Caring for Your Collection
These books have already survived decades. A little care keeps them readable — and keeps their value — for decades more. None of this is fussy; it's the handful of habits that separate a Trophy Room copy from a Rough one. Start with the essentials below; click any “More” for the full detail.
Handling
Clean, dry hands. Support the spine as you open a book, use a bookmark (never a dog-ear), and never lift a book by the top of its spine.
More on handling →
That top-of-spine bit is the headcap; pulling a book off the shelf by it is the single most common way collectors tear an otherwise-fine copy. Don't crack a perfect-bound rulebook flat on the table — it splits the glued spine; ease it open instead. And skip the cotton gloves for paper: clean dry hands give you the grip and feel that gloves lose, which means fewer drops and fewer creases.
Storage
- Upright and snug — not crammed (warps covers), not loose (lets books lean and cock the spine).
- Heavy or oversized books lie flat. Boxed sets always lie flat — the box is the value.
- Modules, thin supplements and magazines go in a poly/mylar sleeve with an acid-free backing board.
- Away from direct sun and UV — light fades spines faster than anything else.
More on shelving, boxed sets & bagging →
Use bookends so a part-full shelf can't lean. Inside a boxed set, bag the loose booklets, maps and counters separately so they don't abrade each other or the box edges — and store the whole thing flat, never on its side. For modules and magazines, comic-book bags and boards (current and silver-age sizes) fit most RPG digests and saddle-stitched issues perfectly and are cheap by the hundred. Acid-free is the phrase to look for on anything that touches the paper.
Climate & humidity — the Australian problem
In our climate it's humidity, not handling, that quietly ruins most collections. Aim for a stable 35–50% relative humidity; above about 65% and mould moves in. Keep books out of the garage, the under-house and the unsealed shed.
More on humidity, mould & the gear that helps →
A cheap hygrometer on the shelf tells you where you actually stand. In a wet region, a small dehumidifier in the book room — or silica/moisture absorbers tucked in the bookcase — pays for itself in saved books. Watch for the early warnings: a musty smell, or reddish-brown foxing spots. At the first sign of mould, isolate the book, dry it out, and soft-brush the spores off outdoors wearing a mask — don't spread them along the shelf. Heat matters too: stable and cool beats warm and variable.
Cleaning — gently, and dry first
Most grime lifts with a soft brush or a dry microfibre cloth. A kneadable (gum) eraser, used lightly, takes marks off board covers. Avoid household cleaners, solvents and water on paper and most covers.
More on cleaning & when to stop →
Dust the top edge regularly — that's where grime accumulates and migrates inward. A document-cleaning pad (grated eraser) is gentle on cloth and board; work from the spine outward, never scrub. Water and solvents cockle paper and lift ink, so leave them alone. And know the line: a genuinely valuable or badly damaged book is a job for a conservator, not a kitchen-table fix — see the community links below.
The mistakes that cost you
- Sticky tape. Cellophane/Scotch tape yellows and stains permanently — worse than the tear it "fixed."
- Glue, DIY repairs with the wrong materials, and lamination — all irreversible.
- Writing, highlighting, or price stickers on the cover (the residue stays).
- Rubber bands (cut and stain) and stacking heavy books on softcovers.
- Attics, garages, under-houses — heat/humidity swings and pests. Silverfish and booklice eat the starch in bindings and paper.
- Food, drink and smoke nearby — odour, once in, never leaves.
First aid for a wet or damaged book →
Act fast — wet paper is salvageable, mouldy paper often isn't. Stand the book fanned open in a cool, airy spot (a fan helps; never a hairdryer or direct heat). Interleave paper towels every 20–30 pages, swapping them as they take up water. If you can't dry it now, seal it in a freezer bag and freeze it — that stops mould and buys you time until you can dry or get it to a conservator. Once dry, press it flat under a weight for a day or two to pull the warp out.
Format-specific notes (matte covers, perfect-binding, maps) →
- Matte covers (much of World of Darkness) show scuffs and fingerprints — handle by the edges.
- Gloss covers (classic TSR) scratch and show ring-marks — keep them off rough surfaces.
- Perfect-bound books (most Palladium, later TSR) crack if forced flat — open gently.
- Saddle-stitched issues can rust at the staples in damp air — humidity control matters double here.
- Poster and hex maps — refold along the original creases only; a new fold is a permanent scar.
Further help & community
You don't have to learn this alone.
- Conservation, done properly — for valuable or damaged pieces, read the professionals: the AICCM (Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material), your state or national library's “caring for your collection” guides, and the Library of Congress book-care notes are all free and reliable.
- Know your books — RPGGeek, The Acaeum (the authority on TSR printings) and Wayne's Books are where collectors confirm editions and printings.
- The community — the out-of-print RPG scene is generous; collector groups and forums will gladly help you identify, value or rescue a book.
Not sure what condition you've actually got? See How We Grade — the Reliquary Condition Scale. Winding a collection down, or have doubles? We buy, sell & trade — we'd rather these books found the right hands than the recycling.