The next step will be finding a comfortable storage space for your comic books. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind for secure storage before you construct or purchase shelves, comic boxes/cubes, stor-folio’s, top loaders, etc. That way you can plan ahead, and find a great place to build your collection, with room to grow.

• Store your comics in a dry, cool, dark location, where humidity and temperature don’t often fluctuate. 70 degrees F, or below, is ideal, with no more than 50-60% relative humidity. Interior closets are great places to store comics if available. Basements or underground floors aren’t recommended for storage purposes, due to potential flooding, being crushed by falling debris from above, and/or damp, mildewy conditions. If you must store comics in a basement, place them several feet off the floor to help avoid ground water, and so that heavier objects aren’t mistakingly placed on top of them. Also, placing your comic boxes or comic-folio’s inside plastic bags or containers is a great way to provide extra protection, and keep out water.
• Keep comics out of sunlight. Sunlight can react with the paper, causing it to “yellow”, as well as having a bleaching effect on the inks used on the cover and interior pages.
• Don’t store comics in safes. There’s evidence that the fireproofing chemicals can travel through the mylar and cause quicker deterioration of the comics.
• Acid-free cardboard is best for any storage boxes used.
• Silver Age and earlier comics are more susceptible to yellowing and deterioration, due to the type of paper they were printed on.
• Remember to properly research your comics sizes and dimensions, so that they safely fit in your comic boxes, comic-folio’s, etc.
• Check up on your comics regularly. Look for bleeding of colors onto the boards, yellowing, mold or mildew. If you find any problems, especially mold or mildew, remove the comics immediately, set them out to air dry, and check on them again in several days. If you still notice mold or mildew on the comics, after re-bagging and re-boarding, it may be best to dispose of them, if you’re able to re-find those issues. If not, at least remove them from contact from the rest of your collection, because mold and mildew can migrate through even mylar over time, and infect the rest of your collection thats in close proximity. Remember, even the top-of-the-line bags and boards are still no substitute for proper tender, love and care of your comics.
• Use Comic Dividers to help organize your comics if you’re housing several different series in one comic box or drawer. You can label the top of the divider with the name of a certain comic or series so it’s easy to find.
• Use a computer program to file your comics, so you have an organized database to keep track of your collection.