Bag 'n' Board

[The Wayner]

I was going through stacks of old comics, preparing to bag 'n' board, and started wondering in what condition will some fans pass on the process?

If the book(s) are past a certain year, but in bad condition, does it matter to you? What if it's a less-than-fair condition on a favorite/sentimental title? And so on...

[telerites]

I don't bag any of my reading copies no matter the age. Almost all are silver and bronze age. Golden Age and higher priced Silver Age go in 4 mil mylar with boards. Some are CGC. All others are bagged in mylites with boards (sometimes 2 per mylite with a board in between).

[Sir Tim Drake]

I usually don't bother to bag and board my comics, unless they're in such bad condition that they're likely to be damaged if left unbagged. I make do with the bags and boards that come with the comics.

[dr_cyclops]

Kevin Smith says "Rip in Half". It's been extremely damaging to my collection, but I know what he means! No more bags and boards! Fight the collector insanity! "Read, then rip in half". You have just struck a blow in the "War on Collector's Value". Don't ya feel better? Don't ya never want to read that comic again? :D :p
As a cheap collector, some of the books in my collection are very damaged. I find bagging and boarding them will keep them from falling apart faster. Standard comic format I like to bag and board for protection purposes. TPB and other stiff cover formats I don't bag. :)

[Comic Rush]

Bronze, Silver and Golden Age we personally bag. I highly recommend this regardless of the their condition. You never know the future. As for Modern Age it's a personal preference on what you like and collect. Having your comics cared for show that you honor your prized possessions for futures to come.

Ultimately if your a fanatic CGC'ing your comics is the best and then having a reading copy or buying the trade paperback. However, this debate of slabbing your comics continues.

I've also heard some people have scanned and downloaded their comics. :eek:

[The Wayner]

I had a buddy that scanned every darned comic he owned. Before he passed away, he used to send me tons of stuff that I had never read. Took me a spell to get used to reading them on a comp screen, but it was appreciated.

[DDM]

I bag & board all of my comics. It keeps them from aging than if I left them unprotected. I think it also helps I have a room just for my comics too.

[telerites]

I had a buddy that scanned every darned comic he owned. Before he passed away, he used to send me tons of stuff that I had never read. Took me a spell to get used to reading them on a comp screen, but it was appreciated.

Every single page? A lot of spare time, huh?

I do though scan the covers of all of my Golden Age and more expensive Silver Age.

[nateslate8]

Have their been any studies done (any proof in other words) that bag n board actually help preserve comics? It seems like a no-brainer, but some preservation techniques which were thought to prove helpful, actually turned out to harm what was being preserved.

For example, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in the 1950s, the dealers who first found them and sold them to museum curators, would wrap the scrolls in Scotch tape! Scotch tape had just been invented and some people used it as a way of keeping things from getting scratched. Little did they know that when the glue got old or got to hot from the sun, it would actually detach itself, taking a big chunk of whatever it was stuck to with it.

Anyway, what if years down the road we discover something similar happening to our comics? Maybe the type of plastic has some long-term negative side affects or something.


Anyone able to shed some light on this subject?

[nateslate8]

On a side note, I personally bag and board every single comic I own. I don't see any negative side effects yet and I do know, that at the very least it keeps them from getting bent, marred, or scratched. BUT, and this is a big BUT, does it help keep the ink and paper from fading?

[DDM]

Have their been any studies done (any proof in other words) that bag n board actually help preserve comics? It seems like a no-brainer, but some preservation techniques which were thought to prove helpful, actually turned out to harm what was being preserved.

For example, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in the 1950s, the dealers who first found them and sold them to museum curators, would wrap the scrolls in Scotch tape! Scotch tape had just been invented and some people used it as a way of keeping things from getting scratched. Little did they know that when the glue got old or got to hot from the sun, it would actually detach itself, taking a big chunk of whatever it was stuck to with it.

Anyway, what if years down the road we discover something similar happening to our comics? Maybe the type of plastic has some long-term negative side affects or something.


Anyone able to shed some light on this subject?


I rebag when the bags turn yellow or just look old. Otherwise, I think keeping comics bagged & boarded is just a no-brainer.

