Nov
19

How to Store Comic Books and Baseball Cards

If you're planning to store comic books or baseball cards, you want to make sure you're doing it the right way. Otherwise, you could end up with items that are losing a lot of their value due to moisture, excessive heat, or other issues. It's all too common that someone has a nice collection of items, but they become damaged over time due to sunlight, moisture, or other problems with the way they were stored. Here's how to properly keep those baseball cards and comic books stored, safely and securely.

Valuing Comic Books and Baseball Cards

The Certified Guarantee Company (CGC) is the main grading company for comic books. There are also similar types of companies that grade baseball cards, as well. Ratings are generally given to both cards and books that are for sale. Comic books are rated on a 1-10 scale, and baseball cards have a rating scale which indicates the condition and quality of the cards on an individual basis, too. The condition of these items can make a significant impact on whether they can be sold to another collector.

The Do's and Don't's of Comic Book and Baseball Card Storage

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to safely store cards and comic books, so they can keep their quality and value for a long time to come. If they're kept at the right temperature and humidity levels, they can stay in great condition for many years. But if they're not kept protected, they can be damaged by the elements and end up worth a fraction of the value they might have otherwise accumulated. For storing these kinds of items, the treatment of them and their environment are both key areas.

For Cards and Comic Books, Do:

• • Keep the temperature between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
• • Keep the humidity level as consistently close to 50% as possible.
• • Use an archival safe comic box or other protective container.
• • Store the books and cards standing upright.
• • Use plastic protective covers and cardboard backing.

If you do all of those things, your collection will be more easily preserved. Whether you plan to keep it forever and will it to your heirs someday, or you want to sell it when it appreciates in value, making sure it's in the best possible shape should be one of the main things you focus on. Following these tips can help with that, which will make it easier for you to decide what to do with your collection in the future.

When Considering Proper Storage, Don't:

• • Put boxes directly onto the floor.
• • Stack cards or comic books on top of one another.
• • Expose comic books or baseball cards to a lot of light.
• • Store them in a basement or attic.

A lot of people just stack up their comic books and baseball cards, and put them up in the attic in a box, or down in the basement in a storage tote. The temperature and humidity differences in those areas can be far more significant than they are in the main living areas of the house, though, which can cause serious damage for sensitive items. You can avoid the dry, brittleness caused by attic heat, and the musty dampness caused by basement storage, by finding the right location for your items.

Choose Climate Controlled Storage for Your Valuable Items

A climate controlled storage unit is the best place to keep your baseball cards and comic books. You might not have considered that as an option before, but it's a safe and efficient way to keep your items protected. When you choose climate control, you're getting a temperature and humidity range that works for paper goods, and can reduce the chances that they'll get too warm, become brittle, or get damp and musty when they're stored. Often, they're stored for years, which means they need a very safe location.

Your house might seem like a great place for that storage. Maybe you have a spare bedroom with a big closet, or you have other types of storage solutions that seem like good options. But unfortunately, even those kinds of spaces are subject to issues and problems. A pipe could burst in the wall behind the bathroom shower, or the washer, and potentially flood that closet where you stored things. You could have a fire in your home. It's often better to store important collections off-site, for safety and security.

Reduce Your Risk With Safe Storage Options

There's no plumbing in a storage unit, so you don't have that same risk of water damage. Many of them are also made of metal and other products that reduce the risk of fires. You'll also have the benefit of security, and of knowing that your baseball cards and comic books are being kept in a place that's solid and strong. You can check on them, sell some, add to them, or show them to other people just about any time you want to. But they won't be taking up that extra space you have in your home, either.

Don't settle for sticking your baseball cards in the attic, or your comic books in the basement. When you use a storage unit with good climate control for these kinds of collections, you protect your investment and give yourself more peace of mind. Whether you're focused on building up your collection over time, selling it in its entirety, or selling items one by one, having a secure storage unit you can work from can also be beneficial. You can categorize and sort your collection, in privacy and comfort.

Climate controlled spaces can be chosen in a lot of different sizes, and some are stricter about temperature and humidity levels than others. Looking for just the right place may take some time, but you want to be sure you have what you need. Depending on the size of your baseball card or comic book collection, you may want to choose a locker-sized space. For big collections, though, a larger unit could be a much better option. Then you can move things around and find what you need, especially for selling.

You can find storage that meets your needs and goals, when you choose a climate controlled option for your baseball cards and comic books. Because anything made of paper can degrade over time, the best defense against those kinds of problems is a good offense. Keeping your items at the right temperature and humidity levels is the most important way to make sure they're going to be in good shape for the long term.

By: Lee Preston
Lee is the Director of Marketing and Promotion for EZstorit.com. When she is not working with our storage facilities partners, she is writing about topics that affect our daily lives.