So, How do you guys organize your comics, and how many series do you collect?

[Phantalien]

The only comics on my pull list would be considered drek to you guys; Simpsons, Futurama, Lenore, and other more humor driven titles. They go in short boxes and are not bagged/boarded. OF my older or possibly more collectible comics they are bagged and boarded but they are divided up among the boxes.

[FineCollector]

Alphabetically by company.

 

Short boxes with mylite2 and fullbacks for everything pre-70-ish. Everything else bagged and boarded in long boxes, but looking to change those to mylites in short boxes.

 

Actively working on Aquaman (S.A.), Captain Marvel Adventures, Shazam, Avengers (S.A), Flash (S.A. and copper), Silver Surfer (copper), but buying anything pretty, so I never get bored!

[Doktor]

Alphabetical, then by volume & then in order by issue number. Any individual title with more than 3 issues gets its own divider card (including mini-series). One-shots or 2-issue mini-series or specials or whatever go into a generic letter card (A, B, C, D, etc) and they're all stored in legal filing cabinets. Titles that change mid-run, I don't bother to give them a new divider card UNLESS when their title changes, it does so in conjunction with another title getting the old name (stupid X-Men Vol 2/X-Men Legacy thing)

 

However, I recently did snag a spinner rack, so I started taking out some mini-series or short runs that I have (books I didn't keep reading after 6-8 issues or so) and putting those in the spinner rack. But I left the divider cards in there so I don't have to go trying to figure out "where did that series go?" when/if I decide to swap out what I have in the spinner.

 

Everything bagged & boarded individually. Any book over about $50 gets a mylar & half-back, but everything else just gets poly.

 

All the extra divider cards & bags/boards probably makes my organization cost a lot, but I don't mind. It's super easy to find anything.

[musicmeta]

Mine are not organized at all. I do plan on organizing them but once you start adding comics and your box is full then it's really a pain to shift the comics and some have to go into other boxes..Uhh!. I just list on each box what comics they are...i.e Detective Comics 27 CGC 9.8 white blue lable, Action Comics #1 CGC 9.8 white blue label...

[tomo]

Longboxes on custom shelves I built in my office.

 

Alphabetic by title, except for my Superman books which are broken out.

 

Superman titles are filed in order by series premier date (Action, Adventure, Superman, World's Finest, etc...all the way up to the New 52 stuff).

 

I also have a database that I've been keeping since 1986 that has all of the relevant issue information, as well as how much I paid for it, condition, and current OSPG value.

 

And then in the corner of my office, I have the half a dozen longboxes of eBay fodder that I list when I have some spare time or free listings.

[tomo]

Mine are not organized at all. I do plan on organizing them but once you start adding comics and your box is full then it's really a pain to shift the comics and some have to go into other boxes..Uhh!. I just list on each box what comics they are...i.e Detective Comics 27 CGC 9.8 white blue lable, Action Comics #1 CGC 9.8 white blue label...

 

Now see, I love a lazy Sunday afternoon when I have the time to file in all of my new books and shift comics from one box to another! All is right in the world when every book is filed (at least until next Wednesday).

[loadstone]

 

I collect 4 different major titles/series right now, mostly back issues. When I finish one I'll pick up another. I organize and catalog my comics as if they were going to be sold the next day.

 

Catalog:

I use excel. It allows me the most customization. I may one day move to comic specific software but for now, excel lets me do everything I need. I have all my comics in the same workbook but use a separate sheet per Title Run. I use the following column headers:

 

Publisher | Title/Volume | Issue # | Box # | Grade | OSPG/GPA | Grade Notes/Description | Purchase Price | Purchased From | Grade Purchased as | Sell Price | Sale Price Realized | Profit/Loss

You can apply filters to the columns and make those columns sortable and get geeky with the sort and data functions to put multiple titles and publishers under a single sheet with drop-down menus but I like keeping things separate.

After a new purchase or sale I update it and save it. it gets backed up daily to two secure locations, one online and one offline. The online copy is password protected but always accessible remotely via an app on my phone or laptop.

 

Organization:

I've got mine mostly in stackable long Drawer Boxes organized by Title runs by issue number then by volume. Shorter runs will go in short boxes. The boxes are labeled with Title and issue range and I try not to mix title runs in the same box.

 

I use plastic or cardboard dividers with labels (the ones that come with the Drawer Boxes are very helpful) between Title Runs and also between title transitions from volume 1 to volume 2, etc and Annuals. Later I may add more for designating specific story arcs or artist/writer runs within a title. These dividers help prevent flopping from occurring when filling an empty long box. This is why most people use short boxes but regardless of which size you use remember this: ALWAYS PUT A PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD DIVIDER AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE BOX!

