Storing Slabbed Comics? 0

[theCapraAegagrus]

My apologies if this has been asked-and-answered recently.

What is the best method of storing graded books that aren't being displayed? Right now I only have a few, and they're still in their boxes they were shipped in, but I plan on collecting a LOT more. Is there a type of box out there that fits them perfectly (for folders, etc)? Should they be standing up? Lying flat?

Thanks for any feedback!

[Keys_Collector]

42 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

My apologies if this has been asked-and-answered recently.

What is the best method of storing graded books that aren't being displayed? Right now I only have a few, and they're still in their boxes they were shipped in, but I plan on collecting a LOT more. Is there a type of box out there that fits them perfectly (for folders, etc)? Should they be standing up? Lying flat?

Thanks for any feedback!

There are short boxes that are the correct dimensions to place the graded comics into.  HotFlips and BCW are a couple of examples.

[theCapraAegagrus]

15 hours ago, Keys_Collector said:

There are short boxes that are the correct dimensions to place the graded comics into.  HotFlips and BCW are a couple of examples.

Awesome, thanks!

[MadripoorNights]

Bags Unlimited also has some plastic boxes I like.  You can get BCW on Amazon, but it's worth grabbing a five pack instead of singles.  Shipping kills it, so getting more at once makes sense.

[valiantman]

Just a common sense reply... ignore the CGC boxes.  These are comics being held (in most cases) by the front and back cover with the insides "dangling".  You'll want to lay them flat or put them spine-down to keep the interior pages from pulling on the staples.  The CGC boxes are pretty, but they don't overcome gravity.  (Yes, you could load up a CGC box and then lay it spines down.)

[The Lions Den]

5 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Just a common sense reply... ignore the CGC boxes.  These are comics being held (in most cases) by the front and back cover with the insides "dangling".  You'll want to lay them flat or put them spine-down to keep the interior pages from pulling on the staples.  The CGC boxes are pretty, but they don't overcome gravity.  (Yes, you could load up a CGC box and then lay it spines down.)

Have you noticed a problem with storing them upright for a long period of time? I've stored them in a variety of ways, so I'm just wondering if you've experienced more problems with storing the books upright...thanks for any insight...

[valiantman]

Just now, The Lions Den said:

9 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Just a common sense reply... ignore the CGC boxes.  These are comics being held (in most cases) by the front and back cover with the insides "dangling".  You'll want to lay them flat or put them spine-down to keep the interior pages from pulling on the staples.  The CGC boxes are pretty, but they don't overcome gravity.  (Yes, you could load up a CGC box and then lay it spines down.)

Have you noticed a problem with storing them upright for a long period of time? I've stored them in a variety of ways, so I'm just wondering if you've experienced more problems with storing the books upright...thanks for any insight...

Yes, there are books that are clearly pulling at the staples.  They usually show some of the interior pages below the front edge of the cover.  There's a hole above the staples since the interior has pulled the staples down.

[valiantman]

Here's an example...

See how the interior pages are peeking out from the bottom.  It's because the cover is held but the interior pages are essentially free to "move around in there"... down, in the case of gravity.

(Ignore the white showing on the right edge, that's just the microchamber paper that CGC adds.  It's the bottom edge that shows the problem.)

Edited August 31, 2018 by valiantman

[The Lions Den]

9 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Here's an example...

See how the interior pages are peeking out from the bottom.  It's because the cover is held but the interior pages are essentially free to "move around in there"... down, in the case of gravity.

(Ignore the white showing on the right edge, that's just the microchamber paper that CGC adds.  It's the bottom edge that shows the problem.)

Thank you very much for the information and photo. One thing I notice is that the book doesn't appear to be resting on the bottom edge of the inner well. Have you tried gently tapping the case so the book rests snugly on the bottom of the inner well? Perhaps that would help to alleviate the problem...

[valiantman]

2 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

Thank you very much for the information and photo. One thing I notice is that the book doesn't appear to be resting on the bottom edge of the inner well. Have you tried gently tapping the case so the book rests snugly on the bottom of the inner well? Perhaps that would help to alleviate the problem...

It's possible, but it's also possible that tapping on the book will move the interior pages further down. 

I store my slabs spine down on bookshelves.  I can read the top label, there's no stacking, and gravity can rest the interior pages against the spine.  It's a win-win-win.

[Professor K]

Hi. This topic has got me thinking now, and a little worried.

When I get a CGC comic I wipe it with a super soft cloth I have. Then I scan it in my over sized scanner. Then I put it in a 1.6 mm re-sealable mylar.

I  store my CGC's in heavy CGC boxes designed for their comics. They even say CGC on them.

But they are upright in the box. Is that actually not good? Can gravity actually hurt the comic even though it is inside the inner plastic inside the slab?

 

[Sky1]

On 8/31/2018 at 7:41 PM, kc2112 said:

Hi. This topic has got me thinking now, and a little worried.

When I get a CGC comic I wipe it with a super soft cloth I have. Then I scan it in my over sized scanner. Then I put it in a 1.6 mm re-sealable mylar.

I  store my CGC's in heavy CGC boxes designed for their comics. They even say CGC on them.

But they are upright in the box. Is that actually not good? Can gravity actually hurt the comic even though it is inside the inner plastic inside the slab?

