Post by CHANCE BOND on May 5, 2015 22:14:09 GMT
Published by 55slim
Here are some guidelines for those interested in buying and collecting old newspaper comics from Platinum to Golden Age.
***Alert! It has come to my attention that some newspaper comics sellers are cutting up old newspapers and selling individually cut comic strips. DO NOT BUY FROM SELLERS WHO DO THIS!!***
1/ Remember these are old flimsy newspaper pages that unless they have been stored in an air-conditioned bunker for 50 years are probably in less than perfect shape. Additionally newsprint is extremely fragile and deteriorates rapidly with age. This is due to the way the paper is made in that it contains very high levels of wood pulp (usually pine wood) which has a high concentration of acid. This acid is what turns all newspapers brown with age and what's worse, very brittle. So don't expect to get a beautiful white page with brilliant colors in the mail. Also handle these papers with extreme care (especially when unwrapping the package).
2/ Always ask the seller if possible to ship them with sturdy cardboard protection to avoid folding or tearing in the mail (foam core board is best). And remember more often than not the package will get wet and damaged while waiting for you on your front porch. Getting shipping insurance will help avoid this as the post office will not deliver an insured package without a signature.
3/ Often sellers will just fold the paper and send it to you in a flimsy envelope. These types of sellers are not newspaper specialists and tend to damage the papers. Try to avoid sellers that don't normally deal in newspapers or insist that they pack it well. Mentioning that you will return a poorly shipped and damaged paper, as well as threatening to give the seller a negative feedback BEFORE you pay is a good policy.
4/ My pet peeve is with some newspaper sellers that take it upon themselves to perform cosmetic changes to the papers they sell. Bulk sellers usually acquire the papers in the form of large bound volumes. They will then proceed to rip this bound volume apart in order to sell one page of comics at a time. In the process some create havoc and do more damage than necessary. At times they will trim the edges of the pages right into the comic strips themselves. This alters the value of the page and cuts out the wonderful mastheads, borders and friezes that printers put around the comic pages in the early days. If your seller is doing this- change sellers! They are killing the value of your comics. Just as well avoid buying comics that have been trimmed down to just the strip - they are basically worthless. You definitely want the whole, untrimmed page and better yet, the whole comics section of that particular Sunday paper.
5/ Finally, you want to store these pages in acrylic sleeves with acid free board backing. You can find flat portfolios appropriate for this at Utrecht Art Supplies online. Store your pages flat (not folded!) better yet if you can afford it store them in a flat file cabinet interleaved with Glassine Archival Paper. Also Bienfang 100% Cotton Rag Foam Board has a calcium carbonate buffer that will help to absorb some of the acidity of your pages and further protect them.
Happy collecting!
Here are some guidelines for those interested in buying and collecting old newspaper comics from Platinum to Golden Age.
***Alert! It has come to my attention that some newspaper comics sellers are cutting up old newspapers and selling individually cut comic strips. DO NOT BUY FROM SELLERS WHO DO THIS!!***
1/ Remember these are old flimsy newspaper pages that unless they have been stored in an air-conditioned bunker for 50 years are probably in less than perfect shape. Additionally newsprint is extremely fragile and deteriorates rapidly with age. This is due to the way the paper is made in that it contains very high levels of wood pulp (usually pine wood) which has a high concentration of acid. This acid is what turns all newspapers brown with age and what's worse, very brittle. So don't expect to get a beautiful white page with brilliant colors in the mail. Also handle these papers with extreme care (especially when unwrapping the package).
2/ Always ask the seller if possible to ship them with sturdy cardboard protection to avoid folding or tearing in the mail (foam core board is best). And remember more often than not the package will get wet and damaged while waiting for you on your front porch. Getting shipping insurance will help avoid this as the post office will not deliver an insured package without a signature.
3/ Often sellers will just fold the paper and send it to you in a flimsy envelope. These types of sellers are not newspaper specialists and tend to damage the papers. Try to avoid sellers that don't normally deal in newspapers or insist that they pack it well. Mentioning that you will return a poorly shipped and damaged paper, as well as threatening to give the seller a negative feedback BEFORE you pay is a good policy.
4/ My pet peeve is with some newspaper sellers that take it upon themselves to perform cosmetic changes to the papers they sell. Bulk sellers usually acquire the papers in the form of large bound volumes. They will then proceed to rip this bound volume apart in order to sell one page of comics at a time. In the process some create havoc and do more damage than necessary. At times they will trim the edges of the pages right into the comic strips themselves. This alters the value of the page and cuts out the wonderful mastheads, borders and friezes that printers put around the comic pages in the early days. If your seller is doing this- change sellers! They are killing the value of your comics. Just as well avoid buying comics that have been trimmed down to just the strip - they are basically worthless. You definitely want the whole, untrimmed page and better yet, the whole comics section of that particular Sunday paper.
5/ Finally, you want to store these pages in acrylic sleeves with acid free board backing. You can find flat portfolios appropriate for this at Utrecht Art Supplies online. Store your pages flat (not folded!) better yet if you can afford it store them in a flat file cabinet interleaved with Glassine Archival Paper. Also Bienfang 100% Cotton Rag Foam Board has a calcium carbonate buffer that will help to absorb some of the acidity of your pages and further protect them.
Happy collecting!