An old collector at the flea market told me to stop bagging my comics so tight

I ran into this guy named Frank at a flea market back in June. He saw me putting some issues in those tight-fitting bags and told me I was suffocating them. He said if the bag is too snug, the paper gets pressed and can actually cause stress marks over 10 or 15 years. I shrugged it off at first because I thought tight meant protected. Then last month I pulled out a book I bagged tight in 2019 and saw a tiny crease along the spine that wasn't there before. Has anyone else noticed damage from over-tight bags or is Frank just an old worrywart?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_sanchez491mo agoMost Upvoted

I see what Frank is saying but I bag my books pretty tight and haven't had that issue. I think the crease you saw might have been from how you stored it or maybe the book had a defect already. I keep my collection in a cool dry place and the tight bags actually save them from getting bent corners or dust damage over time. Frank sounds like he means well but I would rather have a snug fit than loose bags that let stuff slide around.

joel_clark371mo ago

Yeah I totally agree with you on that. I've got over 300 books in mylar bags and I keep them pretty snug too, zero issues. Last year I had a old Amazing Spider-Man that was loose in a bag and it slid around and got a tiny scuff on the spine from rubbing against the backing board. That was the last time I left any slack. I think Frank probably just had a bad experience with a bag that was too tight and maybe some humidity or something made the paper react weird. But for me tight bags plus a board keep everything flat and safe.

betty_kelly91mo ago

I mean I've been bagging my books so tight they look vacuum sealed, maybe that's why my copy of Uncanny X-Men #266 has the same wrinkles as my face. Idk, Frank might be onto something but I'm too stubborn to change now.