 

Why?

Many long boxes have trenches where the front wall of the box meets the bottom that can allow a comic to get stuck and then bend when they shift, many of them also have uneven front and back interior walls due to the overlap of the cardboard flap that can cause many a severe spine bend or indent when the weight of comics press the first and last comic against the walls. Even for those that don't suffer from those problems, you still need something in front and back to protect the comics from your sharp fingernails and gorilla hands when grabbing and lifting at the handles.

 

You didn't ask but keep reading if you want to know how I store them:

I bag and board EVERY comic. Anything copper/modern I collect in NM or better goes into a fullback and mylite2 for the long term. Anything Bronze or earlier in any grade go in mylite2 with fullbacks. Non-slabbed keys of a decent grade get put in mylite 2 with full back and a toploader. Any lower grade duplicates or moderns go in regular polybag. Drek gets put 2 to a polybag with a backboard in between in a diaper box on the floor.

 

Once a box starts getting full I'll be sure to leave enough space in the box so the comics can be easily parted up to 2-3 inches (2-3 finger widths held together). Too tightly packed and you can easily bend your comics. Too loose and they flop around and can get damaged. I also use a poly bag with board but no comic as a comic shoe. I insert this in the space I plan on putting in a new comic before sliding it in. It's especially helpful when sliding a mylite bagged comic in between 2 other mylite bagged comics as the mylar plastic can cause friction against each other. It also prevents accidental damage.

 

All CGC comics go in CGC boxes on very sturdy shelves by title run by issue and volume but I'm having an internal debate with myself as to the proper orientation of the boxes. The boxes are made with the intent on being stood up, opening on top but I wonder how much stress/damage this puts on the staples and bottom edge/corners long term. I've considers laying them on the front or back (flat) where gravity is more evenly distributed across a greater surface area. Raw books should not be stored this way as it leads to spine roll but slabbed books have layers of plastic in between keeping them flat. Still I could see a case for being sure to rotate the way your comics are laying once a month to prevent them settling too much. I'm also considering laying them on the left side where the staples are. I started considering this after hearing from a book conservationist that the proper way for books to be stored is on their spine as that puts the least amount of stress on the binding. It also evenly distributes the weight of the comic with more direct downward forces on the staples as opposed to angular forces when upright. However, comics are not bound the same way as books so this principle may not apply too well. Only time will tell what the long term impact will be.

 

[*Bronze age fan*]

I don't.

[thunsicker]

I don't.

 

Oh come on, you must have some organization. I see you post comics all the time that fit themes/clubs.

[kowings]

This is extremely helpful. Ya'll have given me some great ideas.

 

I keep seeing the work "fullback" used. Is that a type of board, or something else?

[stanley1883]

This is extremely helpful. Ya'll have given me some great ideas.

 

I keep seeing the work "fullback" used. Is that a type of board, or something else?

 

 

Fullbacks- http://www.comicsupply.com/index.php?cPath=22_65

 

in short a specific type of board, usually used on higher end comics

[stanley1883]

I use collectorz.com.

 

It's sortable and I find it easy to navigate

[marvelmaniac]

I have 36 short boxes that are placed in alphabetical order by title while the books inside are in numerical order.

All books are in Mylites with Boards.

I am in a single bedroom apartment so the boxes are stored in 3 different spots although the runs I am currently working on are easily accessible.

 

The titles and #'s that I am currently looking for are saved in a draft on my computer so I can easily see it when I am scouring the net for issues.

Currently I am working on Atlas/Marvel Westerns and Pre-Hero Horror.

 

I do have a list of all of my books that I just recently consolidated for insurance purposes.

Each year all books that I have purchased are placed on a list for that year with pics and saved to my computer, on 2 flashdrives and sent to the insurance company

 

Here is the most recent list from the end of 2013, I bought nothing in 2014.

 

 

 

 

[rjrjr]

Mine are not organized at all. I do plan on organizing them but once you start adding comics and your box is full then it's really a pain to shift the comics and some have to go into other boxes..Uhh!. I just list on each box what comics they are...i.e Detective Comics 27 CGC 9.8 white blue lable, Action Comics #1 CGC 9.8 white blue label...

 

I'm glad someone else does not organize their comics. When I get comics, I usually save up a few months of comics so I can do some sorting. When the day comes where I feel I have a hundred or so comics, I add the comics to my comic collection application (which I wrote), the front covers are scanned, I upload the scans to my application, the comics are bagged and boarded, and the comics are placed into a short comic box. When the box is full, I print out the contents of the box from my application and place it inside the box and move onto the next box.

