Comic Storage/Care

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I'm just kind of curious as to how everyone stores and takes care of their comics.

For the longest time I used to just put them on a bookshelf, with no bag or board. But as my collection grew this became a lot harder to maintain, so I eventually got a longbox. Then I started to bag and board all my comics. I'm not especially picky about the condition of my comics, assuming they are in decent enough shape, but really the bag and board method is the most practical way to store comics, regardless of whether or not you are obsessed with keeping everything in Near Mint condition. The thing is though, is that I wish I originally got a couple of short boxes as opposed to one longbox. The shortboxes are much easier to move around and find space for.

Trades are just on a bookshelf, but with my recent acquistion of the old colorized TMNT trades I've just been laying those down flat on a shelf. They are a little worn, so I'm paranoid about whether I should keep them laying flat or if putting them on the bookshelf with everything else will be okay. The books are a bit bent and worn, so I'm not obsessing over keeping them in excellent shape, I just kind of want to keep them in their present condition as best I can. Has anyone else gotten copies of the trades that aren't in the best shape? How do you store them?

[junkboy]

I keep them all inside plastic bags. Some of them have boards. I used to put them on each other but i realised the heavy weight might be harmful for some issues. So now i am putting them next to each other, as books are put.
Keeping my trades on another shelf.
I am running out of space so quickly tho. I think i will be in need of new shelves in a very near future.

[Mutated Leo]

I put them near the pooper... That way if I run out of TP I have spare! Just messin. Bags N Boards (Acid Free) Seems to work!

[Roseangelo]

This thread (http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=19656) should help you out. :)

[junkboy]

Using plastic bags is a must indeed. Also i share the idea that you must put them vertically. At least the issues. In addition to the spine damage, some issues are having cover problems if you put them on top of each other.
I have some Uncanny X-men and Spawn issues ( which i forgot to put in plastic nylon bags cause of high stupidity level at that time ), that their cover ( espacially light colered areas are a bit damaged cause of the effect of the comic on top of it. In fact the type of the paper which the cover is printed upon is very important in that.
For example Mirage's current run comics rarely will face that fate whether you put them in a plastic nylon bag or not. Cause the type of the paper cover is printed upon is a thicker, shiny paper.
Marvel's, Image's etc tho.. you must always keep them in plastic bags.
So far the most resistant covers i have seen are Virgin Comics and Aspen comics in my collection. ( Tho... the covers of Virgin products are too thick, it is more thick then it should be for a issue, it's as if for a softcover trade book. So if you put them horizontal, this gives damage to the spines mor than other comics.

As a summary, vertical storage and plastic bags... I use shelves still... the shelves are behind the door so not seeing light much. In fact my room does not see much light. lol...

[CudleyCowlick]

Well, being the insane collector type, it all goes into one of two categories. "readers" and "savers",

The readers, depending on rarity and condition, are stored in any number of ways from unprotected stacks on the floor, to polybags inside a standard cardboard short//longbox. I don't use a lot of protection on these, but they are a very small part of my collection.

Then there are the savers, which get boarded with acid-free white backboards and placed inside 2mil thick mylar bags with the flap scotch taped over and placed inside said short/longboxes (some of them water-proof plastic) in alphanumerical order by publisher.:o

My TMNT comics all get this treatment. My graphic novels, again depending on rarity and condition, either get placed on the bookshelf or bagged and placed in a box.

I've got a few CGC comics but not quite enough yet to warrant a longbox of their own.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Should trades always be stored vertically as well?

[Roseangelo]

Should trades always be stored vertically as well?

I would recommend it. Stack enough of them horizontally and you're still going to have a spine issue.

I just keep all of mine on a shelf.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/roseangelo/tpb-shelf.jpg

Unfortunately, unless I come up with some REALLY creative rearranging, I am virtually out of bookshelf space and have a few (non-TMNT) TPBs that currently live on the floor.

[CudleyCowlick]

Heh, your dangerously overcrowded shelves remind me a bit of my own situation Roseangelo.

The hardest part is keeping the cats out of the office, since shelf climbing is their favorite sport and that's pretty rough on all the loose figures I've displayed there. Erg, not too mention having to move them when I want to get a book or TPB.

[junkboy]

In a few months, i will be out of space of my shelves considering regular monthly issue , backissue and tpb purchases.
Heh, i have the same obsession that near the comics and tpbs, there must be action figures. Tho i do put them on shelves that i specifically arranged for the figures, not in front of the books or on top of them.

In the future i have a dream of having shelves from one wall to another. And it seems i will really need this on my 40-ish years.
Tbh, i do not like putting comics inside boxes. Putting vertical on shelves. that's what i do.
Today i decided to find a curtain like mechanism to the front of shelves, that i may close or open at will. That will feel really good, yeah... As if having some skeletons in the closet.

