Collection Organization Tips 7 7

[the blob]

56 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Agreed.  I thought the "before" pictures were going to be much worse.

I am not much of a photographer. But yes, the stuff was 99% in boxes, so its not going to look that terrible, and i have shelves. I just gave 2× as many boxes as i have room on rhe shelves.

[Point Five]

32 minutes ago, the blob said:

  I ain't chucking nothing!

Well, you did ask for tips... 

[letsgrumble]

22 hours ago, Cocomonkey said:

Out of curiosity, do you do this with every book, or just keys/semi-keys/ones you want more particularly protected? I've been debating whether to move my stuff into a double-bagged/mylar system like this for a little added protection, but don't know if it's more for the ones I want to preserve more, or to try for all of them (which for me, is only around 2k books).

I've settled on keeping my books this way for well over a decade now. I'm a high-grade fiend so I want the best possible protection for my books. It's a one-time investment. I don't want to use tape or be replacing bags and boards in later life. They're reusable. Books look great too.

I have nearly all of my pre-1976 books in fullback-Mylite2-Archive sleeves. Post-1976 bronze and copper, I pick and choose, and do what I can.

Since I'm in Canada, I usually plan to buy product in bulk to save $$$ and arrange a pickup in the U.S. somewhere. 

[Cocomonkey]

33 minutes ago, letsgrumble said:

I've settled on keeping my books this way for well over a decade now. I'm a high-grade fiend so I want the best possible protection for my books. It's a one-time investment. I don't want to use tape or be replacing bags and boards in later life. They're reusable. Books look great too.

I have nearly all of my pre-1976 books in fullback-Mylite2-Archive sleeves. Post-1976 bronze and copper, I pick and choose, and do what I can.

Since I'm in Canada, I usually plan to buy product in bulk to save $$$ and arrange a pickup in the U.S. somewhere. 

Thanks! Good to know. Mainly I just need to price this out and see whether it's worth it yet, at least...especially balanced against the fact that most of my collection isn't of great value, grade or no (run filler or just random issues I've picked up over the years).

[Cocomonkey]

2 hours ago, Shawnismaximus said:

This is what he's talking about

Unfortunately for me, the shipping to send it to Canada costs almost as much as the boxes themselves! They seem great though. 

Thanks, I intend to look into these more once I have a moment. I'm likely going to be moving in the next couple of months, and the above-closet storage space I have now for my longboxes is going to be going away, so I'm in need of some kind of replacement.

[OrangeCrush]

2 hours ago, Cocomonkey said:

Thanks! Good to know. Mainly I just need to price this out and see whether it's worth it yet, at least...especially balanced against the fact that most of my collection isn't of great value, grade or no (run filler or just random issues I've picked up over the years).

Buying directly from Gerber is your best bet as they give you substantial discounts if you buy in bulk. You get the best price if you buy 1000 at a time. Its the only way to go IMO if you really want to use Mylites and Halfback/Fullback boards. Here is the link in case anyone is interested.

http://www.egerber.com/catalog.asp

Edited February 13, 2018 by OrangeCrush

[shadroch]

3 hours ago, Point Five said:

Well, you did ask for tips... 

When sorting boxes, I almost always pull a few books out to sell.  It's stuff I either don't collect or stuff I have in abundance.  I put together a short box and sell it, giving myself a well earned reward for the time I invested in sorting.

[OrangeCrush]

5 hours ago, Cocomonkey said:

Do you have a link to drawer boxes with box sort rails? Curious what these are.

This was already answered by Shawnismaximus (much appreciated), but I want to include pictures so people on the forum can see what the boxes look like and exactly what the Box Sort Rails do. IMO, Box Sort Rails are easily the best invention made to date when it comes to organizing comics in comic boxes. 

Here is just a basic picture of what a Drawer Box looks like and its important to note that these boxes are significantly more sturdy than any other cardboard comic boxes on the market like BCW. As I stated before, I'm 150 pounds and I can actually stand on top of an empty Drawer Box and it doesn't even begin to buckle under the weight. Its perfectly stable and thats pretty impressive in and of itself. And if you look closely you can see the side of the box has small holes on the side. Those holes are for BoxLox, which are these small plastic pegs you can buy from The Collection Drawer (the company that sells Drawer Boxes). They basically allow you to attach the box to the boxes beside it, thus making your stacks just that much more sturdy. If you use BoxLox, which I definitely recommend, you can basically push into your boxes with some significant force and they won't budge. These are unquestionable the most stable cardboard comic boxes on the market. You would have to move up to using plastic storage boxes to get more stability in your stacks of boxes. 

