Displaying Comics

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:46 pm

I did this post over at 11 O'Clock Comics responding to a question, and though I'd cross post it here on our own CBP forums.

The question was asked "How do you display your comics?"

FIRST
I buy hard plastic comics frames (called a "Comic Book Showcase" from BCW), that are just a bit larger than the size of the comic. These allow me to get more comics into the available wall space, and they come in sizes for modern or silver age comics. They are also relatively inexpensive. You can find them here:
http://www.bcwsupplies.com/prod-CBS.htm
And a nice review of them here:
http://comicbooks.about.com/od/comicbookprotection/fr/bcwshowcase.htm

Here are a couple of shots of some of the comics I have on display in these frames:

My precious ASM #1 (I need this framed so I can gaze upon it regularly...)

Here are some other favorites (the left 2 are signed by both Stan Lee & John Romita, and ASM #88 is the comic that got me started on comics collecting, so it has great sentimental value):

Here are a few more just to show I have something besides Spidey comics framed

SECOND
There is a Second way I display comics. That is to put them in Mylar sleeves and display them behind some of the Bowen (& other) busts & statues that I have. In general I try to match the comics displayed to the busts (putting comics with a 1st or key appearance behind the bust).

Here is my "Spider-Man" series......

Not to bore you with everything, here is my 1st FF shelf:

This works just as well with stuff of more modern vintage:

You could just as easily stick these mylar-sleeved comics behind action figures, or even alone on shelves. The key is to get sturdy Mylars and backing boards to support the comics nicely.

THIRD
You can use a relative cheap display device called a "Snap-it" comic shell. This can be seen in my Red Sonja shelf (on the left & right):

...and a bit better in this shot:

I'm not sure how readily available these comic shells are, a web search only revealed this link:
http://www.sportshopdirect.com/snap-it-comic-shell-6x-112727.html

FOURTH
And finally, a trusty spinner-rack!!!

Burrell · Post by **Burrell** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:56 am

Bob,

For the Comic Book Showcase, is there room to put the comic in a bag and board and insert the entire thing into the frame? The review you linked to said no, but could you bag and board a current size book and display it in the Silver book display?

Thanks for the info.

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:20 am

Some very cool ideas here Bob. I've always loved the comic with matching bust. The Red Sonja shelf is very cool as well.

Skyhawke · Post by **Skyhawke** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:49 am

Jason you ought to take some pictures of your wall to wall to ceiling to floor Punisher art collection.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:46 am

Burrell wrote: For the Comic Book Showcase, is there room to put the comic in a bag and board and insert the entire thing into the frame? The review you linked to said no, but could you bag and board a current size book and display it in the Silver book display?

There is really no room for a bag/board, but you don't need one. The purpose of a bag is to protect & the board is there for stiffness, these are both not necessary when you're dealing with the hard plastic showcase, though I suppose you could trim a board and stick it in the showcase behind the book if you wanted.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:46 am

Though, based on some comments on the 11 O'Clock Comics forum, I now see a reason to slide a Mylar bag into the Comic Book Showcase frame (e.g. UV protection)

NiceAndBlue wrote: Fluorescent lights do emit a small amount of UV light which is what causes stuff to fade, so yeah, UV protection is a must.

Well, this got me a bit paranoid, so I did some research on this. Found some good info at this site:
http://www.frameitagainsam.com/information.php?info_id=4&osCsid=41477c673e1cf1cfd12685131ca969d2

Is UV a concern? Do I need special UV glass?
Nope. There is a myth about UV protection implying that mysterious UV rays exist in all light and need to be filtered out. The truth is that there is no UV light inside your house unless you have fluorescent bulbs without a UV shield. And that should be a worry for you, not your comics. Remember that UV causes sun burns and skin cancer, and you are protected from UV rays in your home and so are your comics.

That being said, Mylar-D Bags have substantial UV-Protection built-in. The reason I use Mylar bags with the frames, however is not so much for their UV protection, but for their preservation qualities, incredible clarity and their longevity. The frames are designed to display comics in their bags as a condition preservation feature. Comics do not sag or bend while on display, and no part of the frame ever touches the comic. You can view more about the bags and purchase extra bags in full packs or in smaller increments in the Mylar bag section or when ordering frames.

So, this is good, I have most of my comics on display in Mylar already. What I am now considering doing is sliding a Mylar sleeve into the Comic Book Showcase frame in front of the comic, to have that Mylar work it's magic filtering out any errant UV.

What you should know about UV rays is...
they are line-of-sight from the sun (direct sunlight). Not just any light as seems to be the myth. It has to be a straight line from the sun to your comics to have any UV rays in it. Even with UV protection you should still avoid putting your comics in the path of direct sunlight because infrared, another component of direct sunlight, is harmful to the inks in comics. Humidity, changes in temperature and exposure to fresh oxygen are the dangers you should worry about for your collection. Avoid hanging near doors and windows and under bright lights or rooms. And keep comics out of the path of DIRECT sunlight with or without UV protection!

I am also set here. None of my books are in direct sunlight, and I also have UV-protection film on my windows (though I did this more to keep the heat out of the room than any other reason).

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:49 pm

Bumping the topic.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:34 am

Bob, where did you get that spinner rack? and more importantly, how long did it take you to find it?

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:10 pm

Trev wrote:Bob, where did you get that spinner rack? and more importantly, how long did it take you to find it?

I got it at a comics shop down in San Diego a few years back. It's actually newly manufactured (it came boxed and I assembled it when I got home).

It's not one of the old "Hey Kids! Comics!" ones, which would have been much cooler, but I've never seen one of those for sale.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:18 pm

A brief search turned up this:
http://www.displays2go.com/product.asp?ID=12612

This is not the exact one I have, but I'm sure some dedicated Googling can turn up something.....

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:03 am

BobBretall wrote:A brief search turned up this:
http://www.displays2go.com/product.asp?ID=12612

This is not the exact one I have, but I'm sure some dedicated Googling can turn up something.....

bingo:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Comic-Book- ... .m20.l1116

now if only I lived near Tempe AZ . . .

MobileHome · Post by **MobileHome** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:12 am

Trev wrote: bingo:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Comic-Book- ... .m20.l1116

now if only I lived near Tempe AZ . . .

Road trip..!

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:33 pm

Tempe is a suburb of Phoenix, about a 6 hour drive for me, each way....... (and about an extra $100 in gas, round trip)

I think I'll pass......

But if it was in the LA Area? I'd be thinking about it....