[Roseangelo]

I think there's some sort of requirement that action figures shall take up any space on shelves not occupied by books. :lol:

Tbh, i do not like putting comics inside boxes. Putting vertical on shelves. that's what i do.

Can I ask why this is? It doesn't seem particularly practical beyond having easy access to them. And it seems they'd be more vulnerable to out there.

Here's my comic stash:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/roseangelo/comic-stash.jpg

As is marked, I have two long boxes and three short boxes that sit stacked on top of the long. The only contents that are not TMNT or related books are the majority of the second (closest to the back wall) long box, where I have misc. books and a stash of Fantastic Four. I wish they'd do proper trades of FF because I will probably end up getting rid of those in the near future to make space and that makes me sad.

[CudleyCowlick]

No! Don't get rid of comics ever, more space can always be made somehow, and you know you'll just regret it for the rest of your life!

Even if you end up with nothing more than a 2 foot wide path to walk from room to room, at least you'll have all the treasures you worked so hard to accumulate.

And then when the whole mess catches on fire and you can't escape from the intricate mess you've made, you can die happy among all your prized posessions like the ancient egyptian pharaohs were buried with their cats, treasures & slaves.

Hehehe, okay, so maybe I'm just kidding. Sort of. A little.

[junkboy]

Can I ask why this is? It doesn't seem particularly practical beyond having easy access to them. And it seems they'd be more vulnerable to out there.




Of course it is much more practical. But when designing my room, i had made shelves just for my comics. And now when i look around there are not many places to put the boxes. there are not any animals or little kids or etc to damage the comics on shelves. Also if i put them in boxes i will feel as if i wanna keep them away from my eye, lol.
But also the boxes in your pic looked really cute... I may try getting some boxes and try myself too, maybe i can get used to them...

I say do not sell your comics for tpbs, too. Issues for the win! :)... I only buy tpbs for past issues that are really too hard to buy them all.

[Roseangelo]

There's a comic shop in MN that has custom-built comic drawers for all of their back issues. The things are BEAUTIFUL!!! And I am likely to be in there next week. If I remember I'll snap some pictures. One day, when space allows, I am so getting myself a couple of those things - somehow.

[Michaelangelo|DAH]

does the shop have a website ? :)

[Mandi-chan]

I keep all my TPBs/graphic novels/manga on the bookshelf with all my other books.

The individual issues I store in these container/bins with 3 drawers that are wide enough to hold them. Most of them are bagged, and I leave enough room so that they are not crammed inside.

It keeps them nice and safe for me. Although, I'm gonna need to buy another one soon, since the one I have now is almost full.

[Roseangelo]

does the shop have a website ? :)

Yeah, but it's pretty crappy and doesn't show any of the inside of the shop.

[OA]

All of my comics/tpb are bagged & boarded and then stored in a few sturdy boxes I've picked up over the years from ebay...I do this mainly for protection however I'm not exactly super picky about having the books in pristing condition...

[boo]

I got my comic drawers from here, they sell the boxes and the houses either together or separate.

This is the small box drawer

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/prod-SHORT-HOUSE.htm


and here is the long-box drawer

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/prod-LONG-HOUSE.htm

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I would recommend it. Stack enough of them horizontally and you're still going to have a spine issue.

I just keep all of mine on a shelf.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/roseangelo/tpb-shelf.jpg

Unfortunately, unless I come up with some REALLY creative rearranging, I am virtually out of bookshelf space and have a few (non-TMNT) TPBs that currently live on the floor.

Pretty cool. I can spot the Mirage trades, as well as the Comic-Con booklets (I keep all mine too).:)

I guess putting the First trades on the shelf wouldn't hurt. Maybe it'll flatten them out a little over time. Probably not though. The bends in Book 1 and III seem pretty well set in. But Books II and IV are in much better shape.

[RaphaelsIsolation]

For me, I just started buying supplies. I'm new at this.

I use the white backing boards for the silver age, and resealable silver age bags.

They fit fairly tight, not too loose. So I think I got the right bags and boards.

The bags say "acid free" but the boards don't say that.

It's Souther Supply, silver age boards. 100 of them.

I use 1 board and a bag, I like the resealable ones, 1 dollar more for 100 of them, just easier to deal with I think. The boards seem, just a tad flimsy, is this normal?

thanks

[RaphaelsIsolation]

What about using 2 backing boards? Is that a practice among you guys?

[zodiac brave]

ive never heard of using 2 boards. what for? i use acid free silver-age boards and silver-age bags. those are the perfect size. keep em all in long boxes. easy peasy.