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Hey JERK, Look what you did to me! (Part II of II, see Part I) by Gwen Allen |
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Fashion magazines are visual creatures...they don't like to be put away in boxes, forgotten for years at a time. They're meant to be appreciated and rediscovered. That's where good storage comes into play: You have to come up with a compromise that allows containment with accessability. ACID OR NOT Use acid-free products whenever possible to store magazines, preferably buffered with 3% Calcium Carbonate. Acid breaks down the cellulose in paper, causing it to fall apart and covers to lose their gloss. The sources of acid in paper are papermaking processes, ink, storage mounting materials and atmospheric pollution. You can't avoid acid completely because it's already in your magazines. For this reason, some companies sell acid-free boards that have a thin layer of charcoal sandwiched in the middle of the board to help neutralize acid. Not using backing boards? Use bags of Silica Gel granules in the vicinity of your magazines. Follow instructions on packaging to keep them fresh for years. I would also suggest a simple tracking system so you don't have to think about when you did what. FLAT AS A PANCAKE Or is it? Unless you use a backing board with every magazine, your magazines are destined to bend. It's a cold, hard fact. Size your backing boards exactly to your magazines: it prevents bent edges (too small) and wrinkling (too large). Work your way towards purchasing a large cutting board for neatness (for the obsessive in you). CARRY-OUT When you store magazines and pages in mylar or polypropylene bags, you keep them free from dirt, oils and other air borne pollutants. Dirt, open air, light, moisture, (introduction to) acid, and oil causes paper to break down, discolour, and warp. Protecting magazines and/or their pages from these paper pollutants will help protect them for as long as you live (and longer). Your choices are polypropylene and Mylar bags. Mylar is the recommended archival medium of the U.S. Library of Congress AND comic book collectors because it does not have any chemicals which will damage paper. Mylar will not discolor, damage or adhere to items placed inside it. It is a sturdy film that beautifully displays, timelessly protects and gives extra support to fragile documents. Mylar resists penetration by gases, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, 300-350 times more than it's cheaper counterpart, polypropylene. Unfortunately, Mylar also tends to be be double and sometimes triple the cost of polypropylene. Because Mylar tends to be thick and awkward, Mylites, a softer version of Mylar, is recommended. Mylar can last over a century, as opposed to polypropylene, which is recommended to be replaced every 3-5 years (this number changes with each product). Polypropylene doesn't destroy magazines, they just offer less protection against yellowing, material breakdown, oiling and acid build-up. In the long run, Mylar is the less expensive option. If you still choose to use polypropylene for short-term storage, it is best to use the products that are advertised as acid reducing and acid-free. Watch polypropylene products religiously for breakdown (yellowing and softening). Just keep in mind that polypropylene is not really acid-free, even if they're advertised as such. Before you balk at paying for bags, bear in mind that they are still quite inexpensive compared to the degradation of unprotected magazines-think of it like a 5-10 % tax. MOVIN' ON UP Always think of magazine storage as transitory. For those you aren't displaying, store magazines in easy to maneuver boxes or shelves/cabinets to facilitate ease of use (and relocation). It's just good practice. Different Strokes for Different Folks: Boxes, Shelves, Stacks, and Cabinets. How you store your magazines dictates how you stack them. If you're not using bags, then it is best to store them flat. If you store them in bags, then it is possible to store them vertically or flat. Please don't forget to use an acid-free backing board when you use bags, otherwise slippage will occur (back to that bending stuff). ....SHELVING: Although it is tempting to shelve magazines like you would a book, I recommend against it for unbagged magazines because of the odd proportion of bulk. One side is always heavier and wider. The bound side will stand up perfectly prim and proper for years before you realize the hidden surprise of gravity and inbalance. The non-bound side is going to fall, and no matter of self-delusion will change that. Magazines are not books, they do not have the support structure and flatness of hardcover books. IF you're going to insist on treating them like books, then it is best to bag