Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Thanks! The metal racks were a bit more than the plastic, but so much sturdier it's well worth the extra cost!

Has anyone been getting stuff from the BCW site? My last order was all screwed up because they kept changing the availability date for a back-ordered item. I eventually canceled it when they couldn't provide a date beyond "maybe by next month?". I just looked again (reluctantly!) because I need to order bags and boards again. Hardly anything is available! Probably 75-80% of their bags and boards are on backorder! A few not available until September! I don't know what's going on, but I'm having to buy off Ebay now, which sucks due to price mark-ups. Is BCW trying to ruin their own business?

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I ordered 10 of these racks last year when they were sold for $49.99. They fit 3 short boxes per shelf (12 boxes per rack). They are light but sturdy and fit well if you use BCW short boxes with the short houses.

https://www.sevilleclassics.com/5-ti...0-h-black.html

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

BCW has been having issues getting their inventory since the pandemic started. Most, if not all, of their items are produced overseas and the raw material has been scarce as of mid July of 2020. I placed an order with them back in December for short boxes, silver age bags and boards and they were supposed to have shipped by the beginning of February. I'm still waiting for them and really need them.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Ah, that makes sense. I kinda thought that the pandemic had some effect, but didn't consider the overseas aspect. Sucks that you're still waiting. And just think; even after BCW gets supplies and ships your stuff, you'll have to deal with the DeJoy Postal System delays! AUGH! ;)

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I went with UPS free shipping option so no getting screwed by DeJoy

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I work for the post office and you did the right thing going with UPS. The new policies are destroying the post office. No one agrees with anything he is doing.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Prices for BCW supplies keep increasing and worst of all, everything is backordered.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I've been using Ebay. The costs are higher - although some sellers are reasonable - and some offer free shipping.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Bumping this instead of starting a new thread. I was going through my binders of comic trading cards (I was a total sucker for those in the '90s!) and came across the binder with the Star Wars lenticular set - and they ALL had the same "lenticular rot" that had infected the comic covers mentioned above! :eek: These cards were in the Ultra-Pro card sleeves, in the binder, stored in a closet away from light and heat and whatever else. I took one out to see about maybe trying to clean it or whatever, and promptly forgot about it a few days. When I looked at it again, it looked ... better?? I took a soft cloth and wiped off whatever was left and now it looks almost as good as new!

Curious, I grabbed my copied of Superman Forever (now in mylar, but still affected by rot!) and Sensation Spider-Man #0, which also was looking really sad! Both had a "tacky" feel to them, making me reluctant to want to wipe a cloth over them. So I let them sit out and "dry" for a few days. The Spider-Man book had the most improvement, and then looked great after a soft cloth wiping. Superman was a bit more difficult, but still a noticeable improvement! Below are Before and After shots of each.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...d6d6ada212.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...1493c6cfd7.jpg

I have no idea what's causing this, and am curious if it's more widespread. Anyone have any ideas?

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Since the problem seems to clear up by itself (at least to some degree) when you take the comic or card out of its protective bag/sleeve, it sounds like the residue might be the lenticular plastic outgassing. When they're left sealed up, the gas doesn't have anywhere to go and either turns into a liquid or crystalizes, and when you take them out and leave them in the air for a while, it sublimates or evaporates.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I thought of something like that, but the Star Wars cards aren't really sealed; they're in open-ended pockets. Also, I just checked my copy of Batman: No Man's Land and it's just fine! Weird ...

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

The rot depends on the bag and board where the book is in. Seen the same type of issue with hologram covers. Some of the bag and boards sold back in the 90's were not truly acid free, thus creating this rot on these types of books. Changing the bags and boards does the trick for the most part.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

That was one of the first things I considered, which is why I moved the Superman Forever into mylar. (I'm trying to remember if I tried to "clean" it before I did that, or if the rot returned anyway). But that also doesn't explain the Star Wars cards, in Ultra-Pro sleeves with no board. There just doesn't seem to be any consistency to the problem. But I appreciate the ideas and comments! Keep 'em comin'!

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Ultra Pro card sleeves were not acid free back in the 90's even though they claimed to be. These sleeves, depending on the thickness, would turn yellow and sticky. Are these the ones that the Star Wars cards were in?

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Not noticing any yellowness, but they do have a bit of "tackiness" when I try to slide them out, so you may be correct there.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I learned the hard way not to use masking tape when sealing bags and boards. I bagged and boarded my entire collection back in the 1990s. Most times I'd use the normal scotch tape or whatever but a couple batches when I ran out I used very sticky masking tape. Stored away for years, the glue eventually melted and became a mess inside the longboxes. Didn't damage any comics but I more or less had to toss most of the bags.

