Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Have you ever wondered how to keep your collection of Superman comics, Archie comics and other comics in a decent form for future generations? Whether you keep them for nostalgic memories from childhood or to generate future income from their sale, their value in both cases is determined by your ability to create suitable conditions for their storage.

Steps

1. 1 When you take a comic in your hands, they should be clean. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling the comic. If you just rinse your hands, there is a possibility that they will still be dirty.This procedure will remove all grease from your hands and protect the cover and comic pages from unwanted stains. Ideally, you should wear gloves when handling the comic. It is necessary to hold the comic so that your hands are away from the middle where the pages are held together, so the best option is to keep it closer to the edge of the page, top or bottom. It is best to place your hands away from the spine of the comic to avoid leaving fingerprints on it.
2. 2 Place comics in a bag, in a special cover / sleeve for storing comics. Use companies that specialize in the sale of document archiving equipment to purchase these envelopes.
   • Mylar (polyester, nylon) envelopes are most suitable for storing comics (see tips at the end of the article). Although the use of such a wrapper is a key factor in the preservation of comics, it is not always necessary if the comics are periodically checked and, if yellowing occurs on them, the cover is changed to store it.
   • Special envelopes / covers are required to properly hold and prevent undue stress on the binding of the comic and to prevent abrasion of the corners of the pages. Naturally, new envelopes are not affected by the environment, but over time, due to oxidation, the comic book can begin to turn yellow in it. In order to remedy the situation, a 24% sulfate solution (bleach) is used, which is applied to one side of the envelope and the comic strip should lie for a while on this side (used for short-term storage - up to 5 years). The untreated side will take on a yellowish brown tint. For long-term storage, use envelopes with extra storage space.
   • For everyday use, regular bags and envelopes are less costly and acceptable. Unless you store an untouched comic in a milar cover, you should plan to replace the cover every 7 years or so.
3. 3 Organize your comics. Arrange the comics in order and find a special storage box. It is best to use non-oxidizing cardboard boxes for this purpose. You can also purchase small boxes of this kind in specialized online stores selling special boxes and containers for archiving and preserving documents.
4. 4 Store comics in a cool (ideally 70 degrees Fahrenheit or below), dry (50-60% RH), and protected from light, without sudden changes in temperature or humidity. The pantry is the best way to store comic boxes. Try to avoid storing comics in the basement, as leaking pipes can flood and destroy your entire collection. If you still have no other choice, then make sure the comic boxes are located 1 foot off the ground so that if flooding did take place, the water would not reach the comics. Also, if you are considering a basement as a place to store a collection, you should be burdened with the idea of ​​buying plastic containers where you will store them. That is, if everything was flooded, then the water would not have leaked into the inside anyway (in addition, these containers should stay on the water, although, I hope you will not have such a situation with an abundant amount of water in the basement)
5. 5 Check the comics regularly. Check for color changes on covers, yellowing and mildew. If you notice even the slightest sign of mold, remove the comic from the entire box, lay them out in the fresh air, and check them after three days. If you still smell mildew in a comic book box, urgently replace the envelopes or covers with it. After that, if the mold smell has become less noticeable, dispose of the books damaged by mold, or at least store them separately so that there is no contact with the rest of the collection.Mold is a very tenacious parasite, and it can quickly spread and infect your entire collection, even through milar envelopes (not to mention the smallest mold smell will make any potential buyer cancel the deal).
6. 6 Insure your collection. Comics are not covered by the regular insurance policy - they require an appropriate supplement. If your collection is very large and really valuable, then it is best to speak with your insurance agent to make a supplement to your insurance policy with insurance against the risk of losing comics in the event of fire or theft.
7. 7 Let professional, large companies appreciate your priceless collection. This is the ultimate protection for your comics as they are thoroughly sealed in an alkaline cover after a panel of experts decides that the subject is worthwhile. The comic can be reprinted and checked for quality and evaluated by the same group for a small fee in case the comic needs to be shown to a potential buyer.

Tips

• Gold and silver comic books are more susceptible to yellowing and harmful substances during storage. New comics are printed on alkaline paper, so unless you keep them out in the sun, in water, or flammable on a regular basis, consistently caring for the comics is essential.
• The best envelopes and covers won't do what clean hands can.
• Milar film is easy to stretch and wear out. If you read your comics frequently, you may notice how the milar film becomes cloudy over time. This does not in any way affect her ability to protect your comics from any impact, but if you do decide to sell this comic, you should replace the milar envelope.
• Remember, comics aren't just for collecting and resale. Any comic is a delicate work, an excellent combination of plot lines and artistic interpretation of the story. Treat them properly, take care of them wisely, but remember that they are first and foremost printed to be read and enjoyed.
• Make sure the box you buy is the right size for the comics (older comics vary in size). Gold and Silver editions of comics are wider than modern, mainstream comics, so they require a custom, custom box.

Warnings

Do not store comics in safes. There is an argument that fire-resistant chemical elements penetrate through the milar envelopes, which leads to faster wear of the collection.