Expect most comic book bags to be made of one of either three materials: Mylar, polyethylene, and polypropylene. [2] X Research source Save Mylar for your most cherished, expensive, or frail books, since Mylar is the thickest material and will offer the most protection. Use polyethylene and polypropylene (the least expensive) for the rest of your collection.
Golden Age (1940’s and earlier): 7 ¾ by 10 ½ inches, or 19. 685 by 26. 67 cm. Silver Age (1950’s to 1980’s): 7 ⅛ by 10 ½ inches, or 18. 1 by 26. 67 cm. Current Age: (1980’s to present): 6 ⅞ by 10 ½ inches, or 17. 46 by 26. 67 cm.
Some backing boards are “buffered,” meaning that one side is smoother than the other. If yours is buffered, have the smoother side facing the comic inside the bag. [6] X Research source Since acids can ruin your comic, make sure your backing board is acid-free. If you purchased a bagged comic with a backing board included, either confirm with the seller that the board is acid-free or replace it yourself to be 100% sure. [7] X Research source
On the plus side, sealing the bag with tape will further reduce the chance of any outside elements coming into contact with the comic. [8] X Research source However, when the bag is reopened, the sticky tape at the edge of the flap may come into contact with the comic when it is removed or reinserted, causing damage. [9] X Research source
Even if you plan on expanding your collection in the future, buy a box that is appropriately sized for your current collection. Storing 100 comics in a “long” box that fits 300 will allow room for your upright comics to fall forward. With cardboard boxes, make sure that the cardboard is acid-free. For the most protection from outside elements, use plastic boxes.
The combined weight of so many comics stacked on top of each other may press together the pages of those at the base, forming a seal, which will cause tears when you try to open them again. Additionally, if the edges of the comics themselves are not lined up exactly with each other, the weight of those on top may cause the corners or edges of those below to bend and crease.
If you don’t have adequate shelving, place your boxes on another raised surface, such as a pallet. [15] X Research source Avoid stacking cardboard boxes if possible. If you must, keep your stacks to a maximum of five boxes each to prevent the ones on the bottom from being crushed under all that weight. Label each box according to your organizational method. [16] X Research source Rotate the one at the bottom of the stack to the top periodically so no one box bears the brunt of all that weight over the long run. Ideal temperatures are between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 21 degrees Celsius). Humidity should ideally be around 35 percent, never more than 50 percent. [17] X Trustworthy Source Library of Congress Official library of the U. S. and main research institution for Congress and the American public Go to source [18] X Research source
However, if you have no intention of ever reselling it and instead want to ensure that it holds up for multiple re-readings, go right ahead.
