I love comic books, and for a time, I thought about framing some of my books for display. Unfortunately, because of the odd shape of comics (6.63″ x 10.24″), you basically need to order a custom frame. I have inquired about custom frames before, and the quote I got back (with “Museum-quality glass” and acid-free matt) would cost about $80.

Earlier this week, I discovered these 7×11 Special Moments Memories Collection: Wall Art Reproduction Encadrée prints at Dollar Tree for $1 each. This size is nearly perfect for comics, the width is just about right, but the height is slightly taller than modern sized comics. It’s hardly noticeable, though.

I know it’s not meant for comics, but if I were head of the Special Moments people, I would recycle these frames and market it to comic collectors. Maybe upgrade the backing to a firmer acid-free cardboard or “comic book styling” frames. Charge about $5 to $10, and I can guarantee you can sell them.

Anyway, I bought 15 prints, and one of them was defective. At $1 each, I’m not going to complain… but just inspect your frames when you make your purchase. I pulled out some comics I thought is worth something or have a special meaning for me. Some are autographed, some I just like the cover artwork. It was kind of fun to go through some of my comic boxes.

Some tips when you put your comics in:

Use brand new bag and board, you don’t want to put your comics in naked.
Use standard sized books; double-size or monster anniversary books don’t fit in too well.
Flip the art print to show the plain white back to blend with the comic book backing board.
If the metal hanger on the back is horizontal, you can move it to vertical by removing the tape behind the cardboard.

I didn’t really care what the frames looked like, but if you have a preference, there seems to be four types of frames: Black,
Gold, Gold with Bumps, and Brown with Gold Bumps.

If you don’t live near a Dollar Tree store, their website sells these frame size (7×11) by the case – 24 frames for $24 – via dollartree.com. You might not have 24 comics you want to frame, but at that price, it’s still cheaper than one $80 custom frame.