"Light foxing." "Color breaks." "Spine creases." Collector's jargon, and if you're new to collecting, these can be baffling. Get out a sheet of paper because I'm covering some basics to help you with the vocabulary.

FOXING

This is an antiquing term. Foxing, basically, is a reddish-brown stain that can form on old paper. Most collectors agree it's mold, and the term "foxing" comes from the color. There's another theory that foxing is caused by the oxidation of iron or copper in the makeup of the pages. It's also believed that humidity can contribute to foxing, whether it's oxidation or mold.

In some cases, foxing is obvious if you look at in direct light, but many times you need an added light source (a black light works best) to see it. I've found that if you use a scanner, the foxing shows up very clearly on the images. I've added a picture of the back cover from an Amazing Spider-Man #14 I once owned. Notice the reddish-brown spots all over it. For a reference point, this particular comic ended up being graded a 2.5.

What can you do about it? Bagging and boarding and storing your comics in a dry environment will reduce the chances of foxing. Encapsulating your key issues can also protect against the staining.

SPINE CREASES

Spine creases are very small creases up and down the spine of a comic. They're oftentimes caused by a comic being opened. I can usually tell the comics I most enjoyed as a kid because they're the ones with the most creases along the staples. Although it's a sign of well-loved comic, these impact the value of a comic, especially if there's...

COLOR BREAKS

Color break is exactly what it sounds like; it's when there's a fold, bend, or crease that leaves a colorless line on the cover. There's not a lot to say about color breaks that isn't obvious, but the thing for new collectors to understand is the deception that can go along with it.

What you have to look out for are amateur restorative techniques, which can severely lower a comic's worth. As far as the grading companies are concerned, anything outside of a clean and press is considered restoration. Sometimes owners will try and mask these color breaks by going over the lines with ink, usually from a marker. Dishonest sellers will take advantage of an inexperienced buyer and try to hide these details.

What can you do to protect yourself? Always inspect the cover closely in direct light. If you open the cover and hold it up to a light source, you can usually see the touch up. The lesson learned here is to always inspect a comic inside and out before you make a purchase.

SPINE ROLLĀ 

Spine rolls tend to be found more on older comics. One possible reason is that back before anyone decided that comics were worth collecting and preserving, people would sometimes roll them up. In other cases, the comics would be rolled up and shoved into mailboxes. According to the CBCS website, "Spine rolling is the misalignment, or shifting, of the spine to either the front or back of the comic." As long as there are no tearing or color breaks, this is fairly easy to fix with a pressing.

Have more questions? Drop them in the comments!