Amph Storing comics

I've got a question about how to properly store my comics and this seemed like the best place to ask. Currently all my comics are in bags, most with cardboard too though some didn't come with any. Until the other day I had most of them in a shoebox, which was fine. I kinda stopped reading them and I hadn't been keeping them together, and some were still in the cardboard enveloped they were sent in.

Now that I'm tidying my room I decided to put all the comics into the shoebox to keep them together and stop any getting lost, but the box isn't big enough. The box isn't that much too small but I'd still rather have something that's a bit better sized but I don't know what to get.

I could always get the TPBs and put the comics away somewhere safe, but that'd be expensive and part of the series is a crossover, so I'd want to get the rest of the crossover arc and then the other comics that they're crossovered with.

So, how do you store your comics? Any tips on how to store mine? Any suggestions on what to keep them in?

 

I've got proper comic bags for the ones I want to keep looking nice. When my local Books Etc closed I got a deal on a pack of 100 comic bags for just a couple of quid. They're large enough to take tpbs/graphic novels as well. I keep the bagged ones in a bookcase.

However, I'm pretty sure that if you go to a proper comic shop they have storage boxes, etc. You could also try Amazon UK or Ebay UK to see what's there. I'd search on 'comic storage' or similar.

 

I'm of the 'upgrade to TPB that which you deem worthy' school because the amount of ads you're storing as part of a monthly comic is both very deceptive and more than you'd think. In terms of crossovers, it varies on a case-by-case basis but most companies are savvy enough to collect the story as a whole.

 

Buy some bigger shoes and use that box. Or just get a long box at the comic shop.

 

I use comic bags and boards and long boxes, bought at my local comic store. Most stores sell storage supplies for a relatively decent price, and a long box can hold a substantial amount of comics. If space is at a premium, however, get short boxes. They're easier to store under beds and such.

For oversized comic magazines, bankers boxes usually work pretty well, though to get bags and boards for them, you may need to do some searching.

 

Bagged and boarded in proper comic boxes is indeed the way to go. Problem with the shoebox is after time they will rest unevenly and you will get creases/bends from thier own weight, even with boards some times. Like the above posted, hit your comic shop.

 

Bags and non-acidic backings
or mylars if you are like, made of money.

When I sold off most of my collections a few years ago, I was lucky to get cover price. This wasn't just for crap, but some very good comics. One of the worst was a "platinum" spider-man #1. 19 years later, I was able to sell it for $50. And that was a decent price. Book price is the same $100 that it was in 1992.
When you consider inflation, comics are just not the mondo investment that a lot of people seem to think.

Read 'em.
Enjoy 'em.
Don't expect them to be a down-payment on a car or house.
Don't worry about the cat sleeping on them.

Real investment? Give them to your kids.

And yes, phone-book editions are a great idea

 

It was the depth of the box that cause the problems, I'm not sure bigger shoes would have bigger boxes that way.

I've only ever collected one series, and that's the Star Wars Legacy series, which is over now. All the boxes I've seen are huge boxes or really small boxes. I'm not going to sell them, but I do want to keep them nice so I can read them again.

 

I would suggest a short box then. They're about 40cm X 19cm X 27cm in size and hold about 150 comics each. If you've only got the Legacy series that should be more than enough room.

 

The regular comic book bags will only last about 5 years, then after that the acid formula within the plastic itself will eventually seep into the comic book. If you do store comics this way, which most people do, just remember to replace the plastic bag on your comics every 5 years.

But there is one way to get around this. It is very expensive. If you can afford genuine mylar plastic then store your comic books with mylar material only and it should last for life. I only do this to some of my prized comics, other than that I just replace the bags every 5-6 years or so. It's a pain in the you know what, but if you care about your collection it is worth it.