As I look at the evolution of comic-book collecting, it suddenly occurs to me that another invention besides the plastic bag has had an influence on long-term comic-book preservation.

Collectors looking to make the fragile paper last longer were encouraged in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s to use a tool first distributed in 1930. How lucky we were that we had Scotch Cellophane Tape to reinforce covers and centerfolds, not to mention the mending of those small tears that so often plagued comic-book readers!

Not satisfied to rest on its laurels, the 3M company introduced in 1961 its Scotch Magic Transparent Tape. Great! It's a tape that About.com describes as, "an almost invisible tape that never discolored and could be written on." Guess no one on that website ever compared new Scotch Magic mending to Scotch Magic mending that's a few years old. Oh, and the bonus? It's almost impossible to remove, as opposed to the plain Scotch Cellophane Tape.