD and digitally online so you can own the book but can read the story over and over without having to constantly take the book in and out of the bag.

I was given this for Christmas about 12/13 years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Git-90001-Years-Fantastic-Four/dp/0976888602

The choices are all yours to make and again...

HAVE FUN DOING IT!!!

 

[Hewitt]

Sounds like buying duplicates or a digital copy as well as the physical one might be the way to go, at least for stuff I really like. I generally prefer reading a physical copy, but digital is definitely more convient.

So what would a reasonable person who wants to read something without risking damaging it do? Would the way I’ve handled the pages be viewed as serious damage, or is it pretty standard for a read book?

Edited January 7, 2019 by Hewitt

[The Lions Den]

2 hours ago, Hewitt said:

Sounds like buying duplicates or a digital copy as well as the physical one might be the way to go, at least for stuff I really like. I generally prefer reading a physical copy, but digital is definitely more convient.

So what would a reasonable person who wants to read something without risking damaging it do? Would the way I’ve handled the pages be viewed as serious damage, or is it pretty standard for a read book?

In my view, serious damage usually results from not taking care of your books at all. When I was younger, we used to just throw all the comics in a cardboard box---no bag, no board, no care whatsoever. And we used to put baseball cards in the spokes of our bicycles, too. We never dreamed that someday these cheap playthings would be worth so much. 

I do enjoy reading actual books, so for ones I really want to read I purchase reprints or lower grade copies. And I still read and inspect many of the high grade books I own, but when I take them out of the bag I keep the backing board with them and set them on a table whenever possible. The biggest fears I have are suddenly having an uncontrollable urge to sneeze or accidentally losing my grip on the book. You think professional sports players can make some great saves? They've got nothing on comic and book collectors...  

[ExNihilo]

2 hours ago, Hewitt said:

Sounds like buying duplicates or a digital copy as well as the physical one might be the way to go, at least for stuff I really like. I generally prefer reading a physical copy, but digital is definitely more convient.

So what would a reasonable person who wants to read something without risking damaging it do? Would the way I’ve handled the pages be viewed as serious damage, or is it pretty standard for a read book?

Most modern books are likely worth less than the retailer suggested amount on the cover, so no need to buy duplicates of everything.  For the majority of books, one book treated with care is all you'll need.

Regarding proper storage, the very basics begin with atmospheric conditions (temperature and humidity).  Next comes proper bags/boards.  Again, for most books, standard polypropylene bags and acid free boards will suffice.  If you want to plan ahead and don't mind the cost, then you might be better off splurging now and buying Mylites2 and full back boards.

Next is storage in a box (or shelf).  When it comes to short/long boxes, the inside wall where you grip the box often has a cardboard insert that comes about halfway up a book.  You'll want to place a thick piece of cardboard on either end of the box to prevent your books from resting against this half piece cardboard insert.  This is to prevent your books from bending at the pressure point where the cardboard digs into the book.  If your book rests against a full cardboard piece, the pressure on the book is applied evenly across the entire face of the book.  Beyond that, I recommend alternating books so they rest front to front and then back to back.  This guy discusses the alternating book method I prescribe to.  Lastly, when filling a box, you'll obviously want to make sure all books are lined up for even weight distribution.  You can easily achieve this just by having all your books pushed up against one wall of the box.  As others have mentioned, also make sure you have something to prop the books so they're all upright (this can be a towel, extra backing boards, TPB's, etc).  Lastly, when the box is almost full, make sure to not overstuff it.  You don't want too much pressure on the books and spines.

If you want to get into greater care, I handle all my books with gloves now to avoid getting fingerprints on my books.  (I subbed a book once and the graders notes came back "Fingerprint on cover").  If you want to optimize protection, I recommend this link, in particular I double bag all my non-slabbed high value books in both Mylar2's and then a Mylar archival bag.  There was a question once about long term usage of fullbacks and whether or not the ink would rub off on them over an extended amount of time.  If you wish to avoid the potential for this, you can place your book in the Mylar2, then place 1 or 2 fullbacks in the archival bag (as opposed to within the Mylar2).  This way the only thing your book touches is the Mylar2.

[Dr. Love]

if you don't go the distance and wear gloves, which most don't, at least be sure to wash and dry your hands before handling the books, which most don't.  And it seems ridiculous to say it, but don't have any liquids around where you're reading.

[ExNihilo]

20 minutes ago, Dr. Love said:

if you don't go the distance and wear gloves, which most don't, at least be sure to wash and dry your hands before handling the books, which most don't.  And it seems ridiculous to say it, but don't have any liquids around where you're reading.

[marvelmaniac]

It all comes down to what you are collecting for...

If you are collecting as an investment only then you should take all necessary precautions.

If you are collecting for fun and enjoyment then you do not need to go overboard, just be careful and use common sense when reading/handling the books.

BTW, just out of curiosity, what do you enjoy reading/collecting?

[gradejunky]

On 1/7/2019 at 1:42 PM, Hewitt said:

Sounds like buying duplicates or a digital copy as well as the physical one might be the way to go, at least for stuff I really like. I generally prefer reading a physical copy, but digital is definitely more convient.

So what would a reasonable person who wants to read something without risking damaging it do? Would the way I’ve handled the pages be viewed as serious damage, or is it pretty standard for a read book?

I handle all my books real careful, even when reading them.  I can read a book and preserve the grade usually on new stuff.  If a book has even the tiniest NCB tics on the spine, no matter how careful you are, the pure act of opening the book will more than likely flake a little bit of the substrate off leaving you with probably not a 9.8, if it was even to begin with.  That being said, I have read books before and then sent them to CGC and gotten a 9.8!  I lay my books inside a much larger book or even a Previews catalog and that cradles the book very well.  Oh and I do handle my books with gloves when going through a lot of them.  I tend to fingerprint books like no other!

[thehumantorch]

On 1/6/2019 at 9:53 AM, Hewitt said:

That's not the expensive one I bought, although that one isn't in Mylar either. 

 

I know its not a expensive book, but still don't want any of my stuff getting damaged. At the same time, I don't want to put off reading anything for fear of it getting damaged. 

Welcome to the boards and the hobby.  

Reading a comic may cause damage so you'll have to decide what's most important to you or you'll have to buy two copies of everything, one for reading and one for preserving in high grade.  Even if you buy two copies of each book you'll still go nuts as the copy you read may end up higher grade than the copy you don't read as not every book is mint when you buy it.

[Hewitt]

On 1/8/2019 at 3:19 PM, marvelmaniac said:

It all comes down to what you are collecting for...

If you are collecting as an investment only then you should take all necessary precautions.

If you are collecting for fun and enjoyment then you do not need to go overboard, just be careful and use common sense when reading/handling the books.

BTW, just out of curiosity, what do you enjoy reading/collecting?

Got into collecting with the MLP: Nightmare Knights series, mainly because of this issue: 

I’d bought some stuff before then, but really fell in love with the cover art of this one, and have been collecting the rest and what I can get from the main series.

I also try to get anything Hawkgirl related (I managed to get a few issues from her individual series and some stuff from Justice League). Was my favourite character from the Justice League cartoons as a kid, also my main in the first Injustice.

Besides that, I’ll just things that have pretty covers. Box has got some Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, Black Order stuff that I bought purely on the cover art.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Hewitt