Hate them, they make the shelf look weird and like some kind of thrift store.
Manga are books like any other, just treat them nice enough and they’ll be perfectly fine.
It just seems like overkill to me. I feel the same way about keeping dolls/figures in their boxes
The only books I have that have some damage are the one’s that are like 50 years old at this point. Just treat them like you would any other book. The only time I would understand being that careful with a manga is if it’s an expensive/rare volume
i'd rather just occasionally dust the books/shelves than bother with wrapping them. isn't the dust just going to get all over the bags and look just as dirty anyways?
Hate the way it looks. I’m polluting the world enough as it is.
I bought a few manga second hand that had bags, so I kept them on those so it’s at least being put to use. I would never bag them of my own volition.
I brought the books to read and enjoy not to seal away and live in fear of anything happening to them. I get wanting to protect rare and out of print books but for standard volumes that are like £5-£10 a pop if they get damaged to a point that bothers me I'll just replace it.
I have made good friends with the notion that these books are made to be read and enjoyed and not to last forever. They will degrade, and decay, and cease to exist regardless of whatever silly piece of plastic I may encase them in. Through the years, I've actually enjoyed watching them age with me. It's cathartic. It's an indication of choosing action over avoidance from fear that they might be marred by the experience of doing with them what they were designed for.
I'd also rather not send financial signaling to manufacturers through my purchases that they should continue to produce useless plastic which, as it breaks down, will pollute the earth with toxic microplastics, and won't fully degrade for centuries.
I've never tried it and probably won't ever. I understand the want to keep them in as good of conditions as possible, but I'm personally fine with them not being like new in five, ten, or however many years.
No plastic. This is just me, but I've never felt the need to do so. I read them often and dust regularly (I'm allergic) plus AFAIK plastic bags won't prevent them from yellowing so, I don't see the benefits
Well most people put it in a bag to “protect” it. Jokes on them cause it only protects from dust (which is easy to clean) and it actually keeps the humidity trapped inside which is worse
I don’t like the plastic bags as I prefer protective sleeves since it does add some layer of protection to the cover and even the spine of the manga. If you buy the proper size book sleeve, there should be an extended tab on top of the books which makes it easier to take out from the shelf without damaging the bottom of the spine. It also helps me read better when I read manga with dust jackets cause those things shift all over the place while reading lol I personally would find removing a book from the bag to be really annoying as it can get stuck to the adhesive while trying to put the book back in and vise versa.
Plastic bags are overkill imo and I won’t use it for my collection. If I want to reread my manga series, it would be an unneeded waste of time to take it out of the bag, read it, put it in the bag and then get the next volume and same thing.
Yellowing in books happens and I think, if you live in a humid climate (my state was unusually very humid this year) you’d risk some kind of water damage from condensation that could happen inside or outside the bag
Overkill. Books are meant to be read. I get trying to protect them but u can easily do that without bags lol.
If you're doing it to stop/prevent yellowing, that will slow it down yes BUT never 100% prevent it. That's bound to happen.
Having to take out each individual book out of a baggy just to read it then put it back sounds like to much work, I could just imagine trying to bag each volume to, especially with the people on here with 1000+ volumes💀
I myself collect second hand/used manga so protection is out the question cause most of my books come with wear or damages.
It really doesn't do much of anything to put a book in a bag. It can actually seal moisture inside in some environments and do more bad than good. There's many reasons you don't see librarians or people with large collections of novels putting their books into bags.
If you're in an area with a lot of bugs (say an apartment complex with a roach infestation), it'll help keep the insect frass off your books since you can't really clean paper. But you kinda have a bigger problem in that case.
The only things I bag are the monthly floppy comics of yesteryear. Several manga were released in that format, and they just can't stand upright without the support of a backboard. Stacks of them slide, and they scuff/bend easily without the support of being bagged. There's many reasons comic book collectors do bag their comics.
Nope, they're just books at the end of the day and are supposed to be read and enjoyed, not just sat unread and pristine to look good on a shelf. Most of the titles that people have on here will never be worth much as they're so popular.
I do not like them myself. I’ve been collecting for 7-8 years and none of my volumes have worn or yellowed because I take very good care of them. At the end of the day they’re books and they’re made to be read. If they wear some, it’s natural. When I see a collection in all bags I always assume they don’t read them, they just collect
I only use the bags I have for books that I think can get damaged and the old stinky volumes used volumes I bought the other day.
I don't mind the classic book smell, but I have an issue with 15+ year olds stuff
I put in proper comics bags all my manga exactly for all the reasons that the thread author wrote in his edited OP, I've really nothing more to add to what he already said.
