Storage, warped comics, humidity (Comic Book Forums)

• Storage, warped comics, humidity

Author	Discussion
jorel262 Collector in Training Location: Wisconsin Posts: 12 My Collection	Posted: July 12, 2019 3:41:11 pm The temperature in my previous 2nd floor apartment would get very hot in the summer time (window A/C that could not keep up, etc.). About half of my current collection lived with me there in several cardboard long boxes. Please don't yell at me. About 6 years ago I moved to a house with central air. I started re-bagging and boarding comics to find some of them were warped, feeling of bubbles on the bottom, some had it on the side as well. I assume this was due to temperature change and maybe humidity from the apartment. I replaced all the warped comics I found. Since then I've started buying more comics but I don't recall replacing all the long boxes. Recently I've found some new comics I bought in 2014-16 are also warped. All my comics are stored in a spare bedroom and closet. The house is comfortable all year round. Could the older boxes have caused this? Or other comics that made the journey? Or what else? I'm looking at getting Mylars, especially for more expensive issues, and plastic boxes instead of cardboard. But I don't understand how comics 3-5 years old became warped in a controlled environment. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: July 13, 2019 11:35:46 am I have stored comics in public storages, basements, closets, even once had to temporarily keep them in an outside shed (a month) and never really dealt with bubbles or warping. My collection was long cardboard boxes and probably 80% bagged and boarded. Before I ever used boxes, when I was a child up to my late teens I was storing comics in a dresser drawer and would lay them flat on top of each other. What's ironic is that those old comics stored in a drawer were in better shape over time than some I put directly in bags. Anyways sorry to get off topic. From my personal experience heat and dry air don't affect much, it's moisture and humidity that creates a real problem. I see you're in Wisconsin, and I'm not familiar with weather up there. I'm down in the South where it's humid all year round. I have seen pages (mainly the cover) form waves from humidity. If that's what is happening you can lay them flat or between two hardcover books for a week and it will return back to normal. We strike hard and fade away into the night
Spa-fon Wise Beyond the Years lifetime member Location: Tampa Bay Florida Posts: 3780 My Collection	Posted: July 14, 2019 5:12:27 pm I've been storing my books for the past 30 years in mostly long boxes upstairs in Florida. A/C there but gets hot. Also in late 70s stored in plain cardboard boxes in a bedroom in Wisconsin for 4 years, using OLD style plastic sleeves, not mylar, and other than a few that got shifted and bent, no warping. I am not sure but it sure seems to be moisture as heat wouldn't cause warping and bubbles unless intense heat. I would strongly suggest mylars, especially MyLites2 or other 2 mil bags and acid free backboards, at least for the more valuable comics. And make sure books are supported well in boxes. Room for movement can cause warping. I do use pieces of cardboard or small boxes to fill in spaces so books are tight. The joy is in the journey, not just the destination.
jorel262 Collector in Training Location: Wisconsin Posts: 12 My Collection	Posted: July 14, 2019 9:46:02 pm It would get above 90 degrees in the apartment, but not that humid. What I have felt mostly is bumps when running my fingers along the bottom of a comic. I've noticed this on some back issues I've bought very recently as well as comics I've bought after moving into my current house. Thanks for your comments. I'm stumped.
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: July 15, 2019 7:00:28 pm Are you using boards behind your comic? Is the bottom of your comic box flat? Can you provide a few pictures of the damage?
Maverickrtm Collector in Training Posts: 55 My Collection	Posted: July 15, 2019 11:13:44 pm Not enough info. If the box isn't "full" they will warp/bend when they fall over; even a little. Fill your box full, like Spa-fon said, use backboards as filler until you get enough comics to fully fill the box. I have comics stored in boxes for 25 plus years; and they come out just fine. I will store long-term comics and alternate them every 5 books. (The spine is thicker due to binding, staples etc.) helps keep them all more flat. (or at least it works for me).
jorel262 Collector in Training Location: Wisconsin Posts: 12 My Collection	Posted: July 20, 2019 7:15:26 pm All comics are in bags and boards. The bottom of the boxes is flat. The boxes are almost always full.
brucifer Wise Beyond the Years lifetime member Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1133 My Collection	Posted: July 21, 2019 3:46:31 pm I wanted to chime in earlier about your dilemma, but after seeing those photos, it has to be the humidity. I can't believe it is anything else!! Unless, of course, you dunked your comic books in water for a bit (which I highty doubt).
MacheteF7 Comic Guru lifetime member Location: Vermont Posts: 639 My Collection	Posted: July 25, 2019 8:06:48 am I'm with the majority here and saying it's humidity. I live in Vermont and the summers here are very humid. In the past when I bought new books a lot of times I got them home and they would sit on a table in my bedroom unbagged until I get around to processing them. This could be that night, the next day or 3 weeks later. Sometimes the windows in my bedroom will be open if it's not really hot and I also don't have A/C. I have had a few covers of books slightly warp, mainly the top book on the stack that had been there for weeks and I have to believe it's from humidity. Now I do my best to take care of them right away or within a day or two, bagged, boarded and boxed and don't seem to have a problem. Last edited July 25, 2019 8:12:09 am nem·e·sis noun A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent
jorel262 Collector in Training Location: Wisconsin Posts: 12 My Collection	Posted: July 31, 2019 9:36:37 pm All my closets are on outer walls, maybe enough humidity got in from outside or up through the hardwood floors. I also didn't bag and board all my comics (MacheteF7) immediately so there could be something there I suppose. Either way I have work to do. Review all issues and see what can be saved. Then do a better job with bagging, boarding, boxing, and placement in the house. Thank you all for the input, greatly appreciated.
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