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Protection/Storage of your Comic collection

saint2esaint2e Registered User regular
edited October 2006 in Graphic Violence
How do you store/protect your comics?

Perhaps you've discovery some neat tricks along the way? This is the thread to discuss such things.

As mentioned in the "Ask Whippy" thread, I was having some difficulty finding tape to use on my comic bags that wouldn't rip the bag when I opened up a comic to read it again. Manifest had a cool tip that I plan on implementing: Using price tag dots. (The little paper ones you buy at office supply stores. Specifically the 3m brand).

That's an example of what sort of thing we can discuss.

Currently I've got my comics bagged and boarded, and open to the air, so I plan on picking up some of the price tag dots tomorrow at my stationer. I currently don't use any bags or boards for TPB's, I've just got them on a shelf. I usually just buy the regular TPB's (not HC's), so I may decide to change my ways on that.

What do you folks do?

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Posts

  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I don't bag or board anything with a spine wide enough to sit on a book shelf.
    Everything else gets (in theory) cycled into my wire spinner rack on comic day. When the next issue of said comic comes out the one that's removed from the rack finds itself bagged, boarded and boxed accordingly.

    P.S. You should replace your bags once every 5-6 years. They eventually biodegrade and can really fuck your books up.

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I keep my single issues bagged and boarded, although most of them are not sealed, due to the tape-bonding-with-the-bag-problem, which has since been rectified. I do not have any long-boxes, so I keep my comics neatly stacked in shoe boxes. I do not have very many... Graphic novels and tpbs, I keep just like any other paperback book-- on a shelf.

    DouglasDanger on
  • saint2esaint2e Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest wrote:
    I don't bag or board anything with a spine wide enough to sit on a book shelf.
    Everything else gets (in theory) cycled into my wire spinner rack on comic day. When the next issue of said comic comes out the one that's removed from the rack finds itself bagged, boarded and boxed accordingly.

    P.S. You should replace your bags once every 5-6 years. They eventually biodegrade and can really fuck your books up.

    See, that tidbit at the end there I would never have thought being the case. I've currently got 3 longboxes filled with comics that's gonna need some re-bagging in about 2 years then. ;)

    My concern with my collection right now is that I'm living in the UK now, but I plan on moving back to Canada. Shipping all these comics is gonna be rough.

    saint2e on
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  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    saint2e wrote:
    Manifest wrote:
    I don't bag or board anything with a spine wide enough to sit on a book shelf.
    Everything else gets (in theory) cycled into my wire spinner rack on comic day. When the next issue of said comic comes out the one that's removed from the rack finds itself bagged, boarded and boxed accordingly.

    P.S. You should replace your bags once every 5-6 years. They eventually biodegrade and can really fuck your books up.

    See, that tidbit at the end there I would never have thought being the case. I've currently got 3 longboxes filled with comics that's gonna need some re-bagging in about 2 years then. ;)

    My concern with my collection right now is that I'm living in the UK now, but I plan on moving back to Canada. Shipping all these comics is gonna be rough.

    Pack them into crates and ship them via freight. A friend did that when he moved here from the UK and it saved him a ton of cash.

    P.S. My awesome spinner rack
    PC310144.jpg

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2006
    i don't even have bags for the majority of my comics

    i stack them places and put heavy books on them so they don't fall all over the place

    i have one stack next to my keyboard with, among other things, all the solos in it

    Servo on
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  • SASA Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest, where did you pick that rack up? Ebay? Looks like it would tons a flavor to a room.

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  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest, where did you pick that rack up? Ebay? Looks like it would tons a flavor to a room.

    I wish you luck in finding one.
    It took me three years of looking, but I finally found an ad on Craig's List. Cost me a hundred bucks.

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2006
    mani you're a lucky jerk because you have the wonder girl solo

    Servo on
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  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2006
    haha wait i just looked and it turns out so do i


    edit- dammit that hourman story is so good

    Servo on
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  • Bad KarmaBad Karma Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest, where did you pick that rack up? Ebay? Looks like it would tons a flavor to a room.

    These two might peak your interest.

    Ebay

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  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Bad Karma wrote:
    Manifest, where did you pick that rack up? Ebay? Looks like it would tons a flavor to a room.

