Comic Book Storage Boxes
The day of keeping your comic collection in just some nice clean cardboard box are over. It is now a known fact that such simple storage opinion are straight forward, but damaging to comics over time. The reason for the is the cardboard itself. Acid in the wood pulp of cardboard can migrate into first the cover of a comic and over time the inside pages discoloring and aiding in breaking down their physical structure over time. Lucky there are quick a few vendors who make varying types of fairly acid free comic storage boxes.
Things to look out for when choosing the right storage box for your consideration.
• Check to see that your are getting the right size boxes for your collection. A box the is a maybe a little big, like putting modern size book in a box made for silver and golden maybe a waste of space, but is better than the reverse situation.
• Seams on storage boxes can break if the container is over loaded or with weather condition that can effect the chemical bound of the adhesive.
• Make sure the height of the storage box with its lid is high enough it fit the type of Comic Encapsulation you are using. For example, make sure it you use mylar with vertical flaps that the height is not higher than the top of your box, if it is you may have problem with closing the lid on the boxes you have.
Tape:
The most under rated comic encapsulation support material is tape. It is used to keep the flap on mylar sleeves closed. Before acid free tape, comics could and did get damaged by tape getting old and releasing acids
Click here for the main type of acid tape to use, in general. TIP: remove tape from mylar before taking a comic out of sleeve, then put it back on when finished. A little piece of tape is not worth damaging your comic book.
Paper Conservation Associations and Education
Educational information about the conservation of paper, including comics.
- American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic: Paper Conservation Catalog
- Bleeding Cool-CGC Insider:Here you will find issues that may influence the grading of a comic book by the CGC. Good information to know in terms of comic book care and what to submit to the CGC other comic book grading companies.
- Northeast Document Conservation Center: The Northeast Document Conservation Center has a free Online textbook called:
Preservation 101 Preservation Basics For Paper And Media Collections.
See Session 4: Caring For Paper Collections- Also see the Additional Resources page: Section 4
- Do a search: “Paper Conservation”, “Paper Care” or “Comic”, to find many interesting and some useful resources.
- Collectibles Shop has page called the Overstreet Comic Book Grading Scale & Definitions