Tag Archives: Book

Printed Comic Book Boxes

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Although white comic boxes are the standard for protecting and storing comic book collections, there are now several great options for colorful, printed comic book boxes. Until recently, finding a printed comic box was rare.  A Little Shop of Comics in New Jersey had the Marvel box seen below in their collection. This Marvel Comic Book Collection Box was offered by the Collectors Marketing Corp. in 1989.

Marvel Printed Comic Book Box
Marvel Comic Book Collection Box, Collectors Marketing Group, 1989

BCW Supplies now prints several designs of comic book boxes. These are all based on the BCW Short Box which can hold 150-175 bagged and boarded comic books and are made from a strong cardboard with double thickness on the ends and bottom of the box.

BCW produces a full line of printed comic boxes. We not only use original designs, but also collaborate with publishers to make boxes based on their properties. We continue to add more designs, so make sure to check the full list of BCW printed Short Comic Boxes.

See all BCW comic book boxes.

Four Methods for Displaying Comics on a Wall

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BCW offers several options for displaying your favorite comics on the wall. Which of the four methods below is best for your needs?

BCW Comic Book Toploaders
Current Size: 1-TLCH-COMIC | Silver Size: 1-TLCH-SIL | Golden Size: 1-TLCH-GOL
BCW Toploaders are designed for storing comics on a shelf or in a box, hence they do not have a hanging mechanism. However, with some simple MacGyvering, Comic Book Toploaders make an economical method for displaying comics on the wall. The simplest method is adhering a BCW Hang Tab on the back of the toploader and hanging over a flat tack or nail. Adhesive backed flat magnets or Velcro work great in many instances. You can also look in the hardware aisle at your local home center or craft store to find hanging systems from 3M and others.

Comic toploaders with various adhesives

BCW Snap-It
1-BCW-SI-CB-BLK
The BCW Snap-It is a modular system designed to create an attractive display for your comic books.

BCW Comic Book Showcase
Current Size: 1-CBS-CUR | 1-CBS-CUR-UV | Silver Size: 1-CBS-SIL | 1-CBS-SIL-UV
The BCW Comic Book Showcase has a crystal clear cover that snaps over a black, wall mountable back. They’re available in standard and UV Protection varieties.

BCW Comic Book Frame
Current Size: 1-CBF-CUR | Silver Size: 1-CBF-SIL | Golden Size: 1-CBF-GOL
The BCW Comic Book Frame is an attractive black frame with a glass front. Your comic is neatly displayed in a mat border you can easily access from the rear.

Improved BCW Comic Boxes

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BCW Short and Long Comic Boxes

The new BCW Short and Long Comic Boxes

In our continuing effort to provide you with the highest quality, most cost effective hobby supplies, we made some improvements to the BCW Short Comic Box and Long Comic Box. We have improved the design so they fold together easier and the corners are clean and square. This was accomplished by changing the corrugated double-wall construction from a combination of B and C flutes to a combination of B and E flutes. Additional benefits of the new designs are that bundles of the new boxes occupy less space, and the E flute on the outer wall provides for a much smoother surface.

Prior to implementing the design change, we ran two separate tests using samples of the BCW Short Comic Box in both configurations. Below are the results of those tests.

Original Design Flute Sample A Sample B
ECT B/C Flute 62 kN/m 51 kN/m
Mullen B/C Flute 241 psi 250 psi
New Design Flute Sample A Sample B
ECT B/E Flute 63 kN/m 51 kN/m
Mullen B/E Flute 245 psi 253 psi

The ECT, or Edge Crush Test, is a laboratory test method that is used to measure the cross-direction crushing of a sample of corrugated paperboard. It gives information on the ability of a particular board construction to resist crushing and is expressed in kilonewtons per meter (kN/m).

The Mullen test is used to measure the bursting strength of corrugated paperboard and is usually expressed in pounds per square inch (psi). Mullen tests are performed for each side of the paperboard, and the bursting strength is expressed as the average of both sides.

As you can see from the test results above, there is very little difference between the flute combinations in terms of edge crush or burst strength which is why we decided to take advantage of the benefits of the new design.

We are also adding UPC codes to each of our boxes, including the Short Comic Box and Long Comic Box, to support our customers who have point-of-sale systems, and for those who have integrated systems for warehouse, shipping, and receiving applications. Easy to follow instructions for the assembly of the Short Comic Box and Long Comic Box are now printed on the bottom panel and are hidden from view once the boxes are constructed.

What’s Behind BCW Comic Book Backing Boards?

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BCW comic book backing boards

If your goal is to preserve your comics for years to come or if you want to keep your comics in mint condition as an investment, BCW offers several methods to protect, store and display your comics. While there are more elaborate methods of storing comics, let’s focus on the most common method – bagging and boarding. The combination of bags and boards is a trusted method by collectors of comics and is a cost effective way to protect an entire collection. BCW offers bags made of polypropylene and Mylar. Both are acid free, archival quality materials. Let’s narrow our discussion even further to backing boards. To keep your comic books in mint condition, you don’t want any old cardboard stored with your comics. BCW backing boards have special qualities that make them ideal for preserving comics.

First, BCW offers backing boards in five main sizes: Modern, Current, Regular, Silver, and Golden Age comics. The Current Board is the most common size for today’s comics. Please see this chart to determine what size of backing boards is right for you.

Second, our boards are cut from 24 point stock. This heavy board weight provides a firm backing which resists warping and protects your comics while handling and storing these floppy collectibles.

Third, BCW backing boards are acid free. They get their white appearance from a bleached sulfate process which does not interact with your comics. While BCW backing boards are white, it is normal for the tint to slightly vary from various packs.

Lastly, the backing boards help preserve the comics by absorbing the residual acid that migrates from the comics. Most comic books have been printed on newsprint. This includes all comics printed prior to Modern Age, as well as some Modern Age comic books. This newsprint paper has been bleached with acid prior to printing, and some of the acid remains in the paper. As time passes, this acid will degrade the newsprint, affecting the quality of the paper and the inks. BCW boards have been buffered with calcium carbonate which neutralizes the acid that migrates from the comic. The coated side may be on one or both sides of the backing board. You can identify the coated side by the glossy finish of the board. When you insert your comic and board inside the bag, you’ll want the coated side of the board facing the comic. If the board is coated on both sides, either side will work great. It is recommended to replace the backing boards in your comic collection every three to five years to rid the acids that have migrated from the comics into the boards.

Of course there are other important considerations for preserving your comics. You will want to store them away from sunlight and in a cool, dry place because sunlight, heat, and moisture can directly damage the comics and accelerate the acid migration process, further damaging the comics. BCW offers several boxes and box dividers to help keep your comics safe and organized.

Learn more about BCW comic book products:
BCW Comic Book Backing Boards
BCW Comic Book Bags
BCW Comic Book Boxes
BCW Comic Book Displays
BCW Comic Book Accessories