To stack or to stand, that is the question
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Last updated: 7 October 2019 approx. 2 min read
Anyone who collects comics eventually reaches the point where they ask themselves how and where to lay down or stand up their “paper”. If it's albums, Trade Paperbacks or even bound comics, then a shelf is the obvious choice, where you can line everything up neatly.
Comics and nothing but comics
But what do you do with the sheer mass of single issues? Many comic collectors buy single issues because the stories often appear in them first and only later get collected and published as Trade Paperbacks. Besides, collecting single issues has a long tradition, because in the old days that was all there was and there was no other way to read the stories.
Opinions differ on how to store comics, and there is no right or wrong. In the end it is a matter of opinion how you treat your comics and how you store them. Here I'm writing down my personal experience and how I have kept my comics.
Comic care
As I said, in the beginning there was the comic book. The comic I bought regularly, usually weekly, at the kiosk. I then carefully stacked these comics on my shelf, and I have to point out that even as a child I handled my comics with great care. I never folded them back while reading, so they were spared the typical reading crease.
Even so, I soon faced the problem that you can only stack a certain number of comics on top of each other before the ever so slightly thicker spine makes itself felt as a concave curve in the pile. Naturally I solved that by turning the comics 180 degrees again and again, so the spine pointed to the right one time and to the left the next. But even that limited the pile to about 100 to 200 comics. Beyond that, things got critical.
And so I went on stacking for years, until I simply had too many piles. The solution then came from the USA with the Comic Defense System, some time in the 1980s.
That meant plastic bags and so-called Backerboards to pack the comics, plus comic boxes. At last I could pack my comics and stand them in the boxes! The big advantage: no more “artificial” reading creases from stacking, and I could get at single issues much more easily, without shuffling piles around.
Did you know that for long-term storage, comics should not only go into bags but also get a board (backerboard)? If comics stand in comic boxes for a long time in nothing but a bag, they can sag under their own weight and get dented at the bottom right corner.
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Captain Collector's Curious Comic Storage TriviaBags, boards and boxes
Everything you need to store your comics can be found at AMAZINGTOYS® under comic accessories.
Captain America #144 Comic: Captain America #144 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: December 1971 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Captain America #144 brings a classic story from the early Bronze Age of comics (1970s). The issue is in good used condition. Captain America is one of the earliest heroes in comic history. This super-patriot in the American flag costume was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in March 1941. In the years after World War II, many of the patriotic superheroes became redundant, sales figures for many comics fell, and Captain America was ultimately discontinued in 1954. He had his great revival ten years later in March 1964 in Avengers #4, when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought him back to life and helped him gain great popularity. From November 1964 he then shared the comic Tales of Suspense (from issue 59) with Iron Man and remained in the series until issue 99. With issue 100, Tales of Suspense was officially renamed Captain America . So #100 is essentially the #1 of Captain America in the Silver Age. Tags: captain america, jack kirby, avengers, red skull, first avenger, marvel comics, falcon, hydra, shield
Howard the Duck #20 Comic: Howard the Duck #20 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: January 1978 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Howard the Duck #20 features classic adventures of arguably the strangest duck in comic history, created by Steve Gerber. This is an absolute Marvel classic from the seventies! The comic book is in good used condition. Tags: howard the duck, marvel comics, steve gerber
Adventures of Jerry Lewis #123 Comic: Adventures of Jerry Lewis #123 Language: English Publisher: DC Comics Year: April 1971 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Adventures of Jerry Lewis #123 is a licensed comic from DC that capitalised on the popularity of the beloved comedian Jerry Lewis. An oddity among the Silver Age comics. The issue is in a good, used condition. tags: jerry lewis, dc comics, silver age
Action Comics #1019 Comic: Action Comics #1019 Language: English Publisher: DC Comics Year: March 2020 Condition: NEW Action Comics #1019 brings one of the greatest Superman battles, as Lex Luthor, the Legion of Doom and Leviathan confront the Man of Steel. And to make matters worse, Superman finds the revelation of his secret identity occupying him more than he would like. Tags: superman, action comics, clark kent, dc comics
Fantastic Four #241 Comic: Fantastic Four #241 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: April 1982 Condition: Very Fine, VF, 8.0 Fantastic Four #241 with an exciting story about Marvel's First Family from the 1980s. The issue is in very good condition. Tags: fantastic four, rich buckler, joe sinnott, quicksilver, crystal, marvel comics
Tarzan #4 Comic: Tarzan #4 Language: German Publisher: BSV Comics Year: 1965 Condition: 3 (Three) Fair Tarzan #4 featuring the famous jungle hero, drawn by Jesse Marsh. The issue is in used condition, no staple rust and no basement smell. Tags: tarzan, edgar rice burroughs, bsv, bildschriftenverlag, jesse marsh
Daredevil #137 Comic: Daredevil #137 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: September 1976 Condition: Fine Plus. FN+, 6.5 Daredevil #137 is a classic Marvel comic from the heyday of the Bronze Age, featuring the Jester as Daredevil's adversary. The comic is in good used condition. Tags: daredevil, gene colan, stan lee, marvel
The Avengers #100 Comic: The Avengers #100 Language: German Publisher: Williams Year: 1978 Condition: 2 (Two) Good The Avengers #100 from the legendary Williams publishing house. This is the final issue of the series and is in good condition. Tags: die rächer, avengers, marvels avengers, williams verlag
Dazzler #23 Comic: Dazzler #23 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: January 1983 Condition: Very Fine, VF, 8.0 Dazzler #23 featuring the eponymous mutant, who made her debut in X-Men #130. A classic comic from the Copper Age of comics (1980s). The book is in very good condition. Tags: dazzler, x-men, marvel comics
John Carter #4 Comic: John Carter #4 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: September 1977 Condition: Very Fine Minus, VF-, 7.5 John Carter #4 with comics of the eponymous fantasy hero created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also invented the character of Tarzan. A Marvel classic from the tail end of the Bronze Age of comics (late 1970s). The book is in good condition. Tags: john carter, warlord of mars, edgar rice burroughs, marvel comics