Shoutout to the old-school collectors who bagged their comics in Mylar from day one

I have been sorting through a box of comics I bought at an estate sale last month, and the difference between the ones stored in old polypropylene bags versus Mylar is night and day. The poly bags from the 80s are all sticky and yellowed, and some of them actually stuck to the comic covers. Meanwhile, the Mylar bags on a small run of Silver Age books are still clear and crisp, like they were bagged yesterday. It makes me wonder how many valuable books got ruined just because someone grabbed the cheap option at the shop. I get that Mylar costs more, like around 50 cents a bag versus 10 cents, but for long term storage it seems like a no-brainer. Has anyone else pulled out old books and found the poly bags did more harm than good?

2 comments

2 Comments

foster.wade1mo ago

Wait, could the poly bags actually trap acids from the paper, making things worse over time?

hernandez.ben1mo agoTop Commenter

I used plain alkaline-buffered boards from the local craft store between each comic in my longboxes, and that's held up fine for over ten years now without any acid spotting or yellowing. The poly bags I switched to a few years ago are mylar instead of standard poly, just to be safe with the higher-quality paper in my older issues. That setup keeps everything breathable enough that I haven't noticed any moisture issues or trapped odors when I check my collection twice a year.