And here is a picture of what Box Sort Rails do:

The box on the left is just an ordinary comic box and as you can see, the comics tip over when the box isn't full. The box on the right has Box Sort Rails installed and as you can see, it allows you to create sections within the box so not only do your comics not tip over when the box isn't full, but most importantly it allows you to leave room to spare so you can add comics to a series or collection as it grows or progresss without having to take comics out to put new ones in. It makes keeping your collection organized as you go along much easier.  Its a very basic and simple idea, but one that works amazingly well. 

Yes, these boxes are more expensive than regular comic boxes but for good reason. Its really no different than choosing to use Mylar over polypropylene bags. Your getting a much higher quality product so higher prices are just a given. And when you stop and think about just how much your going to spend on the actual comics and the bags and boards that actually fill that box...well, the price of the storage box itself will wind up being inconsequential by comparison. And these boxes are so well made that you will not be needing to replace them down the line. These boxes are a one time purchase. And they do offer small discounts if you buy in quantity.

Anyways, as always to each thier own. My advice would be to definitely go this route even if you think its a bit expensive. In the end I guarantee you will be thankful you did. I know I certainly am and even if I had paid double or even triple the price I paid, I would still feel the same way. 

 

Edited February 13, 2018 by OrangeCrush

[spreads]

19 minutes ago, OrangeCrush said:

This was already answered by Shawnismaximus (much appreciated), but I want to include pictures so people on the forum can see what the boxes look like and exactly what the Box Sort Rails do. IMO, Box Sort Rails are easily the best invention made to date when it comes to organizing comics in comic boxes. 

Here is just a basic picture of what a Drawer Box looks like and its important to note that these boxes are significantly more sturdy than any other cardboard comic boxes on the market like BCW. As I stated before, I'm 150 pounds and I can actually stand on top of an empty Drawer Box and it doesn't even begin to buckle under the weight. Its perfectly stable and thats pretty impressive in and of itself. And if you look closely you can see the side of the box has small holes on the side. Those holes are for BoxLox, which are these small plastic pegs you can buy from The Collection Drawer (the company that sells Drawer Boxes). They basically allow you to attach the box to the boxes beside it, thus making your stacks just that much more sturdy. If you use BoxLox, which I definitely recommend, you can basically push into your boxes with some significant force and they won't budge. These are unquestionable the most stable cardboard comic boxes on the market. You would have to move up to using plastic storage boxes to get more stability in your stacks of boxes. 

And here is a picture of what Box Sort Rails do:

The box on the left is just an ordinary comic box and as you can see, the comics tip over when the box isn't full. The box on the right has Box Sort Rails installed and as you can see, it allows you to create sections within the box so not only do your comics not tip over when the box isn't full, but most importantly it allows you to leave room to spare so you can add comics to a series or collection as it grows or progresss without having to take comics out to put new ones in. It makes keeping your collection organized as you go along much easier.  Its a very basic and simple idea, but one that works amazingly well. 

Yes, these boxes are more expensive than regular comic boxes but for good reason. And when you stop and think about just how much your going to spend on the actual comics and the bags and boards that actually fill that box...well, the price of the storage box will wind up being inconsequential by comparison. And these boxes are so well made that you will not be needing to replace them down the line. These boxes are a one time purchase. And they do offer a small discount if you buy in quantity.

Anyways, as always to each thier own. My advice would be to definitely go this route even if you think its a bit expensive. In the end I guarantee you will be thankful you did. I know I certainly am and even if I had paid double or even triple the price I paid, I would still feel the same way. 

 

Thanks for the pics, this helps a lot.  Are the box rails inserts on the inside all the same or can you cut them anywhere, e.g. to have 2 dividers in 1 box or 4 in another?  

Edited February 13, 2018 by spreads

[OrangeCrush]

22 minutes ago, spreads said:

Thanks for the pics, this helps a lot.  Are the box rails inserts on the inside all the same or can you cut them anywhere, e.g. to have 2 dividers in 1 box or 4 in another?  

