Mike Keenan's Comics

So you have just started your comic book collection or you already have a comic book collection and just want to know the best ways to take care of it? Then this is the quick article for you.

What to avoid:

Direct sunlight is a comic books worse enemy. The paper that comics used to be printed on was the same as newspapers were and you know how quickly newspaper breaks down and yellows and the same will happen to your comic collection if you don't avoid this step. Modern comics are printed on much better quality paper but they still need to be treated the same way.

Moisture will again yellow your comic or even worse cause mildew to grow on it destroying your comic collection very quickly. I bet you didn't know that if you mix a contaminated comic book in with your good comics the mildew will spread so avoid this potential problem at all costs.

Heat again an enemy to beat as it will cause your comics pages to become brittle and brown.

Sticky tape is nice and handy to seal your comic within its bag and board but if it catches on your comic while taking it out it will potentially tear it and yes this has happened to me in the past thankfully only to a cheap comic but imagine if it was an expensive one.

How do I best care for my collection?

Always keep your hands dry and clean when handling your comics.

Bag and Board them: Comic bags and boards are somewhat in-expensive and they are a must-have because they will protect your comic. The bags and boards you use will be acid free and will also need to be changed every 2 to 3 years to keep your comics constantly protected.

And finally Long box or short box them: Always remember to store your comics in a upright position and the boxes again will be acid free to further protect your comics and they are easily available from any good comic book store.

And finally ...finally you could take the step to have them CGC graded which will seal the comic in a hard plastic case but usualy this step is only taken with those really special comics.

That's it. You now have the knowledge to keep your comic collection safe and sound. 

Good luck and happy comic book collecting.

Mike Keenan.