The Energon Pub

I was just wondering how everyone stored their comics? I keep mine in manila folders. Different folders for different series and ****. Got one for Infiltration/Escalaion, One for the new movie suff, one for spot lights, one for miniseries, and one for beast wars.

They seem a little cheap though. Does any one keep theirs in proper comic book holders, or how do other people store thier comics? I assume you dont just all throw them in a draw?

I am hoping to one day all store them in slips with a cardboard backing, but I only got my Movie (86) Adaption on backings as I bought them off ebay, and they came with them.

I am curious to know what other people do?

At the comic stores in my town, for ten to twenty cents extra (depending on the store) I can get a plastic envelope with a cardboard backer for the comic. When I bring them home I keep them in tupperware containers/shelves.

I keep mine in the bags and boards, then I pin the bags to the wall, so I have comic books as decorations, and since the pins go though the tops of the bags, the books them selves remain mint.

For individual issues, comic bags n' boards, then I slap em into a nice box and store somewhere.

For graphic novels(TPB's) I slap em on my book shelf.

I'm a bit fastidious about this, but with upwards of 3000 individual comics there has to be quite a bit of organisation involved if you want to be able to find them and pull them out quickly.

First off everything gets bagged. For standard sized US format comics I use proper comic bags and for the larger magazine sized UK format I use A4 poly pockets since non of my local comic shops stock this size and they're nice and cheap. I use a craft knife to trim away the unneeded edge with the binder perforations and am left with a bag that's just the right size for a UK title.

Next everything gets bagged. For US titles this means the commercially available comic boxes with lids that the vast majority of comic shops will be able to provide you with. I use the longer variety, despite the extra weight per box. I don't have to move them around all that often and it's a lot more convenient being able to fit 300 to 400 comics to a box. With the larger sized comics I haven't been able to find boxes that are the right size so far so I make my own from two fruit packing boxes of the kind that can be found in most supermarkets and strong tape. These don't have lids, aren't pretty and in the long run won't be as hard wearing, but they get the job done as a stopgap measure.

I don't use backing boards for two reasons. Firstly I like to see the cover art through the comic's bag and in the case of wraparound covers this includes the back cover. Secondly the comics don't need the extra support because I use commercially available plastic dividers to separate each title (or every 50 issues in the case of ridiculously long running books, but in my collection that's pretty much just the Bat titles). These have a raised tab to one side and are a little taller than the US format comics so I attatch a label with the book's title, volume number or sub title (if appropriate) and publisher. Still haven't figured out a similar system for the larger format UK titles.

Then it's down to organisation. I sort first alphabetically by publisher, then alphabetically by title (spin off books form a mini addendum to the main title, Azrael and Gotham Central both go with Bat titles for example), then chronologically (so my DW TF titles go WW, MM, G1, G1/GI Joe, A, E). TF titles aren't really the best example of that though as with things that have been put out by multiple publishers I find it better to split off all of those titles by theme into a separate box. With TF titles this means Marvel books going before the DW G1 books then the IDW G1 then BW the U/TL then A/E then 07 movie. With crossovers and spin offs fitting in where appropriate.

HBs and TPBs of course go on a bookshelf.

Luckily the guy who runs my local comic shop likes me and gives me free bags and boards for each comic I buy. Currently they are in a drawer because I just got back into comics and do not have too many right now. I stick my TPB's on a shelf.

I used to keep my comics in bags, boarded and in long boxes, till I realised that it was expensive and a pain in the ass. I don't keep anything else I own in plastic bags, what makes comics so special? So now I've got 'em on a bookshelf, with titled card separators so I can find individual titles in a stack. It's so much easier, and they're no worse off.

As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

Senor Hugo wrote:For individual issues, comic bags n' boards, then I slap em into a nice box and store somewhere.

For graphic novels(TPB's) I slap em on my book shelf.

Ditto, but I just forget the backers, and I don't bag them all. It gets expensive and time consuming.

My collection is all bagged and then put in long boxes on a shelf. Bags aren't really that expensive, many comic shops give them to you free, as well as online shops. And if they don't, you can get a pack of 100 for less than 5 bucks. I don't ever intentionally buy backboards because they can be expensive.
Careful with the manilla envelops, the acid in the paper can cause certain comics to become brittle as they age. I recommend putting them in plastic first if you store them that way.
Also be careful about storing them on the wall, they won't remain mint for long with exposure to sunlight, it can make the covers fade.