    These two might peak your interest.

    Ebay

    Man there was never anything on ebay when I was looking.



    Actually I take that back, there was a guy who had the rack but no base. He offered to give me a lazy susan to put it on instead.

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • KirbyMorphKirbyMorph Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I get my books bound into hardcovers and place them on the shelf. Anything thats in queue to be bound or not worth binding I basically just bag and tag. I just buy the good bags and boards that fit properly (I hate the ones that have like half an inch of bag the board doesnt cover) and place them in standard comic boxes.

    KirbyMorph on
  • Target PracticeTarget Practice Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Right now my comics are all in a big stack on top of my bookshelf

    I keep meaning to order some bags and boards

    And boxes

    Target Practice on
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  • CariblueCariblue Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest wrote:
    Manifest, where did you pick that rack up? Ebay? Looks like it would tons a flavor to a room.

    I wish you luck in finding one.
    It took me three years of looking, but I finally found an ad on Craig's List. Cost me a hundred bucks.

    I believe you can get them in preview books. My store ordered one through it, so maybe you can check with your shop and they can do the same.

    Cariblue on
  • TroubledTomTroubledTom regular
    edited August 2006
    KirbyMorph wrote:
    I get my books bound into hardcovers and place them on the shelf. Anything thats in queue to be bound or not worth binding I basically just bag and tag. I just buy the good bags and boards that fit properly (I hate the ones that have like half an inch of bag the board doesnt cover) and place them in standard comic boxes.

    You're not talking about Trades? What are you doing, exactly? Pics please.

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  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    KirbyMorph wrote:
    I get my books bound into hardcovers and place them on the shelf. Anything thats in queue to be bound or not worth binding I basically just bag and tag. I just buy the good bags and boards that fit properly (I hate the ones that have like half an inch of bag the board doesnt cover) and place them in standard comic boxes.

    You're not talking about Trades? What are you doing, exactly? Pics please.

    Lots of people do this. Essentially they take big collections of floppies, and have them bound at places that make books.
    I have a friend who did it to his entire collection and it's pretty cool (but not for me).

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • RiqaRiqa Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Manifest wrote:
    KirbyMorph wrote:
    I get my books bound into hardcovers and place them on the shelf. Anything thats in queue to be bound or not worth binding I basically just bag and tag. I just buy the good bags and boards that fit properly (I hate the ones that have like half an inch of bag the board doesnt cover) and place them in standard comic boxes.

    You're not talking about Trades? What are you doing, exactly? Pics please.

    Lots of people do this. Essentially they take big collections of floppies, and have them bound at places that make books.
    I have a friend who did it to his entire collection and it's pretty cool (but not for me).

    In general how much would something like this cost?

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  • yourspaceholidayyourspaceholiday Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    http://www.capitolbindery.com/

    That's a website that does it. If I had the time to do high res scans of all my books, I'd totally do it, but I don't, and I have an aversion to cutting up my comic books.

    yourspaceholiday on
  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I stick old comics in longboxes, but I rarely ever bag and board them. I haven't organized my comics in months though, so they're sitting in piles in the brown paper bags they came in. I really should start doing the bag and board thing.

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  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I just bag my singles without boards and pack them into longboxes in the closet, placed in alphabetical order. My trades all sit on a shelf, and a handful of issues I'm particularly attached to are stored in a small, fireproof safe. I've been thinking about buying some nice looking binders and plastic sleeves to fit in them, and then storing my comics by series in a series of binders I can put up on a shelf for easier access. I don't know that it'd really be worth the time and money though.

    Munch on
  • KirbyMorphKirbyMorph Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Actually, Capitol Bindery doesnt do it anymore. They are completely swamped and having employee difficulties (illness, etc). There are other places that do it though.


    http://www.dpbanks.com/bookbinding.html

    Theres a list of some of the stuff Capitol Bindery did through David Banks (he sort of got the ball rolling for them on it and people basically go through him to get to CB even though he doesnt officially work for them or get money out of it).