Certain paper turns yellow regardless due to the properties. You can't prevent it. Marvel & DC used several experimental paper all throughout the 80's; therefore, you have different kinds of age rate differences.

[telerites]

Here's a pretty good article on "Preservation and Storage of Comic Books". It talks about the different types of bags and paper quality. It is off of BCE products homepage.

http://www.bcemylar.com/paperdocs.html

[scratchie]

My current binge of comic reading and collecting began when I bought some trade paperbacks and decided to start bagging and boarding my copies of Hate and Eightball from the 90s. While I have no regrets about leaving them strewn about the coffee table for my friends to read in my slacker apartment when they were new, but now I want to keep them in as good condition as possible. Not because I care about their "book value", but just because I want them to be in nice condition.

Same for all my comics. I went back and forth for a while on the question of bagging modern comics and various older "odds & sods" but, in the end, decided that I just wanted to keep them in good condition. Again, the question of "book value" is largely moot, since I'm such an inveterate collector that I can't see ever selling them unless I become destitute, but I want to keep them in nice shape, and I don't really want to spend the time or mental energy debating whether it's worth bagging Howard the Duck #33 or the current crappy issues of JLA. I bag em and forget em.

I don't bag modern comics consistently, but generally, whenever a storyline is complete, I bag all the issues that constitute that "run".

[TheHistorian]

I bag and board, but for me it's not really about condition. It's about ease of storage and searching. A box full of the same type of items (bagged/boarded) in it is much easier to flip through than a stack of comics or a box of assorted items, some bagged, some boarded.

It's just more orderly.

[scratchie]

I bag and board, but for me it's not really about condition. It's about ease of storage and searching.An excellent point! It's a lot easier to find the issue you want when they're bagged & boarded.

Here's a pretty good article on "Preservation and Storage of Comic Books". It talks about the different types of bags and paper quality. It is off of BCE products homepage.

http://www.bcemylar.com/paperdocs.htmlThat article is kind of dicey, IMO. I would take it with a grain of salt to begin with, because the author is hardly an impartial observer. It's long on generalities and short on specifics.

I was surprised to read recently that William Gaines (of MAD) had a famous comic book collection that was stored wrapped in paper. I'd like to see more specifics about famous "pedigree" collections and how they were stored. This article makes it sound like 90% of all comic book collections are deteriorating faster because of their storage materials.

[DDM]

An excellent point! It's a lot easier to find the issue you want when they're bagged & boarded.

That article is kind of dicey, IMO. I would take it with a grain of salt to begin with, because the author is hardly an impartial observer. It's long on generalities and short on specifics.

I was surprised to read recently that William Gaines (of MAD) had a famous comic book collection that was stored wrapped in paper. I'd like to see more specifics about famous "pedigree" collections and how they were stored. This article makes it sound like 90% of all comic book collections are deteriorating faster because of their storage materials.

I can't believe a comic will detiorate because of the bag, board, & box storage. Comics kept unprotected age much faster than protected ones.

[dr_cyclops]

I can't believe a comic will detiorate because of the bag, board, & box storage. Comics kept unprotected age much faster than protected ones.
From what I've heard, which may, or may not be true. Air conditions make alot of difference. Wet/dry climates. Comic books stored in attics of hot/dry climates will often yellow to brown, drying out to the point of crumbling. Comic books stored in basements of cold/wet climates can mold and soften the paper to a papertowel-state, as the moisture causes the paper fibers to swell.
I heard a story that a collector had used plastic produce bags from a store. You know the kind they had in the 60s and 70s? The ones on the roll in the produce section. As the story went, The acids in the plastic had desolved the bags to a "sticky plastic goo". Supposedly causing the paper of the books, to brown very dark.
Supposedly, soft plastic comic/magazine bags are to be changed every 4 years. After that, the acids break down to a point of causing damage to the book. Mylar/My-lites, are a harder form of plastic, and therefore don't contain as much acids. Supposedly they are to last for decades.
Cei-U's home caught fire when he was young. His comics were in a glass case in stacks. Aside for the top few comics of each stack, the majority of this collection survived. I've seen these comics, if he had not pointed it out, I propbably wouldn't have noticed for years. Is it possible, that plastic comic bags melting on every issue, could have cost him more in his collection?

