Comic Book Care

Collecting comic books is a great hobby. Without proper care you can see your investment go down the tube quick. There are steps that can be taken when you are serious about collecting comic books. Taking better care of your comic books will help increase their value over time.  Dirt, Dust and Oil can damage your comic books, and even if you take proper care of them if they are not stored properly, they can accumulate mold, mildew or deteriorate rapidly. When you first buy a comic book and you decide to read it before storing it, make sure you handle the pages with care. Try not to bend or tear the pages as this will definitely hurt the long term value of the comic book in hand. 

The four resources you will need to properly store your comic books.

  1. Plastic or Mylar comic book sleeves and bags.
  2. Acid-free card board backing.
  3. Scotch-tape or other clear tape.
  4. Comic book boxes, either short or long.

Below are the steps to taking care of your comic book collection.

  1. Use acid-free comic books bags, they can be made of different material depending on what you willing to invest in the comic book care. Look for Mylar, which is more expensive and lasts longer, Polyethylene, and Polypropylene.  To start Insert you comic book inside the bag with the comic where the comic book cover is facing the flap.
  2. Next insert your acid-free card board backing behind the comic book in the bag. Same with the bags, backing can come in different styles and material depending on how much you are willing to spend and how long you plan on keeping them.
  3. Next carefully tape the flap to the back of the comic book bag, make sure you don’t tape the comic book itself. You can also find comic book bags that have adhesive already attached to the flap making it easier to work with.
  4. Finally place the comic books inside the storage box, and then place the box in a cool dry place where it won’t get light or moisture.  This will help ensure your comic books don’t grow mold or accumulate mildew thereby damaging your comic books.

With these simply steps you can easily protect your comic books for years. If you really have some rare comic books or high valued comics, you can also find hard cases that can accommodate your comic books. Although these hard cases can be considerably more expensive and usually used for the more valuable of comic books they can help protect your investment to the max.