How can I stop books from bending in storage? 1 1

[lostboys]

I recently took my raw collection out of long boxes because someone gave me a few beautiful wooden file cabinets.

I noticed many books had light spine bends. Nothing serious, no color breaks but still bothersome.

They are all bagged and boarded. They weren't laying back or leaning forward. I use bookends to keep them standing as straight as possible and I don't pack them too tight. The boxes were not stacked on top of each other.

Is this just unavoidable? Do I blame gravity? Should they lean back in the box as opposed to standing straight? Is there a way to keep the spines clean of bends?

 

[theCapraAegagrus]

I lay them flat, and alternate spines. Someone suggested this a long time ago and I have not seen any adverse effects.

[lostboys]

On 11/30/2021 at 10:30 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

I lay them flat, and alternate spines. Someone suggested this a long time ago and I have not seen any adverse effects.

In stacks?

Do you use long boxes and just stand the boxes on end instead of laying the boxes down down?

 

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 11/30/2021 at 10:53 AM, lostboys said:

In stacks?

Do you use long boxes and just stand the boxes on end instead of laying the boxes down down?

In stacks, yes.

I am a n00b who puts then in random boxes and has them on the floor next to my bookshelf.

[lostboys]

On 11/30/2021 at 11:10 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

In stacks, yes.

I am a n00b who puts then in random boxes and has them on the floor next to my bookshelf.

😆 I actually pictured a spare room without furniture but with waist high stacks of comics set up like a corn maze.

[csaag]

I had mine in long boxes and stored alternating front & backs and never had spine roll issues.

[lostboys]

On 11/30/2021 at 1:10 PM, csaag said:

I had mine in long boxes and stored alternating front & backs and never had spine roll issues.

I may try that technique.

It's not spine roll that's happening to mine though. It's very light bending of the spines that I'm dealing with. 

 

[csaag]

On 11/30/2021 at 1:16 PM, lostboys said:

I may try that technique.

It's not spine roll that's happening to mine though. It's very light bending of the spines that I'm dealing with. 

 

if you pack them tight enough then maybe you can get a poor man's press effect!

[MattTheDuck]

I read on here somewhere that you (should, might) alternate 5 top of book up and 5 bottom of book up in long boxes to help with storage problems. I have one of my boxes in this fashion but it hasn't been long enough to draw any conclusions from it yet.  Generally speaking, my boxes are packed pretty tightly so there's no real leaning going on in there.

[comicginger1789]

Two ways to prevent from my experience...

First, use short boxes. I have found they are better at preventing this as there arent as many comics squarshing or leaning on each other. 

Second, alternating the comics so the spine of one is facing the cover of another (have book facing back, following by book facing front and alternating). Annoying to flip through but if you are just storing them and rarely going through the box, it works and personally I don't mind this appraoch as I have labels on my backing boards so if I can see the cover, I can read the backing board info I have. 

 

[LowGradeBronze]

I have always used short boxes and like to be able to flip through easily, so they're not packed in too tight. To achieve that I use very stiff boards, around 2 or 3 in a box dividing the contents into thirds or quarters. Seems to work fine. No spine bend. Same approach would work well in a filing cabinet. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by LowGradeBronze

[lostboys]

On 11/30/2021 at 2:53 PM, LowGradeBronze said:

I have always used short boxes and like to be able to flip through easily, so they're not packed in too tight. To achieve that I use very stiff boards, around 2 or 3 in a box dividing the contents into thirds or quarters. Seems to work fine. No spine bend. Same approach would work well in a filing cabinet. 

Ahhhhhhh...a stiff board evey 25 or so comics sounds like the winner.

 

[Bob Troub]

On 11/30/2021 at 11:28 AM, lostboys said:

😆 I actually pictured a spare room without furniture but with waist high stacks of comics set up like a corn maze.

Edgar Church collection

[CHASEnBLUE]

On 11/30/2021 at 10:37 AM, MattTheDuck said:

I read on here somewhere that you (should, might) alternate 5 top of book up and 5 bottom of book up in long boxes to help with storage problems. I have one of my boxes in this fashion but it hasn't been long enough to draw any conclusions from it yet.  Generally speaking, my boxes are packed pretty tightly so there's no real leaning going on in there.

I have long boxes that are a few decades old and my general rule has been to place no more than 10 facing one way, then the next 10 face the opposite way, and so on. Of course, with thicker books this number decreases some. Some comic shop guy told me this back in the 80's and all those comics are still in the same shape they were when I put them there originally. Every 10 years or so I cycle through all of my boxes and re-bag and board each book.

Edited December 2, 2021 by CHASEnBLUE

[kimik]

I use the Comic Pro Line 56 pt boards for my GA/SA/BA, and more valuable CA and MA books. Works like a charm.

Their 28 pt boards work great for Moderns as well. The slight bit of extra cardboard and their stiffer bags make a difference.

Edited December 2, 2021 by kimik

[djzombi]

I've had my comics bagged and boarded in longboxes for decades and haven't had any noticeable issues...?