My TPB are kept on the bookshelf, alongside my Graphic novels and other comics (Calvin and Hobbes, Footrot Flats etc)

the singles are kept on the bookcase as well, but on the bottom shelf, where next to no light can reach them. I do have a few in plastic sleeves, but most are as they came. I do however keep them compressed into the shelf with weighted objects (boxed bobble heads) so they dont warp accidentally. I use cardboard tabs to separate series from one another.

I dont intend to sell my comics, and I dont have any rare, or incentives, so I dont feel the need to go through all the extra work to keep them minty fresh.

The store I get the IDW stuff from (the only comics I get) sell them in little plastic sleeve cover type thingies. I'm not sure what they are called, but it's a wallet with a fold down top that fits 1 issue. And it is the same price as the other shop that sells them open. So I keep individual issues in them, with each saga's individual issues grouped together in a proper plastic wallet (the kind you buy in bulk for 99p). Infiltration, Escalation and the Spotlights are kept on a shelf with the Stormbringer TPB.

Now though, I am only getting the TPB's (except for Spotlights). I'm sick of having to wait for ages for the next part of a story and the TPB's take up less room.

i_amtrunks wrote:My TPB are kept on the bookshelf, alongside my Graphic novels and other comics (Calvin and Hobbes, Footrot Flats etc)

I pretty much learned that it doesn't really matter how you store Trades, they rarely ever go up in price, unless they aren't reprints of old stuff, or have new material. The most practical is storing them on a shelf like regular books.

I do however keep them compressed into the shelf with weighted objects (boxed bobble heads) so they dont warp accidentally.

This is one of those, damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of things. Putting too much weight on them, or cramming them tightly into boxes can put stress on the bind with the staples.

Granted this isn't much of a problem unless you plan on selling them, but some collectors can be extremely picky on what they consider mint.

I dont intend to sell my comics, and I dont have any rare, or incentives, so I dont feel the need to go through all the extra work to keep them minty fresh.

Me neither, really. I've always bought comics for the enjoyment of reading them. There are precious few that are actually totally mint, many have been read so many times the corners are freyed. Most of my protection techniques is to prolong the life of the books themselves. However, plastic sleeves are becoming less of the necessity for this since most mainstream comics are now printing on glossy stock paper which prolongs their life anyway.

lanzajr26 wrote:As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

I actually liked this idea, because I thought it might save space compared to boxes.

Anywhere that you recommend getting good file cabinets, but for a spectacular low price?

tigertracks 24 wrote:

lanzajr26 wrote:As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

I actually liked this idea, because I thought it might save space compared to boxes.

Anywhere that you recommend getting good file cabinets, but for a spectacular low price?

I got mine at Walmart for 30 bucks. I mean, it's a filing cabinet, nothing fancy. I need to store my comics, because they fall apart pretty easily, especially the TPBs.

Moonbase2 wrote:

tigertracks 24 wrote:

lanzajr26 wrote:As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

I actually liked this idea, because I thought it might save space compared to boxes.

Anywhere that you recommend getting good file cabinets, but for a spectacular low price?

I got mine at Walmart for 30 bucks. I mean, it's a filing cabinet, nothing fancy. I need to store my comics, because they fall apart pretty easily, especially the TPBs.

Question though,don't your comics near the ends get indentations from the metal? it would seem like you would need some sort of padding there to prevent that from happening.

$30 is a good deal if they are pretty solid and sturdy. i'm considering this because it will force me to recognize those I want to keep, and those I can part with.

I believe I have at least 12 of those long comic boxes full, and well, they do get quite heavy to move. However, with file cabinets, if I wanted to move them, I could just put them 'easily' on a dolly and cart away. Not that I couldn't do that with boxes too, I suppose.

tigertracks 24 wrote:

lanzajr26 wrote:As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

I actually liked this idea, because I thought it might save space compared to boxes.

Anywhere that you recommend getting good file cabinets, but for a spectacular low price?