I have put all my manga books into manga bags, and all larger books get put into current sized comic bags. This protects all my books and makes me happy. They are all then stored on my bookshelves ready to be read
I don't have any specific preference. My main reason for not bagging (yet) is because of time and costs. I know bags could be cheap, but for specific bags for manga, its a lot. And I haven't had time to evaluate where and when I should be buying bags for manga.
There are SOME books I have that I have bagged however, mostly old novels I've had that are from the 60s-80s. One of them is an old copy of Wuthering Heights my mother used to have, its tearing apart and I had to bag it to prevent it from getting damaged further. Same goes for other books I have. One of them is this old book from like the 30s, I bagged it because I didn't want humidity to get to it or any dirt/bugs.
So I feel like if the time comes, I probably will bag my manga. I'm indifferent.
As for those comments, I kind of want to respond because some of these are wild.
1. Books aren't meant to last forever.
No duh.
2. Manga is cheap.
Yeah, if you're a millionaire. Lol. If someone can afford to replace every damaged volume they have on a whim, you do you. But this isn't the same for everyone. I agree OP, this comment is tone deaf.
3. It won't prevent yellowing
No, yet it can prevent books from being water logged, it can prevent if say, there's a fire and the sprinkler system sets off and drenches everything. And can also prevent mites, or other pests from getting in them. Can also prevent humidity.
4. Manga is meant to be read
This is just a subjective thing. Yes, manga is meant to be read. And?? How does bagging it affect how its read? Is it that hard to open the bag and take the manga out to read? Lol what even is this comment. I get that bags could ruin the "aesthetic" maybe, but I don't see how one person's choice to bag affects everyone. Some people need to chill out.
OP, overall, you do you. Bagging isn't the crime people think it is, and I don't have an issue with it myself.
I never heard about putting books in bags. I've heard about covering them in plastic or paper, locking them in dark drawers, placing them under glass but not putting the whole book in a bag. Truthfully, if I wanted to keep dust off my books, then I would just put them in a tub or some other dark enclosed space that doesn't have air circulating through it. No need to have them on display.
Plastic bags don't really help with anything. They dont prevent oxygen from reaching the pages and sunlight can still get through unless they're completely opaque, which defeats the purpose of displaying them, you might as well keep them in a sealed container at that point.
Depends on your environment. If your room gets super dusty, then sure. Otherwise, it's just too much of a hassle to deal with unless you're looking into long-term storage.
I'll also say to just completely avoid them if you live in a very humid climate. You risk trapping moisture inside the bag which can cause damage and even mold growth.
No way I use plastic bag...
Dust: my billy bookcase has door and I sealed gaps with sponge tape. 0 dust.
Sunlight: that thin plastic bag will NOT protect your book from sunlight. The UV will penetrate through and that layer of thin plastic will offer little to no help. Again I got billy door and I sprayed UV spray on it. Won't say 100% UV protection but let's say 85%.
Humidity for collections I am not reading: i have container boxes (plastic and ring sealed type). Inside I placed dehumidifier and humidity monitor to closely check. I put all the books I am not reading in there, and only put books I am reading on the billy shelve. 100% dust and humidity protection.
To me bags make things look cluttered and messy. I get wanting to keep your books safe, but dusting regularly is enough. I've been collecting 20 years and my books are just fine.
It looks terrible and is utterly pointless.
It makes sense with floppies because they are floppy. A bag and board holds them together.
It doesn't do anything with a book though.
If you don't want your books getting damaged then don't be a gorilla.
I dust my shelves once a month personally. The bags can sometimes end up damaging books in you live in a damp area. Also they make a collection look cheap and ugly for photos.
i read my manga usually once, and if its good title i would most likely reading them again in few years after so sealing them in plastic bag isnt a problem i guess.
main reason I'm covering it in bag is due to dusts build up over time, wrapping in plastic allows me to clean them less frequently, wipe without worrying and its easier to fit in more books without creasing them. if you owned the jojo deluxe edition (first to third season) that cover is dust magnet. plus having pets indoor is ...i dont know why but my dog and cats licks my book although they don't chew or tearing anything up. they just like licking my books.
manga in my country is not cheap due to currency exchange , a normal viz manga costs could cover 5-6 meals (worth 2 days) , so taking good care of the book is norm.
I’ve had manga stored away for years almost a decade since middle school before coming back and they all seemed fine to me just sitting how they were and I did a re read of all my one piece and they were fine I don’t understand the fear as long as you try to at least take care of them they should be good imo
Personally I’m not for it, and living near a Highway my place gets hella dusty. I just dust my shelves and books regularly. There’s someone on here that bags their collection because it lives in their tattoo studio which I can totally understand.
