This can be an ongoing thread for tips/tricks/ideas to improve the organization of a comic collection.
BUT, the primary question I have for you all is how do you handle volumes? While I love the organizational aspect of this hobby, I also hate spending money on supplies. Dividers aren’t cheap. Do you use a different divider for every volume? Some other brilliant system? Or do you just throw all of your books in a heap in the corner like some kind of cave person?!!?
Ugh. My least favorite question is how do you handle volumes. So I just did a massive reorganization project switching to short boxes and combining all my books down in alpha numeric order. So for me, series like ASM that seem to switch back and forth between legacy numbering and new #1’s, I organize them by volume unless they have legacy numbering then they all go into volume one. Does that make sense? So even volumes that switch between new numbering and legacy numbering, I only count the legacy numbering towards the original run. Now volumes like the second series that had new numbering and legacy numbering are all sorted by the new numbering.
Also. I don’t use dividers. I do however use cardboard inserts I get from some stores when they ship out books.
ASM is the perfect example for how @$%^$&$%& irritating volumes can be. My collection has grown in size enough that the organizer in me feels the need to solve this damn volume problem. Of course, Marvel wants 5-issue volumes for everything now, so that will further complicate things.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is when you’re actively adding to your collection leave room in the boxes for the new incoming stuff. I try and leave at least a 1/3 of each box empty.
Another thing is to keep it up to date. You don’t want to go looking for that hot book and have to go through dozens of boxes to find it. It may take so long that the book cools off before you find it.
Keep up with organization. I work in a very seasonal industry and struggle to keep up in spring through fall. It becomes a daunting task to catch up with once winter rolls around. I don’t do volumes. Everything is alphabetized and in order from oldest to current. I put all one shots and minis behind that. That way I don’t care about legacy numbering and suck. Main titles are always in order of date released. Mini series and one shots follow in alphabetical order by title after main series.
To keep everything organized and easy to find, I first sort everything alphabetically by publisher. Within each publishers section, I again sort alphabetically by title. If there are titles with multiple volumes, I sort chronologically by volume, not issue number. Everything in alphabetical order, then chronologically within each subsection, best way I have found.
I use comic dividers to separate volumes of a title, for one shots or any mini-series they go in one section of the titles box with a divider labeled Misc. I also leave space in my boxes to add books. Every box is labeled, and if you go in my CLZ each comic is linked to the correct storage box. I’ve followed this for just over 9,000 books so far and it’s worked for me.
My comics are a huge mess of disorganization. If I were to put them in a better order I would handle different volumes by putting all the amazing Spider-Man in chronological printing order. Then it’s less confusing when you have volume two before it reverts back to legacy numbering and so forth.
So I’m planning on switching over my shelving that I store most of my comics on. Currently I have these….
I mean they’re highly adjustable, easily assembled & can hold a lot of weight. I can fit four longboxes on each shelf. The drawback is whenever I pull a longbox off it rubs against the wire ribs and knocks paper particles all over. Though I am switching over to plastic bins it’ll be awhile before everything’s switched over.
I’ve done a number of flooring projects in my house so I have plenty of scrap/extras. I place my left overs (hardwood planks or laminate strips) on the shelves so I can easily slide the boxes around.
Hardwood also helps distribute the weight so the shelves don’t sag over time.
THIS. Buy some smooth wood sheets (is it still called masonite?). That will solve your sliding problem completely. I have similar shelves and have done the same.
Maybe cut a piece of wood or plastic to cover the shelf with?
I appreciate and find it funny everyone recommended the same thing basically. I had a similar thought myself.