You can create up to 7 categories in a box if you want. You just have to have the Box Sort Rails and the BoxSort Upright Dividers. Here is an instruction page from The Collection Drawer that will give you a better idea of what they actually look like and how they work.

Here is a link to that page in case its hard to read.

http://collectiondrawer.com/sites/default/files/Assembly_Instructions.pdf

Edited February 13, 2018 by OrangeCrush

[shadroch]

Comic Drawers are fantastic.  Many of mine are well over ten years old and survived a trip from NY to Vegas.  I've switched to the shorter boxes as that allows me to line both sides of my walk in closet and still have room in the middle for me. 

The box lox are a great added feature.

The comic rails( which are optional and cost extra)  have a number of built in spacers. I think its 8, so you can add any number of dividers to the box up to that.

[OrangeCrush]

4 minutes ago, shadroch said:

Comic Drawers are fantastic.  Many of mine are well over ten years old and survived a trip from NY to Vegas.  I've switched to the shorter boxes as that allows me to line both sides of my walk in closet and still have room in the middle for me. 

The box lox are a great added feature.

The comic rails( which are optional and cost extra)  have a number of built in spacers. I think its 8, so you can add any number of dividers to the box up to that.

Yeah, short Drawer Boxes are the only way to go IMO. Then again, I have never been a big fan of long boxes. And your right, it is up to 8 categories and not 7 as I originally stated. I was thinking it was equal to the number of upright dividers you can use, but I forgot about the initial space in the front of the box. So you are correct, its up to 8 categories, not 7. 

 

[Alf Pogs]

You can often find cheap hand trucks at auto parts stores. Even if you are taking 1 box at a time and there are stairs it is a must.

I moved 60 shorts recently 2 separate times and I should of gotten one.

[OrangeCrush]

If you really want a nice dolly, I HIGHLY recommend Magliner. Its what I use when on photography jobs to transport all my cases around with me. The things are practically indestructible. I have had mine for roughly 12 years now and its still in perfect working condition. The best part about Magliners is you can use them as a standard upright dolly or collapse it down and use it in a vertical mode. Here are a couple pics:

They are definitely a bit more expensive than your average dolly, but again these things last forever and having a great dolly is an incredibly useful tool. Here is a link in case anyone is interested:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1255681-REG/magliner_gmk81ua4_gemini_sr_convertible_hand.html?ap=y&c3api=1876%2C{creative}%2C{keyword}&gclid=CjwKCAiAtorUBRBnEiwAfcp_Y_CTCHLENdSnL_1nH4rKnYZ-S4zdWM0eekulAVoG50XRdtT7XeAUvhoCthAQAvD_BwE

[01TheDude]

Like what you collect-- opinions vary on what is the best way to go. How we choose to store our books is no different. I am fine with the way I have gone-- using short boxes that live on the shelves of my closet amd on a few other shelves in hallway cabinets. I specifically bought the set of short boxes I use for my collection and they hold around 80 books each. It has a built in spacer that you can collapse to give you room to add a few more or to maneuver the books as needed. I typically fill them by placing them on their nose and stacking the books until it is full.

For sorting where titles begin, I simply put a small post it note designating the start of a title or some significant breaks in the sequence of a title I have many of in the box.

Don't get me wrong-- those drawer boxes look neat to use but I would rather spend my limited comic budget on comics.

The key to me is use what works best for you.

[OrangeCrush]

11 minutes ago, 01TheDude said:

Like what you collect-- opinions vary on what is the best way to go. How we choose to store our books is no different. I am fine with the way I have gone-- using short boxes that live on the shelves of my closet amd on a few other shelves in hallway cabinets. I specifically bought the set of short boxes I use for my collection and they hold around 80 books each. It has a built in spacer that you can collapse to give you room to add a few more or to maneuver the books as needed. I typically fill them by placing them on their nose and stacking the books until it is full.

For sorting where titles begin, I simply put a small post it note designating the start of a title or some significant breaks in the sequence of a title I have many of in the box.

Don't get me wrong-- those drawer boxes look neat to use but I would rather spend my limited comic budget on comics.

