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How do you store your slabs?
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167 posts in this topic

I currently have a BCW graded comic book bin to hold my slabs. I cover each book in a 2 mil Mylar graded bag with a flap, and use painters' tape to hold the flap down.

When using the Mylar bags they create a very tight squeeze in the container and obviously take up more room.

I was considering using the 2 mil polypropylene resealable bags since they are more pliable, a flap-less bag, or just leaving them bare. The slabs anyway have to be replaced after every decade no (along with the chamber inserts)?

What have all of you found to be the most convenient and practical when storing your slabs?

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6 hours ago, Ovrclck said:

Yep! With flaps, just like you I also use painters tape to hold the flap down.

Spine down is preferred.

 

Linky

According to the links CGC says:

Quote

So what does the CGC say about the matter?

 

In short, they support the traditional vertical storage method:

 

"We suggest that all graded comics be stored as you would any other comic, standing upright in an archival safe comic box in a cool dry place."

 

- Wm. Eric Downton, CGC Receiving Manager

I think I'll stay with vertical lol.

2 hours ago, Ride the Tiger said:

Slabs are all upright in a magazine sized box.

Which magazine box do you use?

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1 minute ago, Ovrclck said:

It's all good. It's your books. Do as you please :)

Question, since you're using the Mylar with the flaps, do you also have to bend the flap over and a little bit of the body of the Mylar over the slab? For example I find the slab is a little shorter then the actual body (excluding the flap) of the Mylar.

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6 minutes ago, AngelClaudio said:

Question, since you're using the Mylar with the flaps, do you also have to bend the flap over and a little bit of the body of the Mylar over the slab? For example I find the slab is a little shorter then the actual body (excluding the flap) of the Mylar.

I use 914M2 from E.Gerber. 

Yep! I try to make sure it's folded over neatly. Sometimes I get too OCD and end up doing it a few times. xD

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3 minutes ago, Ovrclck said:

I use 914M2 from E.Gerber. 

Yep! I try to make sure it's folded over neatly. Sometimes I get too OCD and end up doing it a few times. xD

Yea I see the 914M2 is 9 x 14 1/4 - I use the BCW graded Mylars which are 9 x 14 1/4 as well. There should be one out there that's either the same height or slightly shorter than the slab so that only the flap is going over the slab neatly. I'll have to research this, because when you fold over the flap and some of the body of the Mylar, it gets all crumpled and like you said you have to do it a few times.

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1 minute ago, AngelClaudio said:

Yea I see the 914M2 is 9 x 14 1/4 - I use the BCW graded Mylars which are 9 x 14 1/4 as well. There should be one out there that's either the same height or slightly shorter than the slab so that only the flap is going over the slab neatly. I'll have to research this, because when you fold over the flap and some of the body of the Mylar, it gets all crumpled and like you said you have to do it a few times.

haha yeah it does tend to get a bit crumpled up. Let me know what you uncover as now I'm curious. 

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14 minutes ago, Ovrclck said:

haha yeah it does tend to get a bit crumpled up. Let me know what you uncover as now I'm curious. 

So according to this link from this thread: https://www.cgccomics.com/boards/topic/406908-graded-comic-bags/

I came upon this product which is 9 x 13 1/2 w/ 2” flap, so It's basically 3/4 of an inch shorter (product no. 238): https://secure.bcemylar.com/graded_comics.cfm

I tried to find a picture of the BCE 238 but only found someone posted a pict on it with the older CGC slab: https://forum.cbcscomics.com/topic/2190/page/1/good-mylar-for-the-new-cbcs-and-cgc-slabs/

The dimension seems to work though, probably will try them out.

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Just do not store your products in a fireproof / fire resistant safe.  Big thread on that with some horror stories of exactly the same brand I own.   So switched to a larger safe that is not fireproof.  Basically a strong metal box with a keypad lock that I bolted to the floor.  Will stop the average grab-and-go thief but I also have an alarm and the safe is in an unusual location, tough to find.

Always laid my slabs down.  Never considered putting them spines down.  What is the benefit of that?

Edited by BladeTX
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19 minutes ago, BladeTX said:

Just do not store your products in a fireproof / fire resistant safe.  Big thread on that with some horror stories of exactly the same brand I own.   So switched to a larger safe that is not fireproof.  Basically a strong metal box with a keypad lock that I bolted to the floor.  Will stop the average grab-and-go thief but I also have an alarm and the safe is in an unusual location, tough to find.

Always laid my slabs down.  Never considered putting them spines down.  What is the benefit of that?

Yeah I have a horror story with that as well - I had several documents and cash with mold in a couple months. After that incident I was done with safes, I can't take the risk of having to monitor humidity and maintain it.

In the future I was just going to get like a locker or some cage and put them in an inconspicuous location as you, not as secure as a fire\water proof safe but camera surveillance with speakers and an alarm should make it an undesirable spot as well

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OP - I wrote a gigantic article about this. You might be able to find it through the search function or google. It's basically just a meta-analysis - a consensus of what paper storage experts suggest.  

I use the same method that you do. I am quite happy with the slabs sitting inside of E. Gerber Mylar, and those resting inside the BCW comic bin. The only difference is that I use two-sided, acid-free tape to seal the Mylar. In my opinion, that method is about as good as it gets. I really like the bins. 

 

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2 hours ago, AngelClaudio said:

Yeah I have a horror story with that as well - I had several documents and cash with mold in a couple months. After that incident I was done with safes, I can't take the risk of having to monitor humidity and maintain it.

In the future I was just going to get like a locker or some cage and put them in an inconspicuous location as you, not as secure as a fire\water proof safe but camera surveillance with speakers and an alarm should make it an undesirable spot as well

Yeah, this safe is 2.3 cu feet (twice the size of my Fireproof) and you can fit the books flat so it holds a lot.  I'm only putting the valuable ones in a safe.   Just have to pray we never have a fire.

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This is a picture of someone's prized Hulk 181 CGC 9.8 after 3 years in a Sentry Safe Fireproof safe.   He did not check on it.  So I got my books out of there as fast as I could (they were in there about a year, no noticeable damage that I can see).  Some sort of chemical reaction with the staple through the slab.  The seller tells the story in an 11 page thread, eventually buying a cheap 181 to have authentic staples, had them replaced but had to live with a green label 9.8 after that.   Brings tears to my eyes...

Hulk_181_Safe_Damage.jpg

Edited by BladeTX
Fixed incorrect safe name
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2 hours ago, newshane said:

OP - I wrote a gigantic article about this. You might be able to find it through the search function or google. It's basically just a meta-analysis - a consensus of what paper storage experts suggest.  

I use the same method that you do. I am quite happy with the slabs sitting inside of E. Gerber Mylar, and those resting inside the BCW comic bin. The only difference is that I use two-sided, acid-free tape to seal the Mylar. In my opinion, that method is about as good as it gets. I really like the bins. 

 

I am a newbie here.  What is a BCW bin?  I bought some plastic CGC holder boxes that store about 25 each.  Is that safe?  This is for the books that are not locked up.   It too use sealed mylar with the edges sealed.

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