STORING YOUR COMIC BOOKS – BEST PRACTICES

Whether you are collecting comics for fun or profit there are best practices you need to be aware of to safely store comics so that they can be preserved:

1. bag your comics – a plastic bag needs to be used to help preserve your comics. Do not use just any plastic bag. You will find all sizes of protective bags on E-bay. The materials you will find bags made of are polyethylene, polypropylene or Mylar. The first two will last about 3 to 5 years. Mylar bags will last longer and is what I recommend. Make sure the bags you do buy are acid free.

2. use a backing board – You want to use a backing board in order to keep your comics flat while in the bag. You should know that backing boards will need eventually replaced. A guide is 3 to 5 years.

3. tape the bag – you want to keep the comic bags taped shut. Regular tape is fine.

WHERE TO STORE YOUR COMICS

4. put your comics in boxes – acid free boxes are a necessity for storage. The comics need to be in bags and stood upright in the box.

5. store comics in a safe place – the best place to store your box containing comics is a cool, dry and dark space. The attic is the worse place to store your comics. Also a good practice is to keep the boxes off the floor. Some recommend 5 to 10 inches from the floor and there should be space around it so that air will circulate.

6. check them – don’t just put your comics away and forget them. Check them often for damage. Some people even recommend using cotton gloves to handle the comics.

Some of the above may seem extreme to some but you are trying to preserve history.