The key to me is use what works best for you.

Couldn't agree more which is why I have stated multiple times now, to each thier own. And I used to have the same opinion you do, that being not wanting to spend unnecessary money on supplies. Back then I wanted to spend as much as possible on actual comics and not boxes or bags and boards. Problem was, I wasn't enjoying many of the comics I was buying because they were in boxes that required moving like 10-15 boxes to get too. Finally deciding to invest the money into Drawer Boxes was without question the best decision I have ever made in regards to comic collecting and again, it has increased my enjoyment of the hobby significantly as I can now pull out and enjoy any box of comics in 10-15 seconds without having to move a single box. At least for me, that is worth every last penny Drawer Boxes cost. If others feel differently, they can choose whatever storage method they want. I only put this information up on the board to inform people who might not know they even exist, or how the boxes work. What choice people ultimately decide to make is 100% up to them. 

[Cocomonkey]

16 hours ago, OrangeCrush said:

This was already answered by Shawnismaximus (much appreciated), but I want to include pictures so people on the forum can see what the boxes look like and exactly what the Box Sort Rails do. IMO, Box Sort Rails are easily the best invention made to date when it comes to organizing comics in comic boxes. 

 

Thanks. They do look very good. Do they hold the same amount as normal short/longboxes? I wish there was a way to order them individually, instead of in packs; that's fine for me for the normal boxes, but I would only need 1 CGC/Magazine box right now, not 4...

[OrangeCrush]

5 hours ago, Cocomonkey said:

Thanks. They do look very good. Do they hold the same amount as normal short/longboxes? I wish there was a way to order them individually, instead of in packs; that's fine for me for the normal boxes, but I would only need 1 CGC/Magazine box right now, not 4...

A short Drawer Box is 18" long and should hold around 140 comics. So its very close to other short boxes. I used to use BCW so Drawer Boxes were roughly 1" longer. I don't understand why more comic shops don't sell these. It would be nice to be able to buy them one at a time, although that would likely be more expensive. When I finally decided to use Drawer Boxes, I decided to switch out all of my old boxes in one fell swoop so it didn't bother me that I had to buy in bulk as opposed to buying 1-2 boxes at a time, but I can understand that for people looking to just buy one of two boxes, that this would be an issue. 

[Cocomonkey]

1 hour ago, OrangeCrush said:

A short Drawer Box is 18" long and should hold around 140 comics. So its very close to other short boxes. I used to use BCW so Drawer Boxes were roughly 1" longer. I don't understand why more comic shops don't sell these. It would be nice to be able to buy them one at a time, although that would likely be more expensive. When I finally decided to use Drawer Boxes, I decided to switch out all of my old boxes in one fell swoop so it didn't bother me that I had to buy in bulk as opposed to buying 1-2 boxes at a time, but I can understand that for people looking to just buy one of two boxes, that this would be an issue. 

Okay, so roughly the same...good to know. Yeah, if I end up going this route (still trying to figure out how to store my books once my wife and I move into our new apartment and I lose my storage space), I would do it all in one go. It's just that I only have like, 12 GA/magazine-sized books and maybe 15 CGC, so having to get 4 boxes for those is a bit overkill 

[OrangeCrush]

3 hours ago, Cocomonkey said:

Okay, so roughly the same...good to know. Yeah, if I end up going this route (still trying to figure out how to store my books once my wife and I move into our new apartment and I lose my storage space), I would do it all in one go. It's just that I only have like, 12 GA/magazine-sized books and maybe 15 CGC, so having to get 4 boxes for those is a bit overkill 

You could always use them for storing other types of things, at least until you come to need an additional box for books/magazines. I don't know if you have any other collecting hobbies or not, but one could really store lots of different things in those boxes. Qualty storage boxes are something that I am always in need of. Or if you have any friends that also collect, you could see if they were interested in going in on a batch of boxes with you. Or if you have any comic shops in your area, you could always put forth the suggestion that you would like to see them start carrying Drawer Boxes. It certainly wouldn't hurt to throw that suggestion out there. It really is a shame that more comic stores don't carry Drawer Boxes as they really are hands down the highest quality cardboard storage boxes for comics. Its a shame you don't live near me as I could use 2 of those boxes myself right now so I would have definitely split an order with you.