Saw a guy at Baltimore Comic Con totally transform a beat-up Silver Surfer #4 with a wet q-tip

I watched him do it on like 10 key issues and every single one looked way sharper after. Has anyone else tried that trick on older books or is there a better way to clean them up?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_wells8312d ago

Used a damp microfiber cloth on a few beat up bronze age books myself. The dirt just lifts right off, you have to be gentle around the staples though. Just pat it dry after and you'll see a massive difference in the cover gloss. It's risky on really fragile paper, but most 70s stuff handles it fine.

leewood12d ago

Had a buddy try this on an old Fantastic Four from the 70s, even used the exact dry patting trick @emma_wells83 mentioned, and the difference was unreal until he hit a water stain on the back cover that turned into a full blown smudge. Cheap paper just doesn't forgive mistakes.

ray_sullivan12d ago

Grabbed a buddy of mine who collects X-Men and he tried that q-tip trick on a beat-up Giant-Size X-Men #1. Looked like a completely different book when he was done, the cover went from grimy to glossy in about five minutes. He had to be real careful around the spine though, that paper was super thin. @emma_wells83 is spot on about patting it dry, my friend used a soft cloth right after and it stopped any weird moisture ripples from setting in.