The Comic Book Bin Keeps Your Comics Upright

To store comic books and keep them safe, most collectors place each comic in an archival-safe bag along with a firm backing board to support the comic and protect the edges. The collection is then placed in a “short box”, holding about 150 bagged and boarded comics.

Storing comics has always had a challenge keeping the comics upright when the box is not full. If the is box is completely full, there’s no problem as the comics naturally keep themselves upright with the ends of the box supporting them. However, if the box is only partially full, the comics can topple over like a row of books without a bookend. Collectors can easily solve this problem by placing some comics sideways in the box or using another object as a bookend inside the box. Nonetheless, this issue has always been annoying to collectors.

The BCW Comic Book Bin solves this problem by keeping a partial collection upright at all times. The Bin is made from molded polypropylene panels that are snapped together (see the the second video below). This manufacturing process allows the Bin to have several features not possible with the traditional cardboard short comic box. The Bin uses special Comic Bin Partitions that fit into evenly spaced notches. The Comic Book Bin comes with one Partition. This Partition is movable, so you can use it as a bookend to keep a small collection of comics upright. As your collection grows, you can shift the Partition to the next slot, and so on, until your Comic Book Bin is full. If you want to fill all of the available slots with a Partition, packs of 3 extra Partitions can be purchased separately.

While you may find the Comic Book Bin assembled at your local comic shop, they are normally unassembled, coming in five panels and one partition. The panels snap together to make a sturdy bin. Please review the video below to see the simplest sequence to assemble the Bin.

The Comic Book Bin was designed to hold Current and Silver Age comic books in bags and boards. This includes Current and Silver BCW Archivals (Mylar bags) that are wider than normal polypropylene comic bags. The Bin is also large enough to hold Current or Silver Comic Book Toploaders. BCW Comic Book Dividers also fit under the lid.

Golden Age comics and graded comic books are too large for the Comic Book Bin. While BCW is considering making a Graded Comic Bin, our cardboard Graded Comic Boxes are our best solution for CGC/CBCS slabs at this time. We are also considering a Long Comic Book Bin, but at this time our cardboard Long Comic Boxes or corrugated plastic Long Comic Book Boxes are our best options. For magazines or Golden Age comics, our cardboard Magazine Box is BCW’s best storage solution. If you want to lobby for other products, or suggest product improvements, please comment below. We’re listening!

First Day Cover Collecting

A First Day Cover (FDC) is an envelope or postcard with a stamp that has been cancelled by the post office on the first day the stamp was issued. This traditionally involves getting a “First Day of Issue” postmark on the stamp on the respective date, however those rules have relaxed in the U.S., and now FDC collectors can send stamped envelopes to a Special Event Coordinator to get special “First Day of Issue” postmarks. Often first day of issue stamps are placed on special First Day Cover #6 envelopes or postcards, known as cachets, that commemorate the topic of the stamp.

American Circus First Day Cover

American Circus First Day Cover
Source: Larry Kellogg, www.worthpoint.com

Collecting First Day Covers is fun for stamp collectors as it requires some participation…

First, you must be aware of the release schedule for new stamps if you plan to collect new First Day Covers. This USPS site is a good reference for U.S. stamps. Previously released First Day Covers can be found at stamp stores, antique stores and online.

Second, there are numerous topics for stamps and First Day Cover cachets. If you have a favorite theme, such as bird stamps, collecting FDCs of that theme can be fun and rewarding.

Third, getting an envelope franked with a “First Day of Issue” postmark in only done at the post office (or a special postal station) in one location traditionally. Often there’s a First Day Ceremony for a new stamp design. So if a stamp depicts a historical event, the location related to the historical event may host a First Day Ceremony. As an example, The Batman themed First Day Cover below was available at US Post Offices on October 9th, 2014 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Caped Crusader. This stamp release was coordinated with the New York Comic Con, where the Post Office established a temporary postal station, Gotham City Station. Parcels cancelled at Gotham City Station received a special pictorial postmark, adding another interesting aspect for stamp collectors. As a service to stamp collectors not attending the New York Comic Con, the USPS allowed customers to mail envelopes or postcards with the adhered Batman stamp to a Special Event Coordinator in New York City and then the stamps receive the special First Day of Issue postmark and get mailed to the respective address.

Batman First Day Cover with pictorial postmark

Batman First Day Cover with pictorial postmark

BCW Supplies offer several items to protect, store and display First Day Cover envelopes and postcards. Select from sleeves, toploaders, and pages for 3-ring binders. See all of BCW’s Postcard and Envelope Supplies.

Custom FDC with Perseverance on Mars stamp
A custom drawn FDC with a Perseverance on Mars stamp