Solution: All of them facing forward; one book right side up, the next upside down, and repeat.

This saves the spines from all being one one size. I’ve tried ‘face-to-face – back to back’ to have half of the spines on each side of the box, but they would slowly start sliding on each other. So, I tried the ‘solution’ above, and it works great. The comics stay aligned with each other evenly, and there’s a bonus. The flaps of comic bag and the tape used to seal them will be even split, half on top, half on bottom.

I hope this helps you or anyone else out.

-Eric Rom
{FB Messenger: “Gen-Eric Rom-Bot”}

My question is, I put my comics back to back with board between and in 1 bag. It is not too tight, if it is, I just put 1. The spines are on opposite sides. Should I not do this? Can this cause damage to the comics? I heard it was good to do this but I wanted to hear from others. Thanks.

I inherited an uncle’s collection of old neglected comic books and I started off bagging and boarding them and I kept my then modest collection upright in a box. Now a year into buying and collecting comic books, I’ve somehow amassed possibly over a thousand comic books (thanks to the bargain basement at my local comic store and a really generous seller at the local comic con) and I’m having trouble figuring out how to store them.

The prospect of having to keep multiple boxes and stacking the heavy boxes isn’t really something I’m looking forward to so I was hoping I could store them on shelves like a library to make it easier to access a story I want to read. I also like the idea of keeping issues of a series or a volume together. I’ve been toying with the thought of keeping them in binders, but I came across conflicting opinions on it. Some people like the binders, but others say they’re not good for storing comics and may damage them but they don’t really say how or why they would get damaged. I can only assume that they’re talking about when the binder is standing upright and the pages sag along with the comics in them.

What are your thoughts on binders for comics? ʜave you had any experience storing comics that way? Will they really damage them? Would putting boards into the binder sheets be enough to protect them? Is there a better alternative to this that would help me achieve the library effect that I’m aiming for?

PVC plastic bags and standard (cheap) cardboard for the boxes and backing boards kill comic books, particularly the old comic books with the inexpensive newsprint quality pages. You are literally baking the books in all kinds of chemicals that the PVC bags off-gas, as well as the acid migration that occurs due to the lignin content in the cheap cardboard box.

The comic book industry pushes these cheap storage products,(I can only think cause….they’re cheap?) and they should never be used if you are actually interested in keeping your collection in nice shape. Thin mylar bags with calcium carbonate buffered backing boards (and ideally a sheet or 2 of microchamber paper) in either a calcium carbonate buffered acid free box or inert plastic container (like polypropylene or polyester) is the way to go. Stick them in a room that is dark and cool with low humidity, and you’re set.

These sound really cool. Do you have any photos by any chance?

I buy the BCW binder bags and store 2 comics to a page in them with a board. Then I hand sew anywhere from 2-5 pages (depending on how large the series is) together. Then I use a craft glue on the extra plastic (the one with the holes for the binder) and glue a binding bar on (the ones used for holding reports together). That way, when its on the shelf I have a way to label the set.

Hey Brian, good question. Make sure that the shoe box is large enough to fit the comics flying perfectly flat to avoid damage. I would also put a backing board in the plastic covers too if possible to keep flat. Finally, make sure there is no weight put on the box, the last thing you want is for the comics to be accidentally crushed.

Hi Sofie, great question. Usually with my trade paperback volumes I generally just store them on a bookshelf. As long as they are away from the elements or not positioned unconventionally they are generally fine. If you want you want to bag them you could you Silver Age sized bags. These are are larger than regular ones and will fit mos trade paperback volumes. You’ll be able to get these at any good comic book store or online.

A lot of sellers will put all comics in silver age bags so they don’t have to use several different kinds of bags, this saves them time and money. These bags can actually damage your bronze and current age comics because they slide around in there and bump the corners. It’s best to put your comics in proper fitting bags as soon as you can.

Thank you so much!

If the comic book came bagged then it’s safe to keep your comic in it. If it’s more flimsy plastic then it probably not.

Unless the cardboard is covered in wax or something similar mist cardboard boxes would be susceptible to some kind of moisture. You should be fine as long as your not keeping the boxes anywhere which has a high humidity or could possibly leak.

Hi Jordan! A lot of comic book stores seem to have custom shelving units. If you’re a bit handy with the tools you could whip something up. Or you could track down an old school spinner rack and use it to show off some of your favourite comics ?

I would say 3 or 4 short boxes or 2 or 3 long boxes would be safe. I guess it depends on how sturdy they are. Also you don’t want to stack to high because they can get really heavy when full you don’t want to hurt yourself lifting them from a high stack.

Hi! I think it will depend on the shape of the bin and whether or not it is the right size and a flat surface inside. Comics generally store better standing up as when on top of each other the pile becomes a bit shaped like a smile and not flat.