How to Size Your Comic Books for Proper Storage

Collectors of comic books know to store their collections in Mylar bags with backing boards behind the comics, but there are different size bags available for different size comic books. The size of a typical comic book has become smaller over the years, so a bag made for a modern comic book will prove too small for a comic book from the Silver Age or Golden Age. This article will help you to determine what bags and boards you need for your comic books.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Comic books
• Mylar bags
• Backing boards
• Tape measurer or ruler

1. Learn the different sizes of Mylar bags and backing boards available. The smallest size available is for modern comic books. They will be labeled as “Modern Size” or “Current Size.” Older comic books from the mid-to-late-1950s to the mid-1970s are considered to be from the Silver Age of comics and these are slightly larger. You will want to buy supplies marked as “Silver Size.” Comic books that are even older are from the Golden Age of comics and require supplies for “Golden Size.”

2. Measure the comic book that you wish to protect. Modern comics are 6 5/8 inches in width and fit in current size bags. The typical Silver Age comic book is 6 7/8-inches wide and so needs a larger bag. Older comics are even larger at 7 inches wide and would require Golden Age supplies for storage. The size of your backing board needs to be slightly wider than the comic book while the bag needs to be even wider. For example, current backing boards are generally ¼ inch larger than the comics while the bags are ¼ inch wider than the boards. If you don’t want to measure every comic, however, there are other ways to find the proper size supplies for your comic book collection.

3. Determine the age of the comic book you wish to protect. This information is usually found on the inside front cover or the first page of the comic book in the indicia. If it was recently published, you know current size supplies will be fine. Older comic books will take a bit more work. Different publishers changed sizes on their comic books at different times. For example, Marvel Comics publishes “Fantastic Four”. The first issue was published with a cover date of November 1961 and has a width of approximately 6 7/8 inches. Other comics from around the same time from other publishes, such as Archie Comics, have a width of 7 inches. Fantastic Four #154 with a cover date of January 1975 is the same size as the first issue, but Fantastic Four #155 with a cover date of February 1975 is approximately 6 5/8 inches, the same size as a modern comic book.

4. Keeping the information from the previous step in mind, it is safe to assume that comic books published before the mid-1950s will always require Golden Age size supplies. Comic books published from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s may need Golden Age supplies but may fit with Silver Age supplies. Comics published from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s will need Silver Age supplies. Comics published in the late-1970s and onward will fit in the current size bags.

5. Ask your local comic book shop to help you find the right supplies when all else fails. They may have single storage bags available for sale that you can use to size your comic books.

Tips & Warnings

• Comic book storage supplies, such as Mylar bags, backing boards and long boxes, should be available at a typical comic book shop or over the Internet.
• The typical comic book long box is wide enough to store all sizes of comic books: modern size, Silver Age and Golden Age.
• Although smaller comic books will fit in larger size bags, it is best to use the proper size bag. The right size bag will prevent the comic book from moving back and forth within the bag. Smaller bags and boards are also slightly less expensive than larger bags and boards.
• Due to the rareness of comic books from the Golden Age, you may wish to invest in storage supplies that are of a higher quality than those found in a typical comic book shop.
• Do not use backing boards that are smaller in width than the comic book you are storing. This can cause the comic book to curve around the edges of the board, especially if it is stored in a long box that is tightly packed.