    Here is the link to the forums where a lot of people tlak about binding and the whole CB thing started from. They list some alternatives now that CB has put new submissions on hold for the indefinite future.

    http://p206.ezboard.com/fmarvelmasterworksfansitefrm10


    The cost is of course how much your books cost. You get about 25 books per hardcover (you can try for more, but 25 is typicallyw hat you should shoot for as you get gutter loss where art gets sucked into the seams if you make it too thick). You can pick just about any colour you wish for you cover, some even offer leather if you so desire. Your looking at about $40 per book if I recall plus hte cost of the die if you get a custom cover. There are die sharing options at some places.

    I've done Spider-Girl, the Clone Saga (4 volumes), Thunderbolts 1-75 (3 volumes), Amazing Spider-man in sets of 25 from around the Hobgoblin / Stern days (226) until the "final" Venom fight in 375 (6 volumes) and some random stuff that will probably never be collected. Most of the new stuff I can get in HC format already, so don't collect much in that regard. Sandman I have HC and I'm hoping Lucifer will get the same treatment now that its done (if not I'll bind it myself).

    http://www.dpbanks.com/cloud.html While these aren't my Thunderbolts volumes, these are similar enough. Instead of a lightning bolt, I have the actual Thunderbolts logo (with that large bolt on his as my O like the actual logo has) and Justice Like Lightning below it in smaller font. Mine arent that colour either. I tried to model my Spiderman stuff after my Ultimate Spiderman HC's using blue and red scheme. Was tempted to make Venom era in black and white and stern in hobgoblinesque scheme, but resisted the temptation. All my Spiderman is marked in volumes as if 1-25 was volume 1, 26-50 was volume 2 and so on. So my 226-250 is Volume 10 and they continue from there. If I get the money, will eventually add 100-224 to the collection (have to get 100-199 first though, tad pricey atm for me).


    Not worth doing this if you only have one set your sending as you usually get bigger discounts for more books bound and less shipping typically that way too. I think the place I go to is like 1-5 books, 6-10, 11-20, 21+ for discount ranges. I teamed with my brother adn we did ours together for max discount with our combined bindings.

    KirbyMorph on
  • MuddBuddMuddBudd Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    There was a guy at comic-con selling drawer boxes, they worked like file cabinets, I liked them.

    MuddBudd on
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  • Romero ZombieRomero Zombie Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    As of now, I just read them, bag and board them and put them in longboxes in my closet. I totally dig the spinning comic rack thing and would love to get one, but I don't have much room in my play room for one. I may have to rearrange some stuff...we'll see :)

    Romero Zombie on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited August 2006
    MuddBudd wrote:
    There was a guy at comic-con selling drawer boxes, they worked like file cabinets, I liked them.

    I saw those in a comic book ad, and went to the website.

    Those fuckers are expensive

    DJ Eebs on
  • Caveman PawsCaveman Paws Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I suggest large rubbermaid containers. Sadly my collection of comics was almost totally destroyed thanks to my basement apartment flooding a couple years back because I had them in cardboard boxes. :P

    Caveman Paws on
  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited August 2006
    You know, they sell plastic comic storage boxes.

    DJ Eebs on
  • MasumeMasume Creator Caprica, FloridaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2006
    Geebs wrote:
    You know, they sell plastic comic storage boxes.

    Yes but they are uber expensive compared to cardboard.

    I've been tagging and bagging them since the 80's, and I haven't replaced the bags since. I haven't noticed much degradation but it's probably a good idea to rebag the oldest of my stuff. My major problem is just finding space these days.

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  • PatboyXPatboyX Registered User regular
    edited August 2006
    I stick old comics in longboxes, but I rarely ever bag and board them. I haven't organized my comics in months though, so they're sitting in piles in the brown paper bags they came in. I really should start doing the bag and board thing.

    well, i was too ashamed to post in this thread...but now that you've fessed up i can feel free to chime in.
    im moving soon and will be totally screwed.

    also, to the relevant party: where does one get a spinner rack?
    how much do those things cost?

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  • saint2esaint2e Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    It's been pointed out that I buy a lot of comics, and there were some questions as to how I store them, so I thought I'd necromance this thread.

    I don't end up keeping ones that I don't like/can't see being worth anything in years to come, as my "Selling misc. comics" link in my signature used to indicate.

    But I do keep all my comics bagged and boarded, and I now have 3 Long boxes about 80% full at the moment.

