Store your comic books with care for long lasting reading
Or how to guard against the silverfish eating up and out the pages of your comicbooks or old timey magazines before you can return to them in a decade or two. Sooner if the reading bug happens to bite you on the eyes within that time.
It's also a look at warding against dust and general handling in making sure the comics collection will survive reads today and be available to read years down the line.
1 - Choosing the comic to preserve
Where reading every day takes a dent
Or perhaps you just a want to preserve something so that the kids and grandchildren will be able to enjoy many decades from now. After all, who knows how much they can save by reading the comics now that will most likely be regurgitated later on when they run out of ideas?
Of course, doesn't at all hurt to store the entire comics collection across the board and to all the comics in the reading library.
Comic bags sold through Amazon
Ultra-PRO® Comic Bags Current/Modern Size
Great for comics published in the last 20 years or so.
Amazon Price: $6.45 (as of 07/03/2009) 
Ultra-PRO® Comic Bags Silver Size
Good sized bags for comics published between the mid 1950s up to about the early 1970s. Usually in sizes of 10 1/8 inches high by 7 1/8 inches wide.
Amazon Price: $4.44 (as of 07/03/2009)
Collector Safe - Magazine Comic Bags (Qty = 1 pack of 100)
For those who want to also keep stock of their magazines along with the rest of their comic book collection, check out these bags.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
2 - Sizing up the needs of the task
Suiting up with polymer tights
Comics made today fall into the "Current size" and will most often fit bags designated as such.
Older comics, those often of pre-1970s will find a fit in either the "Silver Age" or "Golden Age" dimensions.
Others still may need to branch out even and find themselves in "Magazine size". These include the classic comics from EC such as WEIRD SCIENCE and TALES FROM THE CRYPT.
It's important here to find the right size so as to not have the comic either jumping and sliding about while inside or squeezed too tight and thus end up warped for the pleasure of safety.
Current/Modern Age comics selling on eBay
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3 - Shiny, shiny or a little on the dull
Whose side are you on?
Alongside bags, it's a good idea to also pick up a set of backing boards. Make sure they are of the same dimension and size range as the comic bags.These will lend the comics a stiffer backing and make them slightly sturdier in storage and movement.
Look to the shinier side to the board. This will be the side that has been heat-treated to be acid resistant.
And that's a good thing since acid is a bad thing and will turn your pages and covers and that's not a good look.
It's the acid in the board and other contact areas which will degrade and decrease the life of a comic. Comic storage boards are usually treated throughout, but use the shinier side for extra peace of mind.
Getting the correct size here is crucial since again you do not want the bag to be busting out of the seams trying to accommodate a board too big for its birches.
Backing boards at Amazon
Current Comic Book Backing Boards (Qty= 1 pack of 100)
Backing boards are good in making the comic in the bag stand a little stiffer and makes it easier to move around from place to place since it won't be flopping about.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
Silver Comic Book Backing Boards (Qty = 1 Pack of 100)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
Magazine Backing Boards (Qty=1 Pack of 100
Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009)
4 - Prepping the slip in manoeuvre
Lay it out, and on the back
Getting them lined up makes it easier later on when slipping both the comic and backing board into the bag.
5 - Slipping through and flushing it down
Making sure it fits in the bag
Insert board and comic into the comic bag. Come at it from either the bottom or top, depending on how you wish to close the flap later on.If you're not looking to tape it down, it's better to have the flap on top and thus enter the bag with the bottom of the comic going in first.
Make sure the flap closes away from the front cover. In other words, have the lip of the bag touch the front cover of the comic.
Line up the comic and board so they are flush and fully within the bag.
6 - Flapping in the wings
Closing it up for now
At this point, you can choose to tape the flap down. Or if it will be stacked with other comics, or no tape is wanted, just folded nicely.
Comic collection gear from Amazon
Check your local comic shop if you have one
ULTRA PRO COMIC DIVIDERS - PACK OF 25
When the collection gets large and there's more than one comic series, these dividers are great and makes searching through the comic collection that much easier.
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/03/2009)
BCW Comic Book Collector Starter Kit (Comes with Album, Pages, Bags, Backing Boards) - Great Gift Idea!
All the gear above in one kit to start up the comics collection. Only thing missing from this is the comics themselves.
Amazon Price: $18.97 (as of 07/03/2009)
7 - Rinse and repeat
Easy as drinking a bottle of shampoo
Buy in bulk to save on costs. Bags and boards are sold in lots of 100 count. Not only do you save money when you buy in the big count, you can also gauge the rough count of your collection with how many lots you go through.
8 - Store and stack the racks
Everybody into a pyramid now!
After all comics have been bagged and boarded, it's best to find a storage box for them.You can buy them premade or flat from the comic shop. While tough to figure out at first, once you fold and make your own box, they're quick and easy later on. Cost doesn't matter outside of shipping as to whether or not you buy it flat or premade.
Comic boxes today often come in either a magazine or comic size. And between that, the choice of short or long boxes.
For space and mobility, go for short boxes. Short boxes on average hold about 100 comics neatly and comfortably. Any more than that and it's like squeezing a hippo into shorts for a gazelle.
Otherwise, a long box could be a good idea. Long boxes store about 300 comics and does the job for those who aren't planning on shifting their collection often and have the space to accommodate.
Close the lid and enjoy the peace of mind of having your comics stored away for a longer reading life.
Copyright info
All original words written and photos taken by Soon Van. Copyright and all rights reserved 2007.
Your thoughts on comic book storage
From people all over and around the place and world
tarap
Thanks for the post, it was very informative. You might want to try some of the quality slip covers found at http://www.allaboutslipcovers.com
Posted April 15, 2008
Counterside Noise
Humming and strumming from the people behind the Comic Shop
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Soon is a freelance web developer based in Sydney Australia.
He is also the content editor for the Comic Shop. A funky fine store in Liverpool, NSW Aus...
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