them. I would also like to suggest the eventual use of Barrister shelving or closed cabinets to protect from dust and light. Don't go over recommendations for weight. ....STACKING: Unfortunately, laying magazines flat in stacks can be just as destructive as un-boarded vertical storage if you don't treat them properly. The good news is that as long as you keep magazine stacks fairly low, you can still avoid spine rolling. If the stack sways even slightly, it's too high. Alternate the direction of the spine every 10-12 magazines to relieve pressure on the spine, the bane of any magazine that wants to keep it's pages. Sure, this method isn't as pretty as seeing all those white spines all in a row, but it's a lot less pretty when the cover becomes damaged. The exception is stapled magazines (like comics), which work best standing with a backing board and bag only. ....BOXING: When storing in boxes, it is suggested you use acid-free boxes as well as bag and backing board. Bag and board should always be your goal. Even if you can't do it for a while, it should be at the back of your mind. If you store your magazines in Mylar bags then the acid-free nature of boxes is not essential, just preferable. Size is very important. Large boxes not only are bad on the back, but potentially more damaging to the magazines (and pets) from falls. Don't forget to check for stackability. Boxes should state that information somewhere, if only by the weight and how many boxes high they can be stacked. This doesn't seem important until you come home to a stack of boxes that have tilted onto the floor, splaying their contents. My cat's crooked tail can attest to the danger of too highly stacked boxes. Too much weight will also cause boxes to lose their shape, a sure tipping hazard. I always prefer flatter boxes as opposed to deep for those very reasons. It does take more boxes, but they are so much easier to carry and explore. Buy boxes in bulk, and you'll save money and stress. While you are still in the cardboard box stage, try to find boxes that close without external help (like tape). I prefer boxes with lids that are removable. Avoid tape as it leaves residue, attracts bugs (who ARE small enough to slip through cracks). Realistly, tape only works through two or three uses anyway, so why bother? Double thick handle edges for extra strength is ideal (make sure you block up the hole if that's how it works!). Consider storing your boxes on individual shelves for ease and safety. UV resistant boxes are great, but if you keep your magazines out the sun, you probably don't need to spend extra money. Although cardboard boxes are fine in the beginning as a collector, your goal should be to move your magazines to plastic black boxes that have tight fitting lids (usually around $15, or the price of 2-5 magazines). It minimizes bad elements considerably better than cardboard. ....FILING CABINETS: You can also store magazines in filing cabinets (bags and backing boards are a neccessity for this storing method). This is ideal for smaller compact magazines, but inadvisable for magazines like W and Interview as they need to always lie flat due to their inferior newsprint paper. TIGHT AS A GLOVE Try to custom fit the size of your box to your magazines; it will help prevent slippage, one reason why magazines become warped. If you can't fit the box completely, fill in the loose sections with acid-free products. Bag sizing is important, too. Just like the boxes you store your magazines in, it is best to fit your bags to each magazine to ease storage movement and facilitate backing boards. I recommend buying several different bag sizes, even for the same magazines. September magazines are considerably larger than June, and too-tight bags will cause ink streaking and wrinkling over time. STICKING TO IT: Although it is tempting to laminate, don't do it. I've learned the hard way. Laminate is done poorly most of the time, even by professionals. Laminate available on the market doesn't last very long anyway. Everything turns yellow. It is always better to handle less and package well. Stapling is bad, too. It may be two small pin pricks now, but give it time: you'll endure the pleasure of rust eventually. Use acid-free dividers and envelopes. Of course, the best way to avoid damage is to prepare the best you can and re-evaluate your storing methods from time to time. You don't have to do it all at once. And stop being a jerk to your magazines. Other methods for storing your magazines, that aren't so preservative but have their own appeal, is getting them bound by a professional binder or tearing them apart. At some point, I'll talk about deliberately tearing up your magazines, and some of the reasons why it may be better to destroy them. |
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