    Periodically I go through the series I'm collecting and if I decide I really don't like Shadowpact (That's one of the series I'm collecting now, that's on the bubble of me cancelling my subscription to it), then I take out those and put them in a separate short box, and try to sell those off to willing buyers whether it be on Ebay, or by word of mouth.

    The graphic novels are stored on my bookshelf with my other "regular" novels and DVD's.

    saint2e on
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  • wwtMaskwwtMask Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    How many comics usually fit into a long box and a short box? I'm not planning to go that route, but I'm just curious.

    Right now, my collection is meager enough to store in a plastic filing tub with hanging folders. I'll probably keep doing this because I like the idea of being able to shuffle them easily, even if it's not very economical with space. I'm also planning to get some bags and boards soon, since most of them aren't bagged and boarded.

    wwtMask on
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  • BogartBogart Streetwise Hercules Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited September 2006
    I've got eight long book shelves or comicsc, six of which are full of bagged and boarded issues and two of which have graphic novels. This isn't counting the 1500 issues of 2000AD and the Megazine I've got mouldering in plastic boxes under the stairs.

    I think, like the guy a couple of posts above, I might have to start getting rid of some of the dead weight. When selling on ebay what are people's recommendations regarding selling comics in runs or singles? Or job lots or stuff like '30 issues of Cable, 1, 3, 11, 12, 13, 15, etc'?

    Bogart on
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2006
    From what I have seen, people are more likely to buy stuff in "runs."

    edit for on-topic: I do not have a lot of comics. I have some old GI Joe stuff- maybe 2/3 of the stuff or half, stored in big binders with plastic sleeves. I also have 50-100 issues of various things stored in boards and bags laying flat in shoe boxes.

    DouglasDanger on
  • bobgorilabobgorila Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I store my comics digitally, for the most part.

    Now if only I had a screen that would do them justice...

    bobgorila on
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  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2006
    If I only the scanner worked with XP. :(

    DouglasDanger on
  • wwtMaskwwtMask Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Hmm, I have a flatbed scanner that hasn't seen any action in ages. I might look into doing this as well.

    wwtMask on
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  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    bobgorila wrote:
    I store my comics digitally, for the most part.

    Now if only I had a screen that would do them justice...

    It's actually surprisingly fun to scan old comics if you do things like color correction to make them presentable.

    I have a ton of the really old Sgt. Rock books, and I've been scanning a few and running them through photoshop to make them look good as new on-screen.

    Mai-Kero on
  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I store my comics by sticking them into gigantic unorganized stacks with no bags or backboards.
    My downstairs looks like the freaking bookstore from The Neverending Story

    SatanIsMyMotor on
  • ALockslyALocksly Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I have mine in storage right now, bagged and boarded (for the most part) and in a cardboard longbox. the cardboard does breath a little better than the plastic if you are worried about moisture/ fungus.

    My dad told me he stored his old batman collection as a three foot high stack, which sadly went "missing" when he went off to college

    Oh grandma, what hath thou done?

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  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Mai-Kero wrote:
    bobgorila wrote:
    I store my comics digitally, for the most part.

    Now if only I had a screen that would do them justice...

    It's actually surprisingly fun to scan old comics if you do things like color correction to make them presentable.

    I have a ton of the really old Sgt. Rock books, and I've been scanning a few and running them through photoshop to make them look good as new on-screen.

    Man, I would love to do that for my GI Joe comics. The coloring has gotten worse and worse with each year. Sadly, no scanner, no PS and no idea how to use PS. :(

    DouglasDanger on
  • CariblueCariblue Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    PatboyX wrote:
    I stick old comics in longboxes, but I rarely ever bag and board them. I haven't organized my comics in months though, so they're sitting in piles in the brown paper bags they came in. I really should start doing the bag and board thing.

    well, i was too ashamed to post in this thread...but now that you've fessed up i can feel free to chime in.
    im moving soon and will be totally screwed.

    also, to the relevant party: where does one get a spinner rack?
    how much do those things cost?

    Goto a store and ask to look at their preview catalogue(ours are Diamond) and they should have some in there. Ask them to order you one.

    Cariblue on
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