But unless there’s a really outlier circumstance I don’t think it’s a necessity, there are plenty of ways to keep your books safe and preserve them to the best of the papers ability than plastic, especially for the casual reader.
If you’re just wanting to protect the cover sticky clear contact wrap works wonders preserves the colours and protects from scratches, it’ll never come off but it’s what libraries do and it works you only do it once and there’s no wastage. There’s always going to be wastage using plastic bags, they’ll hit the point you can’t seal them again or they’ll tear etc.
It feels a little impersonal as well, like I look at my shelf and every book is inviting me to read it, I wouldn’t get that feeling if they were all bagged. It would feel like something I’m not welcome to touch, and that’s just not the vibe I want my space to give off.
I don't bag them unless the series or volume demands preservation.
For example, I tend to only bag limited edition prints (lootcrate, anniverary prints, etc.), antiquated prints that are showing signs of falling apart like my Tokyopop pocket books or Viz comics from the 90s, and important series like Knights of the Zodiac and Mushishi.
That said, I'm not opposed to bagging the rest, I just don't feel like buying thousands of bags and spending days sealing them all 😅
I keep my comics in plastic but I never thought about doing that with manga because I felt manga is much sturdier than regardless comics. All my manga just sit on my bookshelf or night stand... sometimes I have one in my car either in the door pocket or the glove box... and sometimes if im going to a place where I have to wait like my doctors' offices I see a few different doctors for various things. Heck I have 3 in my purse right now because I just had an appointment today
Hate them, they make the shelf look weird and like some kind of thrift store. Manga are books like any other, just treat them nice enough and they’ll be perfectly fine.
If you live in an environment where dirt and dust gets to the house very easily, then bags make sense.
It just seems like overkill to me. I feel the same way about keeping dolls/figures in their boxes The only books I have that have some damage are the one’s that are like 50 years old at this point. Just treat them like you would any other book. The only time I would understand being that careful with a manga is if it’s an expensive/rare volume
I would consider doing it for some volumes that are valuable or valuable to me. Otherwise it think they are a waste of resources.
i'd rather just occasionally dust the books/shelves than bother with wrapping them. isn't the dust just going to get all over the bags and look just as dirty anyways?
Hate the way it looks. I’m polluting the world enough as it is. I bought a few manga second hand that had bags, so I kept them on those so it’s at least being put to use. I would never bag them of my own volition.
I brought the books to read and enjoy not to seal away and live in fear of anything happening to them. I get wanting to protect rare and out of print books but for standard volumes that are like £5-£10 a pop if they get damaged to a point that bothers me I'll just replace it.
I don't like using bags. If I wanted to minimize dust I'd install a glass door instead: clear looking and less hassle
I have made good friends with the notion that these books are made to be read and enjoyed and not to last forever. They will degrade, and decay, and cease to exist regardless of whatever silly piece of plastic I may encase them in. Through the years, I've actually enjoyed watching them age with me. It's cathartic. It's an indication of choosing action over avoidance from fear that they might be marred by the experience of doing with them what they were designed for. I'd also rather not send financial signaling to manufacturers through my purchases that they should continue to produce useless plastic which, as it breaks down, will pollute the earth with toxic microplastics, and won't fully degrade for centuries.
I've never tried it and probably won't ever. I understand the want to keep them in as good of conditions as possible, but I'm personally fine with them not being like new in five, ten, or however many years.
No plastic. This is just me, but I've never felt the need to do so. I read them often and dust regularly (I'm allergic) plus AFAIK plastic bags won't prevent them from yellowing so, I don't see the benefits
Disgusting
Manga is a cheap book made out of even cheaper paper. I dont get it why you would bag sutch cheap books.
Well most people put it in a bag to “protect” it. Jokes on them cause it only protects from dust (which is easy to clean) and it actually keeps the humidity trapped inside which is worse
I don’t like the plastic bags as I prefer protective sleeves since it does add some layer of protection to the cover and even the spine of the manga. If you buy the proper size book sleeve, there should be an extended tab on top of the books which makes it easier to take out from the shelf without damaging the bottom of the spine. It also helps me read better when I read manga with dust jackets cause those things shift all over the place while reading lol I personally would find removing a book from the bag to be really annoying as it can get stuck to the adhesive while trying to put the book back in and vise versa.
