Preserving an old magazine?

[WhoWasThatMaskedMan]

I was at an estate sale yesterday and I picked up 2 issues of "Love Story Magazine" from 1934 and 35.  Now I don't read romance novels as a matter of course but I bought them for their classical art work; I think they make cool accent pieces. 
They do show their age, the edges are ragged and the pages are dry but they're still pretty nice to look at.  Question is how do I keep them that way?  Right now they're just resting casually on a table next to my 1930s record player, out of the direct sunlight.  Assuming my cat doesn't take an interest in them how long will they last like that?  I'm not really inclined to put them in a display case, I'm a bit too young for my place to be a museum   

Anyone have any tips?  Thanks.

[mart]

Well since you are not dealing with a great deal of money, nor historical importance, I would say that what you are doing is fine !! Unless you want to keep them for eternity !!  If you do then go to an art supply store and get an acid free envelope to put them in !! I think there are some clear ones !!  Like what you would use for photo`s !!

Forgot to say,, when I read the subject here and saw your name, I thought you might have found "Lone Ranger Comic books" !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

You can also pick up acid-free sleeves for magazines on Ebay for just a few dollars.

[waywardangler]

A word of caution...if you use acid free sleeves or anything to encapsulate these magazines, please make sure they are not totally sealed. Gases given off by the cheap paper used must be allowed to escape or they will deteriorate faster than if they were left alone. The title "Pulp Fiction" is accurate because of the cheap wood pulp used in making the paper.

Many people laminate newspaper articles and if the acid is not removed before, the sealing of newsprint will hasten its deterioration.

[KC]

Wayward beat me to it.  People assume no air contact is a good thing....not so! Moisture can still form!  Needs some air.  Loose fitting sleeves are best.  Out of light.

I laminated many of my mom's old recipes in her handwriting....and the ink (that would have been great had I left them well enough alone) bled and are illegible now!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Surprisingly, paper (and fabrics) need to "breathe". The acid-free sleeves are usually open on one end and this allows the air to circulate around the printed page. Keeping them in a dry, dark place like a closet, trunk or drawer is good. This will keep the ultraviolet light of the sun and flourescent light from bulbs from fading the ink. If you keep them in a drawer or closet, make sure that they are not in contact with the wood of the drawer bottom etc. Wood is acidic and over time can damage your paper or fabric items. You can lay a cotton cloth in a drawer if you need a "buffer layer" between the wood and the item. Acid free boxes and tissue are available online for fabric storage.