[DDM]

From what I've heard, which may, or may not be true. Air conditions make alot of difference. Wet/dry climates. Comic books stored in attics of hot/dry climates will often yellow to brown, drying out to the point of crumbling. Comic books stored in basements of cold/wet climates can mold and soften the paper to a papertowel-state, as the moisture causes the paper fibers to swell.
I heard a story that a collector had used plastic produce bags from a store. You know the kind they had in the 60s and 70s? The ones on the roll in the produce section. As the story went, The acids in the plastic had desolved the bags to a "sticky plastic goo". Supposedly causing the paper of the books, to brown very dark.
Supposedly, soft plastic comic/magazine bags are to be changed every 4 years. After that, the acids break down to a point of causing damage to the book. Mylar/My-lites, are a harder form of plastic, and therefore don't contain as much acids. Supposedly they are to last for decades.
Cei-U's home caught fire when he was young. His comics were in a glass case in stacks. Aside for the top few comics of each stack, the majority of this collection survived. I've seen these comics, if he had not pointed it out, I propbably wouldn't have noticed for years. Is it possible, that plastic comic bags melting on every issue, could have cost him more in his collection?



Produce bags are not good storage conditions for comics; they are thin plastic easily torn. The print does come off with ease. Produce bags are meant for temporary storage.

Comics are supposed to be kept in a dry room temperature area. Extreme harsh weather conditions such as direct sunlight, exposure to the heat & cold, etc al will ruin any comic book. Water damage will ruin books. Fire will too. But then water damage & fire ruins most of the house as well.

I replace my bags when they look old. Otherwise, none of my comics have not dramatically aged because I protect them with bags, boards, & boxes.

Now, I have found newsprint easily yellows after a certain age. Other than locking the comics into special storage--without reading them--seems to be the only way to prevent the yellowing. But that takes the fun out of going back to reread the books.

[TheHistorian]

Supposedly, soft plastic comic/magazine bags are to be changed every 4 years. After that, the acids break down to a point of causing damage to the book.

I'm glad you said supposedly... This is the same as being to told to change your car's oil every 3000 miles - it just isn't necessary that often. Or, rather to say, there are other factors that affect the frequency, so the manufacturers generalize toward *more* frequent, because that sends *more* money their way.

[Comic Rush]

Bags and boards are nice, but do you guys use Mylars, Mylites, MillCases, or any other stronger storage protection?

Also, are you guys particular about what types/brands of bag and boards like acid-free and so forth?

[dr_cyclops]

In the early to mid-90s, I purchased a 40s Catman comic that stunk of mothballs. When I attempted to read it, the fumes were so strong that it gave me a head-ache. I left it out of the bag for a few years, and the fumes greatly decreased. While the condition of the book was impressive, the smell was sickening. :(

[Comic Rush]

In the early to mid-90s, I purchased a 40s Catman comic that stunk of mothballs. When I attempted to read it, the fumes were so strong that it gave me a head-ache. I left it out of the bag for a few years, and the fumes greatly decreased. While the condition of the book was impressive, the smell was sickening. :(

Catman, really? Very nice. Do you still have them?

[DDM]

Also, are you guys particular about what types/brands of bag and boards like acid-free and so forth?

I use Ultra-Pro Silver Age comic book bags for my regular comics; whereas, I use Ultra-Pro Magazine Bags for my magazine comics. I buy the corresponding backboards for comics & magazines.

[dr_cyclops]

Catman, really? Very nice. Do you still have them?
Oh, you had to go there. As much as it pains me to say, no. Went through some really hard time in the 90s and had to sell off my collection to survive. Those Catman comics are a wound that still won't heal, and I stopped picking that scab years ago. ;)

[bolt98]

I tend to bag my older comics in some mylars and mylites when I dig thru them. I have a stack of mylars and mylites and whenever I need to get into an old box with some good oldies, I stick them in.

Anything of substantial value or sentimental value is bagged. I never bag anything new or relatively new.

Some of my old comics from the 70's which I originally bought off the spinner racks have held up well without the bag. They are stored in a bedroom, in a box.

[Chris CCL]

I bag and board everything. Mostly for my own piece of mind. And if I ever want to sell it on e-Bay, I'll be certain to know that it has been taken care of properly.

Chris