How to store and preserve comic books

The enemies of paper

• Heat speeds up the acid reactions that turn newsprint yellow and brittle.
• Humidity encourages mould, foxing and warping; very dry air makes paper brittle.
• Light, especially ultraviolet, fades inks and yellows paper.
• Acid migrates from cheap cardboard, wood and old bags into the book.
• Pressure and handling cause spine stress, bends and creases.

Raw books

1. Bag and board. A polypropylene, polyethylene or Mylar bag with an acid-free, buffered backing board behind the book. See Bags and boards.
2. Box them upright in an archival comic box, snug enough that the books do not lean but not so tight they are compressed. Use dividers to keep runs vertical.
3. Replace bags every few years; polypropylene and polyethylene yellow and off-gas with age. Mylar lasts decades.

Slabs

Store them upright in a slab box or flat in shallow stacks, each in a bag to prevent scuffing. Do not stack more than a few high. Keep them out of direct sunlight; the case blocks some UV but not all, and it does nothing about heat.

The room

• Interior room, not a garage, attic, basement or shed.
• Off the floor and away from exterior walls, windows, radiators and pipes.
• A cheap hygrometer tells you the humidity; a dehumidifier or a sealed container with silica gel controls it.
• Stable matters as much as ideal: swings in temperature and humidity do more harm than a steady 22 °C.

Handling

Clean, dry hands; no food or drink; open a book flat rather than bending it back; never lick a finger to turn a page. Golden Age paper can be brittle — support the cover and centrefold when you open it.

Insurance and records

Storage protects against damage; an inventory and insurance protect against loss. See How to insure a comic collection.

For books you do not need at home, our vault storage keeps them in controlled conditions.