 

With over 15,000 comics, I cannot even imagine the time needed to organize comics by title. But, I will say this, now that I'm selling off part of the collection, I wish I had the time to organize them. Instead, when I get the urge to sell off a run, I pull the comics from the boxes (back filling those boxes with other comics) and that is when the comics are collected into runs for the first time.

[marvelmaniac]

Mine are not organized at all. I do plan on organizing them but once you start adding comics and your box is full then it's really a pain to shift the comics and some have to go into other boxes..Uhh!. I just list on each box what comics they are...i.e Detective Comics 27 CGC 9.8 white blue lable, Action Comics #1 CGC 9.8 white blue label...

 

I'm glad someone else does not organize their comics. When I get comics, I usually save up a few months of comics so I can do some sorting. When the day comes where I feel I have a hundred or so comics, I add the comics to my comic collection application (which I wrote), the front covers are scanned, I upload the scans to my application, the comics are bagged and boarded, and the comics are placed into a short comic box. When the box is full, I print out the contents of the box from my application and place it inside the box and move onto the next box.

 

With over 15,000 comics, I cannot even imagine the time needed to organize comics by title. But, I will say this, now that I'm selling off part of the collection, I wish I had the time to organize them. Instead, when I get the urge to sell off a run, I pull the comics from the boxes (back filling those boxes with other comics) and that is when the comics are collected into runs for the first time.

 

I am "anal" with a "touch" of OCD (a touch Ha Ha) so that would drive me nuts, would not be able to sleep at night.

[Doktor]

I use collectorz.com.

 

It's sortable and I find it easy to navigate

 

I use that as well for inventory purposes.

[F For Fake]

I use short boxes because they're lighter to carry and stack better in the space I have available. A full long box is just too unwieldy. I organize alphabetically by title, and then following the alpha title run, I have collections by specific artists, alpha by artist last name (Hughes, Mignola, Noto, Stevens, etc).

 

I do collect runs of older books, particularly ones I loved as a kid and young adult. At one time I had tens of thousands of books, huge and/or complete runs of my favorites, primarily Batman, X-Men, Swamp Thing and Legion. Then about 15 years or so ago, I sold everything and started picking up trades and HC's. About three years ago I started to slowly get back into collecting regular comics, usually via 50 cent and $1 sale bins, and also collecting some keys that I wanted to get back.

 

All of that to say I don't really have a pull list these days, but I do buy several books on a monthly basis. Most of what I like in new regular comics come from Image (Saga, Revival, Sex Criminals, God Hates Astronauts). Marvels I just wait 6 months and then read on Marvel Unlimited on my iPad, except for Black Widow, which I pick up due to Noto. I was also picking up the Fraction Hawkeye series as well.

 

As for DC, there's not much I'm interested in. I was buying Batman combo packs on a monthly basis, but since they've stopped that program, I'm not buying the regular title, I just wait for the hardcovers. I find that anymore I prefer reading on my iPad (ease of transport, no worries about damaging the books, the colors, etc) so I don't really buy many new physical comics anymore, unless one of my favorite artists is working on them (the folks listed above, plus Chaykin, Simonson, Kelley Jones, Bruce Timm, etc) But I'm always picking up old books, particularly to finish out (on the cheap) my Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Batman runs.

[*Bronze age fan*]

I don't.

 

Oh come on, you must have some organization. I see you post comics all the time that fit themes/clubs.

 

 

I have a lot of long boxes that are A-Z in order. To find stuff sometimes is a PAIN in da but. One day I will put it all in order. Will take a long time but I would really like to know where everything is, and have all titles stored together. Took three weeks vacation in August. I plan on spending some of those days fixing my collection.

[Kevin.J]

I don't.

 

Oh come on, you must have some organization. I see you post comics all the time that fit themes/clubs.

 

 

I have a lot of long boxes that are A-Z in order. To find stuff sometimes is a PAIN in da but. One day I will put it all in order. Will take a long time but I would really like to know where everything is, and have all titles stored together. Took three weeks vacation in August. I plan on spending some of those days fixing my collection.

 

 

After 3 weeks fixing your collection bro, it will be 3 months fixing your back

 

 

[thunsicker]

I don't.

 

Oh come on, you must have some organization. I see you post comics all the time that fit themes/clubs.

 

 

I have a lot of long boxes that are A-Z in order. To find stuff sometimes is a PAIN in da but. One day I will put it all in order. Will take a long time but I would really like to know where everything is, and have all titles stored together. Took three weeks vacation in August. I plan on spending some of those days fixing my collection.

 

 

After 3 weeks fixing your collection bro, it will be 3 months fixing your back

 

 

Nah. He gets plenty of exercise carrying people out of burning buildings.