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How To Preserve Comic Books



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How To Preserve Comic Books

A comic book is a precious work of art made of volatile materials that can be destroyed by elemental dangers such as light, heat and humidity. To save your world, you can't just store your comics. You have to preserve them.

You Will Need

* 1 Mylar sleeve
* 1 Acid-free backing board
* 1 Corrugated comic storage box
* 1 Tab divider
* 2 Silica gel
* 1 Cool, dark space.

Step 1:
Bag It
Unless you're leafing through a comic book, it should never live outside of its bag. Comic bags come in various sizes to fit different sized comic books. A correctly fitting bag protects your book best. High-quality comic book sleeves are made of acid- free Mylar D- specifically for archiving. If you decide to go cheap, and buy polypropylene or polyethylene bags, use them, but replace them every three to five years. Don't try storing comics in your mother's zippy. Zippy's provide no protection and look completely ridiculous.
Step 2:
Back It
Placing an acid-free comic backing board behind or preferably in the center of your comic, then putting it inside a sleeve helps prevent the comic spine from crushing and the comic pages from crimping or wrinkling. Regular cardboard contains acid, which will damage your books. Comic backing boards have additives to protect against this.
Step 3:
Stack It
Comics are best stored vertically; stacked in plastic, waterproof, acid-free storage boxes. These boxes preserve flatness and spine tightness, and keep comic books away from changing environmental conditions. You can stay organized by using dividers to keep titles separated. Don't try to cram your comics into bookshelves. They won't fit properly and you may wind up crushing or bending your comics.
Step 4:
Store It
Store comic books away from direct light sources, especially fluorescent light or sunlight, which contains high levels of ultraviolet radiation. Also keep away from high temperatures to avoid fungus and mold. And stay away from humidity, because paper will absorb the moisture and be ruined. Your best bet is to throw some silica gel into your storage box to reduce moisture. Afterward, store your collection in a cold, dark, place away from windows like a basement or your closet.