Comic Box Questions

[Cody_Starbuck]

I know that this question will strike many of you as being stupid but why are comic boxes still made of cardboard? It would seem to me that a heavy duty plastic container would be better.

 

Thanks for your tolerance.

[shadroch]

I'd imagine it has to do with being able to ship and store them flat.Not many dealers or LCSs have the space to store dozens or more of a hard plastic comic box,nor would they want to.

[Fan4Fan]

Hmmm.... maybe there's a new product here. Collapsable/disassemblable hard plastic boxes....

 

[goldust40]

They are gettable - I've seen them on sale in the U.K. The advantage they have is that they are totally waterproof and are indeed more durable. The downside is that they're heavier (but not vastly) and more expensive.

 

I don't recall who the manufacturer was, though.

[savagetales]

Plastic comic boxes are available here...

 

www.bagsunlimited.com

 

[DKB]

Plastic comic boxes are available here...

 

www.bagsunlimited.com

 

 

Plastic Long Box

 

 

huh, kinda nice, the plastic "long box" is about 5 inches longer than a cardboard short box and 6 shorter than a cardboard long box. Kinda sits in the middle. Been wishing there was a length like this out there. Might have to grab me some.

[thecomicsheet]

Plastic comic boxes are available here...

 

www.bagsunlimited.com

 

 

Plastic Long Box

 

 

huh, kinda nice, the plastic "long box" is about 5 inches longer than a cardboard short box and 6 shorter than a cardboard long box. Kinda sits in the middle. Been wishing there was a length like this out there. Might have to grab me some.

 

I wish they were about $3 to $4 cheaper. Might get me some anyway. The 20 inch size would be just perfect for some 20 and 24 inch shelving units that I have. The cardboard long boxes kind of poke out a few inches on those shelves - not good for long term (years) storage.

 

Years ago (30 years) we used to get the boxes from our local Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet - the ones they packed the raw chicken in with ice. They were waxed cardboard and very sturdy. You had to wash the raw chicken grease out , but you had a good box when it dried out. I've still got most of those boxes 30 years later. I don't store comics in them any more, but they're great for misc. stuff in my garage.

[MK Ultra]

Years ago (30 years) we used to get the boxes from our local Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet - the ones they packed the raw chicken in with ice. They were waxed cardboard and very sturdy. You had to wash the raw chicken grease out , but you had a good box when it dried out. I've still got most of those boxes 30 years later. I don't store comics in them any more, but they're great for misc. stuff in my garage.

 

I thought it was, "Tastes like chicken", not "Smells like chicken".

[thecomicsheet]

Years ago (30 years) we used to get the boxes from our local Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet - the ones they packed the raw chicken in with ice. They were waxed cardboard and very sturdy. You had to wash the raw chicken grease out , but you had a good box when it dried out. I've still got most of those boxes 30 years later. I don't store comics in them any more, but they're great for misc. stuff in my garage.

 

I thought it was, "Tastes like chicken", not "Smells like chicken".

 

The "KFC Pedigree"

[DoubleCovaBrotha]

They are gettable - I've seen them on sale in the U.K. The advantage they have is that they are totally waterproof and are indeed more durable. The downside is that they're heavier (but not vastly) and more expensive.

 

I don't recall who the manufacturer was, though.

 

Do you guys think that these boxes will be better for stacking? I think that the general rule for cardboard boxes is that you never stack more than 3 high. It sounds like these boxes could endure quite a bit more. I could have even MORE space for storing comics!!

 

On another note...cardboard boxes tend to deteriorate over time and give off acidifying gases right? Wouldn't these plastic boxes be better (unless they are made of harmful PVC or something)?

[THE_BEYONDER]

I know that this question will strike many of you as being stupid but why are comic boxes still made of cardboard? It would seem to me that a heavy duty plastic container would be better.

 

Thanks for your tolerance.

 

Probably the same reason ketchup still comes in those useless little packets, rather than functional containers like they use for BBQ sauce, etc...

 

I still don't understand this.....

[Silver Surfer]

Actually an excellent question as I have wondered about this myself. However, I can understand how a comic shop would have problems storing such boxes, would take up way too much room. Still I have often searched in office supply store for these types of file holders but the dimensions are usually no good for comics. Also, I guess storing them in cardboard is slighty better than plastic as it probably absorbs a little more moisture if you somehow were unable to adequately control the storage tempature during the summer months?

[goldust40]

They are gettable - I've seen them on sale in the U.K. The advantage they have is that they are totally waterproof and are indeed more durable. The downside is that they're heavier (but not vastly) and more expensive.

 

I don't recall who the manufacturer was, though.

 

Do you guys think that these boxes will be better for stacking? I think that the general rule for cardboard boxes is that you never stack more than 3 high. It sounds like these boxes could endure quite a bit more. I could have even MORE space for storing comics!!

 

On another note...cardboard boxes tend to deteriorate over time and give off acidifying gases right? Wouldn't these plastic boxes be better (unless they are made of harmful PVC or something)?

 

You can stack them 4 high with no problem, but obviously it's not recommended over a long period, and it makes accessing that bottom box a pain. The plastic boxes though could be stackable up to 4 with no problem.

 

Cardboard boxes do give off gases that are acidic, but as long as the comics in them are bagged and boarded there should never be a concern about that. I don't know about the plastic ones, though.