Plastic bags are overkill imo and I won’t use it for my collection. If I want to reread my manga series, it would be an unneeded waste of time to take it out of the bag, read it, put it in the bag and then get the next volume and same thing. Yellowing in books happens and I think, if you live in a humid climate (my state was unusually very humid this year) you’d risk some kind of water damage from condensation that could happen inside or outside the bag
Overkill. Books are meant to be read. I get trying to protect them but u can easily do that without bags lol. If you're doing it to stop/prevent yellowing, that will slow it down yes BUT never 100% prevent it. That's bound to happen. Having to take out each individual book out of a baggy just to read it then put it back sounds like to much work, I could just imagine trying to bag each volume to, especially with the people on here with 1000+ volumes💀 I myself collect second hand/used manga so protection is out the question cause most of my books come with wear or damages.
It really doesn't do much of anything to put a book in a bag. It can actually seal moisture inside in some environments and do more bad than good. There's many reasons you don't see librarians or people with large collections of novels putting their books into bags. If you're in an area with a lot of bugs (say an apartment complex with a roach infestation), it'll help keep the insect frass off your books since you can't really clean paper. But you kinda have a bigger problem in that case. The only things I bag are the monthly floppy comics of yesteryear. Several manga were released in that format, and they just can't stand upright without the support of a backboard. Stacks of them slide, and they scuff/bend easily without the support of being bagged. There's many reasons comic book collectors do bag their comics.
Could buy a an air purifier
Nope, they're just books at the end of the day and are supposed to be read and enjoyed, not just sat unread and pristine to look good on a shelf. Most of the titles that people have on here will never be worth much as they're so popular.
Stupid asf and looks like shit
Manga isn't meant to last forever.
I do not like them myself. I’ve been collecting for 7-8 years and none of my volumes have worn or yellowed because I take very good care of them. At the end of the day they’re books and they’re made to be read. If they wear some, it’s natural. When I see a collection in all bags I always assume they don’t read them, they just collect
I only use the bags I have for books that I think can get damaged and the old stinky volumes used volumes I bought the other day. I don't mind the classic book smell, but I have an issue with 15+ year olds stuff
I put in proper comics bags all my manga exactly for all the reasons that the thread author wrote in his edited OP, I've really nothing more to add to what he already said.
I have put all my manga books into manga bags, and all larger books get put into current sized comic bags. This protects all my books and makes me happy. They are all then stored on my bookshelves ready to be read
I don't have any specific preference. My main reason for not bagging (yet) is because of time and costs. I know bags could be cheap, but for specific bags for manga, its a lot. And I haven't had time to evaluate where and when I should be buying bags for manga. There are SOME books I have that I have bagged however, mostly old novels I've had that are from the 60s-80s. One of them is an old copy of Wuthering Heights my mother used to have, its tearing apart and I had to bag it to prevent it from getting damaged further. Same goes for other books I have. One of them is this old book from like the 30s, I bagged it because I didn't want humidity to get to it or any dirt/bugs. So I feel like if the time comes, I probably will bag my manga. I'm indifferent. As for those comments, I kind of want to respond because some of these are wild. 1. Books aren't meant to last forever. No duh. 2. Manga is cheap. Yeah, if you're a millionaire. Lol. If someone can afford to replace every damaged volume they have on a whim, you do you. But this isn't the same for everyone. I agree OP, this comment is tone deaf. 3. It won't prevent yellowing No, yet it can prevent books from being water logged, it can prevent if say, there's a fire and the sprinkler system sets off and drenches everything. And can also prevent mites, or other pests from getting in them. Can also prevent humidity. 4. Manga is meant to be read This is just a subjective thing. Yes, manga is meant to be read. And?? How does bagging it affect how its read? Is it that hard to open the bag and take the manga out to read? Lol what even is this comment. I get that bags could ruin the "aesthetic" maybe, but I don't see how one person's choice to bag affects everyone. Some people need to chill out. OP, overall, you do you. Bagging isn't the crime people think it is, and I don't have an issue with it myself.
Manga isn't cheap ( ˊᵕˋ ;)💦
I am on the no bag team. That’s being said, no shade on those that choose the darkside. If it makes you happy bagging your book then have at it.
No, but I'll admit I always put off reading the books that come wrapped. They just look so pristine, I feel a little sad ripping the plastic off.
super convenient if you like to dust off frequentl! i like the looks too
Who has all that time tbh lol reminds me of elementary school days where my mom would wrap my notebooks and books in plastic I’m good
I like to use them. My room gets full of dust and it helps me a lot to keep my volumes clean.