One issue I've had opening old bagged comics of mine - the tape clings too well and makes opening them a real pain.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Yeah, I've kinda noticed that low-quality clear tape does that. So, I used high-quality 3M-branded Scotch tape, and that seems to work well. What does everyone else use?

Also, how many pieces of tape does everyone use? I used to use two half-inch wide strips, but then I switched to a single 3/4-inch wide strip in the middle.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

This is how I keep my bags taped shut:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...acfc759a8d.png
Two pieces of Scotch-brand Magic tape (green label) about 1 1/4" long on the sides. The tape is placed so that the bag is only sealed by about 1/8" of tape. This makes the bags easier to open; the tape less likely to stretch, misshape, or tear the bag; less likely for the tape to stick to the comic cover, and prevents the corners from folding up.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I use two pieces of tape but I do vertical not horizontal. What you say makes sense about being easier to open.

I like the Scotch matte tape but was cheap last time and got Dollar General brand and I can already tell it sticks too well and will be a problem in the future.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Since I have no idea what quality of tape I used decades ago, and got tired of mangling the bag trying to convince the tape to unstick itself, I've taken to using an exacto blade very carefully to slice the tape. Since there's a board underneath I know the comic is in no danger, and done gently enough, doesn't even scar the board. Then I just retape it when I'm done.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

To those that seem to be taking the tape off, rather than cutting the tape, why bother?

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Tape? It's all resealable bags for me these days.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

It is and that what my purchases have been lately but I really wonder what time will reveal on them. Will it actually reseal 5 years from now? Will you be able to open them without tearing in 5 years?

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I'm giving the resealable silver age bags a chance, hopefully they work out.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I've never used resealable bags, but I've bought a few comics in them.

I've never been too impressed with them, though. For me, it's easier to just seal a bag up with tape using my above method.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Been using BCW resealable bags for the past 10 years and they work perfectly. The only concern I have seen is of people who aren't used to them and would take the book from the bag and mistakenly put the empty bag over the comic book, sticking the bag to the front cover of the book. Other than that, the seal works perfect and hasn't lost its sealability since I started using them.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

So I've discovered the 100-page Giants from the Silver Age and most annuals don't seem to fit regular Silver Age bags/boards. Heck, even early regular Silver Age books barely fit in them if they aren't in perfect shape. Am I supposed to use Golden Age-size bags for them? The Silver Age size seems better designed for normal-sized Bronze Age books.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I've always used Silver Age bags and boards for my modern comic books. The Modern Era bags (and especially when there's a board in them) always seemed too tight. The Silver Age storage supplies give modern comics a little extra on the sides and corners that protect the books from slight bumps and drops.

I've also encountered some Modern bags that are so small they won't take a 48-page book or a book with a cardstock cover without warping them a bit or going in so tight they can't be taken out without a struggle.

I don't really collect any Silver or Golden Age books, but I'd definitely go with a bags and boards that the books fit comfortably in.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Are you using the the thicker silver age bags? There are "regular" at 7 1/8 and "thick" at 7 1/4. I have a lot of the DC 100 page issues (not silver age - I thought 100 pagers came out in the '70s bronze age). I'd have to go check to see what bag I used and I'm too lazy to do that right now. :lol:

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

Yes, I even got both Silver Age sizes. Even on the thick ones, they are very tight fits. It seems like there has been some shrinkage over the years, because shops will send me Giants already packaged in slightly bigger Silver Age bags/boards than the ones I've purchased. They look more like 7 3/8".

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I just purchased a 10k comic book collection and the former owner had inventoried everything by 2014 using cheap bags and boards and filling the boxes so tight that books couldn’t be browsed unless I took out a handful out of the box. The books are fine and all but the bags are all wrinkly and sticky, which reminded me to post in this thread that type of storing books is just detrimental to the collection in the long run and you will have to rebag and reboard everything sooner than expected due to not leaving any breathing room and space in the box for the books.

Re: Comic Care and Storage Thread
 

I've been buying random lots of Bronze Age comics lately on eBay - 9 out of 10 times I have to throw out whatever bags/boards they come in. I'd tell sellers to bag everything in a new one for maximum appeal, even a book in poor condition looks better in a new bag/board.

As for overstuffing long boxes, I learned that the hard way. Since I put comics in their numerical order, #1 issues would often be pressed up against the front of the longbox. Overstuffing the box doesn't seem to affect anything but the few issues at the front and back of a box. But those few issues often end up with press marks and creases running across the front.

As for my earlier complaint in this thread about Silver Age bags not fitting all books, I discovered my problem. Or more exactly BCW's problem. The first batch I bought, despite being listed as the "thick" Silver Age bags, were manufactured smaller than the same BCW bags I just bought. Must have been a bad batch or something. The only books which don't fit well anymore are older 100-page Giants in poor condition.