The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection -

Home
>
Crafts & Hobbies
>
The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection

The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection

If you want to keep your comic book collection in tiptop shape, comic book supplies will become part of your collecting life. As soon as a magazine is printed there are natural environmental forces going to work to try and destroy the ink and the paper. You have put in a lot of time, effort and enjoyment in acquiring all your comics. You don't want them to turn back to the dust and elements from which they came do you? So the proper use of comic book supplies is essential.

Elements such as humidity, temperature, pollutants, human skin oils and even the chemicals of the printed materials themselves, will start to deteriorate and discolor your comic books from day one. Comic book supplies and tools that have been developed over the years to help us combat these natural forces are de-acidification paper, polymer type storage bags, stiff backing material, storage boxes and desiccants (dehumidification materials). Not only will these comic book supplies protect your comics for your own enjoyment, they will add to reinforce the future value of each comic book.

Most all of these comic book supplies can typically be located down at your local comic book shop. But as I have discovered lately, there can be a world of difference in preservation abilities depending on what materials are used in the manufacture of comic book supplies. Quite typically what you may find downtown will be of sufficient protective quality to protect your comics for quite a while. Although, polybags, to put your comics into, are quite common and fairly cheap, Mylar bags are definitely the way to go. They will protect for 100 years (that may be a little overboard) as opposed to 2 or 3 years for poly.

There has been a lot of elaborate science, particularly chemistry, which has gone into comic book supplies preservation material manufacturing the last several years. MicroChamber material has been developed that will increase preservation from de-acidification and environmental breakdown for a vastly superior time period as opposed to typical comic book supplies materials available today. Beware though, comic book supplies manufactured with this new material can become quite costly. But if you have some serious collector's items, which you feel are worth a significant amount of cash, isn't the investment worth it? It is also no secret that CGC uses these comic book supplies materials in every comic book they grade.

I have created a page at my comic book site, which incorporates links to some rather technical scientific articles on preservation and using MicroChamber materials. You can read an in-depth discussion at

www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/comic-book-supplies.html .

Be forewarned though, You may need a moderate understanding of chemistry and physics to completely follow some of the discussions. But the articles will open your eyes to what is available in the comic book industry for comic book supplies preservation supplies these days.

Now if you have a rather rare back issue that may well have a high dollar value, here is a process worth considering. De-acidification products are usually used to neutralize acids in the paper prior to storage of most paper products of a pulp nature. This is not to be taken lightly, as it is considered by most to be an extensive form of restoration. The current understanding of the process is that the staples are removed and the sheets are submerged, film developer style, in a bath of de-acidification material. Then the entire book is rebuilt with new staples. This process can cost around $50 per comic book, when done by a professional, but will restore and increase the life expectancy of your comic book by many years. This process, in my opinion, should only be considered for already deteriorated comics that may have a considerable future worth if restored.

One final item to consider, especially if you live in a high humidity area is the use of descants as part of your comic book supplies arsenal. A desiccant is a chemical sieve for water, and is available for industry use in small packets or in buckets. For our purposes an 8-oz can (that looks like you'd keep a grasshopper in) can be simply put inside the box to absorb moisture and indicates when it is full by changing from crystal colored to pink. These same cans can then be reused by baking them for 3-4 hours in an oven at about 350 F. Each canister can cost around $9-$10 from one supplier called GAYLORDMART. 1 canister per short box and 2 per long box should be sufficient. Another consideration is the little packets typically found in a box of shoes. These are even more inexpensive, but would require further research to insure no harm would come to each comic book.

So as you build your valuable comic book collection, you will want to put some serious consideration into the comic book supplies that you will need. Materials and supplier source will become important variables in your overall decisions. I will have more interesting topics and sources from time to time at my site, so come on over and visit. You may even want to bookmark it.

Dave Gieber owns and edits a website built around one of his childhood passions. Learn the basic essentials to comic book collecting success. To receive your free 5-part mini course visit: Comic Book Supplies

In The News:

Boston Globe
Live (or not) from MIT, it's TechTV
Boston Globe, United States - 15 hours ago
These are just a few of the hobbies of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Pursuing mind-blowing pastimes is nothing new for MIT students ...

Get your fill of hobbies, large and small
Chicago Daily Herald, IL - Jun 28, 2008
Beth Oberle is so ingrained in that concept that "My Eclectic Mess" was the name of her blog for those who enjoy crafts and, even more importantly, ...

EBSCO's New Releases Will Take on American Studies, Multilingual ...
Library Journal, NY - Jun 25, 2008
Finally, with its Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center, EBSCO is covering a niche area previously untouched by database products. Or, more exactly, dozens of ...

Show entries increase despite rough weather
Timaru Herald, New Zealand - 6 hours ago
Hobbies such as knitting and crafts made up the home industries section. Entrants had been from Waimate and further afield. ...

Clubs, hobbies and crafts
Chicago Daily Herald, IL - Jun 8, 2008
The Addison Community Theatre will hold auditions for its summer performance of "The Pirates of the Great Lakes" at 7 pm June 9, 10 and 12 at Addison ...

Alone together: Some retired couples go separate ways under the ...
Newsday, NY - Jul 5, 2008
Mattson, and his wife, Nori, 63, have little in common in terms of hobbies, sports and interests, although he didn't fully realize that until retirement. ...

Hobbies not on people's list of cutbacks
Waterbury Republican American, CT - Jun 24, 2008
Arts and crafts products account for more than $31.7 billion in annual sales, according to Victor Dominie of the Craft and Hobby Association. ...

• SONIC finally becoming a reality in Flint Township ...
MLive.com, MI - Jun 25, 2008
Hobby Lobby has more than 400 stores and its departments range from crafts and hobbies, picture framing, jewelry making, to cards and party, home accents ...

The Chronicle Journal
Making family connections
Chilliwack Times, Canada - Jun 24, 2008
While the kids were learning some new hobbies and crafts, and having some fun, the main goal of the program was to give parents an opportunity to connect ...
Loads of summer programs for kids The Chronicle Journal
all 2 news articles

Class of Distinction: 18 selected for Youth Leadership Blount
Maryville Daily Times, TN - Jun 30, 2008
His hobbies include hunting and fishing and anything to do with being outside enjoying the mountains. Jessica Beaulieu, daughter of Michelle and Stewart ...

crafts hobbies - Google News

The Proper Use of Comic Book Supplies Will Help You Maintain a Top-Notch Collection

Crafts & Hobbies