Photo storing question

[Exhibitman]

Try bags unlimited online. They have a zillion choices. I use the Ultra Pro 8.5 x 11 sheets with 8.5 x 11 comic book boards that I get at the local comic store.

[Runscott]

I just ordered acid-free comic book bags and boards for shipping 1,000 childhood comics. Extras will be used for photographs. Also found a variety of archival bag sizes at Dick Blick's.

Most photos get stacked in boxes for easy access. I don't like binders much, as I like to change storage order as I'm preparing for sales.

[thecatspajamas]

For those who may be going the bag/board route, generally speaking 8x10's fit well in magazine bags/boards (8-3/4"x11-1/8"), and 7x9's fit well in Golden Age Comic bags and boards (7-5/8"x10-1/2"). 7x9s might fit tightly in a Silver Age Comic bag/board (7-1/8"x10-1/2"), but the width of those doesn't allow much tolerance for slightly wider photos or ones with slight paper caption overhangs.

Good luck with the comic collection Scott. That's the area that most of my collecting youth was spent in, though I've strayed considerably in recent years. I'd be curious to hear what series you favored for "rotting your brain" growing up. (Mine were mostly Marvel with X-Men and Spider-Man titles being favorites).

[CobbvLajoie1910]

Expense aside, what is the consensus re: using rigid 8x10 toploaders?

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by CobbvLajoie1910

Expense aside, what is the consensus re: using rigid 8x10 toploaders?

Never...even being careful, you can catch the edge and leave a nice slice in the photo.

Jeff

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by CobbvLajoie1910

Expense aside, what is the consensus re: using rigid 8x10 toploaders?

If you're going that route, I would suggest using a thin backing board or similar on front and back when loading for exactly the reason Jeff mentioned. Something you can slide back out once the photo is inside. Also consider using a toploader that is a little bigger than the photo. A tight fit sounds like a good idea until you realize that getting the photo inside often poses the biggest risk for damage.

[CobbvLajoie1910]

Thanks for the reply, Gents. Knock on wood, I've never had an issue loading photos into a top-loader (I too subscribe to Lance's idea of using something oversized).

I was concerned about the archival quality of the plastic & and the image.

I've read conflicting info on how safe (acidity) they are.