Well, you can get standard sized file cabinets pretty cheap at Wal-mart or Office Depot. The advantage of the legal sized cabinets is that they can hold about twice as many comics per drawer, however they are more expensive. I guess it's really just a personal preference

I haven't put my comics in the filing cabinet yet. Right now they are in a drawer in my armoire. I don't have nearly as many as you do. But now that they are starting to accumulate, and I've seen what can happen to them (they are not the sturdiest books ever made) I need to take extra measures to protect them. I also have an entire closet with shelves devoted to books, so I may store them in there. Or I might put them in the filing cabinet. But if that guy is right about the manilla folders ruining the pages, I might skip that.

I've recently started collecting comics, only about 50 TF comics so far. But I was sifting through some of the crap in my garage and found my dad's old comics, 400+. most of them aren't in good shape, because of being stored in the garage all these years. I've been struggling to put them all in plastic covers with the board backings. Is their anything I can do to prolong their life, other than storing them properly?

Flesh Creature wrote:I've recently started collecting comics, only about 50 TF comics so far. But I was sifting through some of the crap in my garage and found my dad's old comics, 400+. most of them aren't in good shape, because of being stored in the garage all these years. I've been struggling to put them all in plastic covers with the board backings. Is their anything I can do to prolong their life, other than storing them properly?

Get them out of the garage as quickly as you can so that critters and the elements do not get to them!

Then consider bagging them, putting them in boxes of some sort, and keeping them inside, in a dry environment.

That's cool, you found 400 old comics. I think the biggest old collection of anything my dad has is beta tapes and bluegrass records.

tigertracks 24 wrote:

Moonbase2 wrote:

tigertracks 24 wrote:

lanzajr26 wrote:As with all of my 4000+ comics, I bag and board each of my comics and keep them in cardboard long boxes (for now). I'm going to be moving my entire collection to legal size four-drawer file cabinets later this year. Each cabinet can hold almost 2000 comics and are very sturdy. BTW I'd highly recommend using boards with your comics unless you are storing them so they will never bend and crease the spines.

As for organization I'm trying to get them all back into alpha order. I moved a few years ago and my basement is kind of a mess.

I actually liked this idea, because I thought it might save space compared to boxes.

Anywhere that you recommend getting good file cabinets, but for a spectacular low price?

I got mine at Walmart for 30 bucks. I mean, it's a filing cabinet, nothing fancy. I need to store my comics, because they fall apart pretty easily, especially the TPBs.

Question though,don't your comics near the ends get indentations from the metal? it would seem like you would need some sort of padding there to prevent that from happening.

$30 is a good deal if they are pretty solid and sturdy. i'm considering this because it will force me to recognize those I want to keep, and those I can part with.

I believe I have at least 12 of those long comic boxes full, and well, they do get quite heavy to move. However, with file cabinets, if I wanted to move them, I could just put them 'easily' on a dolly and cart away. Not that I couldn't do that with boxes too, I suppose.

I hear that, I hate moving for precisely that reason. However, I have 16 long boxes of comics (14 X-Men, 2 Transformers and G.I.JOe), file cabinets are going to be an exensive alternative to my current method. I bought a few of those heavy duty plastic shelves from Wal-Mart then load the boxes from the side. It works sort of like a file cabinet.

I had more boxes, but lost several of them during a movie. It really ticks me off because I had boxes of Batman, New Warriors, and a ton of various other titles. At one time, I had about 30 long boxes.

Loki120 wrote:I had more boxes, but lost several of them during a movie. It really ticks me off because I had boxes of Batman, New Warriors, and a ton of various other titles. At one time, I had about 30 long boxes.

That super sucks. But at least its not such a pain to move now.

I think I'd fly into a rage if I lost my comics. A few pages fell out of my Escalation book and my blood started boiling. I think I may go get some bags for my smaller books, then store them.

tigertracks 24 wrote:

Loki120 wrote:I had more boxes, but lost several of them during a movie. It really ticks me off because I had boxes of Batman, New Warriors, and a ton of various other titles. At one time, I had about 30 long boxes.

That super sucks. But at least its not such a pain to move now.

That's one way to look at it. Still sucks, because I miss my Turtle comics...

And of course, I meant to say "during a move" not "during a movie".

What happened to your comics?
I don't know, I was just watching "Empire" when POOF!.

Yeah....