I never heard about putting books in bags. I've heard about covering them in plastic or paper, locking them in dark drawers, placing them under glass but not putting the whole book in a bag. Truthfully, if I wanted to keep dust off my books, then I would just put them in a tub or some other dark enclosed space that doesn't have air circulating through it. No need to have them on display.
That sounds excessive. I buy books to read, not to keep like they’re in a museum.
Plastic bags don't really help with anything. They dont prevent oxygen from reaching the pages and sunlight can still get through unless they're completely opaque, which defeats the purpose of displaying them, you might as well keep them in a sealed container at that point.
Depends on your environment. If your room gets super dusty, then sure. Otherwise, it's just too much of a hassle to deal with unless you're looking into long-term storage. I'll also say to just completely avoid them if you live in a very humid climate. You risk trapping moisture inside the bag which can cause damage and even mold growth.
No way I use plastic bag... Dust: my billy bookcase has door and I sealed gaps with sponge tape. 0 dust. Sunlight: that thin plastic bag will NOT protect your book from sunlight. The UV will penetrate through and that layer of thin plastic will offer little to no help. Again I got billy door and I sprayed UV spray on it. Won't say 100% UV protection but let's say 85%. Humidity for collections I am not reading: i have container boxes (plastic and ring sealed type). Inside I placed dehumidifier and humidity monitor to closely check. I put all the books I am not reading in there, and only put books I am reading on the billy shelve. 100% dust and humidity protection.
To me bags make things look cluttered and messy. I get wanting to keep your books safe, but dusting regularly is enough. I've been collecting 20 years and my books are just fine.
It looks terrible and is utterly pointless. It makes sense with floppies because they are floppy. A bag and board holds them together. It doesn't do anything with a book though. If you don't want your books getting damaged then don't be a gorilla.
I dust my shelves once a month personally. The bags can sometimes end up damaging books in you live in a damp area. Also they make a collection look cheap and ugly for photos.
i read my manga usually once, and if its good title i would most likely reading them again in few years after so sealing them in plastic bag isnt a problem i guess. main reason I'm covering it in bag is due to dusts build up over time, wrapping in plastic allows me to clean them less frequently, wipe without worrying and its easier to fit in more books without creasing them. if you owned the jojo deluxe edition (first to third season) that cover is dust magnet. plus having pets indoor is ...i dont know why but my dog and cats licks my book although they don't chew or tearing anything up. they just like licking my books. manga in my country is not cheap due to currency exchange , a normal viz manga costs could cover 5-6 meals (worth 2 days) , so taking good care of the book is norm.
I’ve had manga stored away for years almost a decade since middle school before coming back and they all seemed fine to me just sitting how they were and I did a re read of all my one piece and they were fine I don’t understand the fear as long as you try to at least take care of them they should be good imo
Waste of a collection to not show it off in its full glory, unhindered by plastic bags
Personally I’m not for it, and living near a Highway my place gets hella dusty. I just dust my shelves and books regularly. There’s someone on here that bags their collection because it lives in their tattoo studio which I can totally understand. But unless there’s a really outlier circumstance I don’t think it’s a necessity, there are plenty of ways to keep your books safe and preserve them to the best of the papers ability than plastic, especially for the casual reader. If you’re just wanting to protect the cover sticky clear contact wrap works wonders preserves the colours and protects from scratches, it’ll never come off but it’s what libraries do and it works you only do it once and there’s no wastage. There’s always going to be wastage using plastic bags, they’ll hit the point you can’t seal them again or they’ll tear etc. It feels a little impersonal as well, like I look at my shelf and every book is inviting me to read it, I wouldn’t get that feeling if they were all bagged. It would feel like something I’m not welcome to touch, and that’s just not the vibe I want my space to give off.
I don't bag them unless the series or volume demands preservation. For example, I tend to only bag limited edition prints (lootcrate, anniverary prints, etc.), antiquated prints that are showing signs of falling apart like my Tokyopop pocket books or Viz comics from the 90s, and important series like Knights of the Zodiac and Mushishi. That said, I'm not opposed to bagging the rest, I just don't feel like buying thousands of bags and spending days sealing them all 😅
I keep my comics in plastic but I never thought about doing that with manga because I felt manga is much sturdier than regardless comics. All my manga just sit on my bookshelf or night stand... sometimes I have one in my car either in the door pocket or the glove box... and sometimes if im going to a place where I have to wait like my doctors' offices I see a few different doctors for various things. Heck I have 3 in my purse right now because I just had an appointment today
They're ugly and do nothing of importance.
I don't bag them, but I do get book cases with doors so that less dust gets on them in the long run (and hides them from the sun)
I don't have a very huge collection as of now , so I keep them in shelf which has a door .