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Bagging Comics FAQ
John C:
--- Quote from: paw broon on October 19, 2011, 09:58:44 AM ---I know I go on about non-American comics but it might be of interest that British and European comics come in all shapes and sizes and finding appropriately shaped bags can be a problem, especially if you only have a few of any given example and you can only buy the bags in 50's or 100's. It can become expensive.
--- End quote ---
What about something like a vacuum sealer? As long as you have the board sized, you should be able to keep the plastic from crushing the book, and the plastic rolls get cut and sealed to size. It's been suggested to me a few times over the years, but with all the books identical and with right-sized bags already available, I always thought it was too work-intensive, but for what you describe, might be a better fit, so to speak.
(I'm assuming that food-safe implies acid-free, mind you, and the vacuuming doesn't rip pages apart, not that you need to suck all the air out, especially if you're just going to cut the bag back open to read.)
paw broon:
A bloke who ran a bookshop in Glasgow a fair while ago, used heat sealed bags without boards for old American comics but the plastic was so flimsy it really didn't work. As for vacuum sealing, I've never considered it. Apart from anything else, I'd need the piece of kit. But, when I say so many sizes and shapes, I mean it. I'm looking at a shelf of European comics right now and I can see without getting out of my seat, 7 different landscape sizes. And pocket libraries vary both in height and width and thickness. E.g. Kriminal and Diabolik are narrower than most British pocket libraries and beeldromans are much smaller. Fortunately, both British and Euro sleeves and boards are available for these pocket comics and I do have a lot of them.
Here, many British comic dealers use bakers bags (you know, the ones for holding cakes, rolls etc.), which are white paper backs with cellophane fronts. I bought some old British titles at the weekend and they were bagged in bakers bags. Not sure if they are neutral but I tend to change them as soon as I can.
OtherEric:
It's not just UK books. One thing I found hilarious was the first four hardcovers from DC/Vertigo's Fables series. All 4 have distinctly different trim sizes. (Admittedly, it was one OGN, one prose novel, one collection of covers, and one deluxe reprint collection. Still funny.)
Roygbiv666:
Without knowing dimensions, it's hard to say - couldn't you just buy the biggest size bags and use them for all.
As for food/freezer bags, that's how DC's Answer Man Bob Rozakis recommended storing comics in one of his columns - put multiple comics in one big bag, seal it up, fold over excess bag and voila. Don't know how/if acidic they are though, but I believe there are little ... baggies of something that are designed to neutralize acids.
I kept the majority of my comics growing up (in the 1970s) unbagged in long comic boxes in an attic that got quite hot in the summer. Except for the usual spine roll (which you can get around by putting stiff carboard between every 20-or-so comics, and very minor yellowing of the edges, they are all fine. Plus, when things get a little humid, you can smell the newsprint - mmm.
Interesting site here:
http://www.comicpreservation.com/
but seems very America focussed as opposed to the UK.
--- Quote from: paw broon on October 20, 2011, 10:27:42 AM ---A bloke who ran a bookshop in Glasgow a fair while ago, used heat sealed bags without boards for old American comics but the plastic was so flimsy it really didn't work. As for vacuum sealing, I've never considered it. Apart from anything else, I'd need the piece of kit. But, when I say so many sizes and shapes, I mean it. I'm looking at a shelf of European comics right now and I can see without getting out of my seat, 7 different landscape sizes. And pocket libraries vary both in height and width and thickness. E.g. Kriminal and Diabolik are narrower than most British pocket libraries and beeldromans are much smaller. Fortunately, both British and Euro sleeves and boards are available for these pocket comics and I do have a lot of them.
Here, many British comic dealers use bakers bags (you know, the ones for holding cakes, rolls etc.), which are white paper backs with cellophane fronts. I bought some old British titles at the weekend and they were bagged in bakers bags. Not sure if they are neutral but I tend to change them as soon as I can.
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paw broon:
Aye, you're right, I should just use the biggest bag and fold it around but I'm a bit fussy and like a nice fitting, unfolded bag. Just me. I actually enjoy bagging comics and I can listen to music or radio plays while getting it done. But, the smell of newsprint, sort of vinegary, how evocative and pleasing and something you don't get with modern comics.
As for Rozakis and his opinion, many years ago, when DC started bagging comics in those flimsy, sealed bags, trying cynically to create a collectors market, a senior DC exec. (who shall remain nameless) told me that some collectors would keep the bags sealed and the plastic would rot or melt away in a year or two and could ruin the comic.
He was wrong, by the way. I saw one of them in a shop recently and the original bag was a bit crinkly but intact. Don't know what it was doing for the newsprint though.
Thanks for the link.
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