Protect your Comic Book Collection : Comic Book Collecting

Protect your Comic Book Collection

With any collection, the value of the pieces remains only if they are preserved just right. Each piece should be kept in the best possible condition to ensure that they will last a long time and retain a high monetary value, especially if they are rare. Collectibles like stamp and comic books are very susceptible to damage from even the smallest elements since they are made from paper — not a material known for its longevity. When you start comic book collecting, you need to be able to protect them just right, even in storage.

The Vatican is well known for their library which holds a vast collection of rare manuscripts. They place them in a well regulated library/vault, which keeps elements like water, humidity, and dust at an acceptable level. To even handle the manuscripts, you would need to wear gloves and use tongs to flip the pages so that the acidity in your fingers doesn’t affect the paper.

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Emma Frost Marvel Select Figure Mint Comics X-Men
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Green Goblin Marvel Select Figure Mint Comics Spiderman
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You don’t have to go through all this. But, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure that your own comic book collection will last a long time.

Put your comic books in a plastic sleeve. This is so that the comic book is protected from scratches, accidental water spills, dust, and humidity. The degree of thickness depends on how long you want the plastic to last.

Put backing boards in your plastic sleeve cover. The backing board will help prevent the comic book from bending, thus avoiding any wrinkles in the middle. Bent pages and creases have been known to lower a grade of a comic book. Also, make sure that they are acid free.

Store your comic books vertically. Keeping your comic book in a horizontal position and stacked upon each other for a prolonged period of time can result to the weakening and the eventual destruction of their bindings.

When you have a large enough collection, place them in strong boxes which will be able to withstand stacking. Label each box to avoid opening them up frequently and avoid exposure to sunlight and the elements.

Make sure that you keep your collection in a dry and cool place that is away from sunlight.

Comic book collecting can be both entertaining, and expensive. But this shouldn’t deter you to start your own collection. In time, you will see that all the effort will be well worth it.