 

Well this thread is a eye opener, wow.  So storing the books vertically in the standard CGC boxes is actually bad for them?  Anyone else have any problems?  This sucks because storing them vertically is the most practical and convenient method for me.

Can anyone recommend boxes that allow them to be stored flat or as was suggested spine down?  If I were to do it for my current boxes I'd only manage to put away like 10, lol.

[silverweb]

Thanks,  Valiantman. You make a reasonable argument for flat storage. However, due to space considerations, I will only store my most valuable CGC books in that manner. And in fireproof material. Even if a staple hole gets a little larger, it still has the CGC grade. 

Valiantman, Can you show us another example or two?

[The Lions Den]

1 hour ago, Sky1 said:

Well this thread is a eye opener, wow.  So storing the books vertically in the standard CGC boxes is actually bad for them?  Anyone else have any problems?  This sucks because storing them vertically is the most practical and convenient method for me.

Can anyone recommend boxes that allow them to be stored flat or as was suggested spine down?  If I were to do it for my current boxes I'd only manage to put away like 10, lol.

This is one of the reasons I was concerned to hear this. Most of the people I know store their slabbed books the same way (vertically). After reading this post, I went to see if any of my books had exhibited this problem. I noticed a few things:  1) None of my books showed any sign of having this problem.  2) About half of my books have a wedge at the bottom or the side of the inner holder, which should (in theory) keep the book from drifting downward inside the inner well (it seems like it'd be extremely difficult for the book to move downward if there's a wedge at the bottom of the inner holder).  3) Of the books that didn't have a wedge, every one of them but one was resting snugly on the bottom edge of the inner well. I believe this could be a key factor in helping to prevent this "drifting-down" phenomenon from happening.  4) The one book that didn't have a wedge and wasn't resting on the bottom edge of the inner well was coerced into the desired position. This was accomplished by firmly grasping the holder at the top with one hand, and gently tapping the bottom edge of the holder with the palm of my other hand until the book rested snugly against the bottom edge of the inner well. (Please exercise caution if attempting this procedure---if you hit the holder too hard or the pages have already drifted down, you could damage the book. If this seems too risky, by all means just store them the way Valiantman suggested---it's all about what you're comfortable with and what makes you happy).  5) Since most of my slabbed books are magazine-sized, I was concerned they'd be even more susceptible to damage than comic books (they're 40- 50 years old and heavier than most comics). I'll continue to monitor them very closely, but at this point I don't anticipate any problems. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by The Lions Den

[theCapraAegagrus]

A lot of good feedback for this topic. Thanks everyone!

The concern(s) about vertical storage is something I would have never even considered before.

[valiantman]

On 9/2/2018 at 2:15 PM, silverweb said:

Thanks,  Valiantman. You make a reasonable argument for flat storage. However, due to space considerations, I will only store my most valuable CGC books in that manner. And in fireproof material. Even if a staple hole gets a little larger, it still has the CGC grade. 

Valiantman, Can you show us another example or two?

Thankfully, no, I can't show another example from my collection.  I was made aware of the problem by a submitter who kept receiving similar books to the one that I posted.  He began a special-request for the inner well and bottom spacer so that the problem wouldn't continue, but I think CGC's standard was to exclude the inner well for a lot of modern books for several years.  I think books without the inner well are the main ones at risk, since the "pinch" that holds them in place is on the edges of the cover.  Slabs with an inner well (which are thicker than the book) shouldn't have any "pinch" on the cover itself, since the inner well is the thickest part.  If there's an inner well that's thinner than the comic, then the cover is being "pinched" and there's a potential for damage.

Here's how I store my slabs.  Staples down, top label out... easy to read, sort, find whatever I'm looking for.

Edited September 4, 2018 by valiantman

[Bomber-Bob]

I've been aware of this for a long while. Upon receiving a new slab, I always inspect it for problems inside the well. If I see a situation like Valiantman describes, I store that book flat, horizontal. I've bought some smaller boxes from the Container Store that can hold 4 or 5 slabs to put them in. I then stack these boxes. As the Lion  pointed out, most books either have a wedge or are laying at the bottom edge. These are store vertically. I also try to gently tap them to the bottom but if they don't move, I don't force the situation.  In general, I don't see this situation often but I do see it. If there is noticable damage, usually a staple tear, I will either send the book back to CGC or return to the seller. IMO, it's all under the SCS(Shaken Comic Syndrome) umbrella.

[newshane]

I've done a ton of research on this topic. The results can be found by following the link below. I wish I could convince the board mods to "sticky" my response, as this is a fairly common topic. 

STORAGE

PS - you might want to scroll up and down. My info is divided into different sections. 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by newshane

[valiantman]

On 9/4/2018 at 11:58 AM, newshane said:

I've done a ton of research on this topic. The results can be found by following the link below. I wish I could convince the board mods to "sticky" my response, as this is a fairly common topic. 

STORAGE

PS - you might want to scroll up and down. My info is divided into different sections. 

 

You think the board should "sticky" that you think it doesn't matter? 

[newshane]

2 hours ago, valiantman said:

You think the board should "sticky" that you think it doesn't matter? 

Is that all I said?