To Display or Not to Display

Most of us have invested lots of time and money to grade and slab your favorite comic books, and now they are stored away in a comic box at the back of a closet in your home.For some, this truth is a travesty.

Many collectors, on the other hand, prefer to display their slabbed comic books in dynamic ways in and around their homes. This article will provide images and information about of a few of these.  Before I move forward, be warned that choosing to display your books could potentially damage them. The UV light that is produced by natural light and even some artificial light sources can hurt your comic books. The plastic cases used by all of the grading companies are not UV resistant. This being said, there is a product I will examine towards the end of this article that may help with this.

 

Acrylic Wall Mount

The simplest and cheapest way to display your graded comic books is the use of a plastic wall mount.  These mounts are inexpensive and pretty simple to use.  This is one of the easiest ways to get your books out of the box and on to the wall. These mounts can also be used as holders that will securely keep your comic books upright on a shelf or display case. Keep in mind that slabbed cases are great looking on their own, so this technique can look quite sharp if executed correctly.

Custom Made Comic Book Frames

A comic store called Gweedo’s Comics in Utah sells handcrafted rustic wall frames and display cases for both raw and slabbed comic books. Gweedo’s also frames magazines, LP Records and even video game cartridges!  When ordering, options for stain colour and glass type (UV resistent/non-UV resistant) are offered. Check out their website for more details.

Another company out of Wyoming called The Collector’s Resource has created a number of very cool frames for both raw and graded comic books. The company website emphasizes the quality of their products, and there is much information explaining exactly what goes in to each and every frame they manufacture…pretty impressive. Comic book frames from Collector’s Resource are made in the USA and feature single wood sheet construction (no glue or seams),rounded edges,

a three-step sanding process and a pristine and durable Powder Coat Finish. The Collector’s Resource offers tons of different frame sizes and styles, including their new POD frame, tri-fold frames and even a Bat-Frame! Check out the Collector’s Source for yourself for more information.

 How to Thwart UV Light

If any of the above display methods appeal to you, be sure to take a look at The Collector’s Resource UV filtering film which can be applied directly to any slabbed comic book.  These museum grade adhesive sheets will actually block out 98% of these harmful rays, thus providing some degree of protection to your treasured comic books.  Again, I just want to stress that you may be putting your prized comic’s in harm’s way should you choose not to use a UV-resistant product like this.

Final Thoughts

There are many companies out there that manufacture and sell display frames and other products to help you effectively display your slabbed comic books, so be certain to visit the websites mentioned above, and do some research yourself. And please share your findings with us as well! Below I have included a few pictures of some very cool ways collectors have displayed their comic books.

…and remember, before you display your comic books, be sure they look their best – contact The Comic Doctor to find out how!

 

 

Send me your displays and I will post them here… thanks for reading.

Grade your Comic books for Ultimate Protection

In earlier posts I have discussed the best way to store your comic books. Acid free bags and boards are great, but for ultimate protection, having your prized comics graded is second to none. Thus far I have only ever used  Comics Guarantee LLC (CGC) for grading, as these books tend to fetch the highest return at resale, plus they were first on the scene to offer the service (since 2000).

Once a comic book is graded by CGC, two pieces of comic book extender sheets are inserted between the front page and cover and the back page and cover. The comic book is then sealed in a sleeve of Barex (a highly gas-impermeable plastic polymer). Next, the comic is placed in an inner well of a hard plastic holder, where it is cradled securely. The top portion of the tamper-evident holder is then sonically sealed to the bottom. This hard plastic case is often called a “slab” and the entire process known as “slabbing”.

Once a slabbed comic book is in hand, acid free mylar sleeves and storage boxes that fit such books are available. Keeping the books away from direct sunlight and in a room with little humidity and/or dampness is still all important.  I personally think that slabbed books look fantastic. Yes, you can’t read the comic book anymore, but one can certainly rest easy knowing that their prized comic book is safe from damage due to handling accidents. So many collectors have books valued in the thousands of dollars, I cannot imagine any of these enthusiasts not wanting to protect these highly valuable books.  That being said, slabbing really is intended for super high grade books,  books that are significant for one reason or another, and books that are already quite valuable.  Attempting to slab one’s entire collection, especially if the comics are not valuable, really is pointless.  Remember that grading a comic book isn’t cheap, especially when you take shipping & handling and potential up costs from the grading company into consideration.

Just to be clear, it is not my intention to solely endorse CGC, as there are other companies who also offer third party grading services. In other posts I have also mentioned Professional Grading Experts (PGX) and the Comic Book Certification Service (CBCS). Both of these companies have a broad customer base and they also encapsulate their books in a hard plastic shell.

If you are thinking about submitting your comic books for grading, why not improve their condition first. After all, a higher graded book is worth more.  Contact the Comic Doctor for more information.