How To Properly Store Comic Books
Posted on: 27 February 2018
Comic books can hold a great deal of monetary value, but that value also depends on the condition that individual books are in when they are sold. In order to maintain the condition of your comic books, and thus their sticker price, you need to make sure that your editions are properly stored to prevent any sort of damage occurring while they are sitting idle in a storage unit or your home.
Bagging and Boarding
The first thing that you should do to protect your comic books from the elements is to make sure that they are all properly bagged and boarded. Comic book bags, and acid free cardboard boards, can all be purchased at most comic book stores and online, and will seal your collection against moisture and elemental exposure while still providing enough structural support to prevent rolling, ripping, curling and other forms of physical damage which can manifest in loosely stored books. Make sure to use clean gloves while putting loose books into bags, since the oils on your skin can also cause staining and damage to the fragile pages of comic books.
Storage Format
Of course, storing loose bags and boards is asking for something to get folded or damaged. Instead, you should make use of acid free cardboard boxes: these boxes are usually made out of heavy corrugated cardboard that can protect wrapped comic books from physical damage, and their acid free nature means that they won't alter the colors of your book in the case that a bag accidentally rips or is left open. Make sure that you always store your books standing up, not laying flat, to ensure that no folding or damage to the spine occurs.
Climate Control
Finally, once all of your comic books are properly protected against the various elements and physical damage which can cause degradation, you need to find a place to store them. You'll want to store them out of direct sunlight and in a moderate temperature with minimal humidity levels, since heat, cold, fluctuations between the two, and high concentrations of moisture in the air can all cause damage to comic books. A dark closet in an easily accessible (and preferably not underground, to make moisture less likely) area of your home is a good choice, but if you are looking to free up some space within your home, you may want to consider renting a climate-controlled storage unit or locker, which will accomplish the same thing but is located at another location.
To learn more, talk with different businesses such as AA All American Airborne Self-Storage.
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