Holds a few hundred bagged comics upright.
Typical price
£15 to £25
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- £15 to £25
- Works with
Stores issues upright so spines stay straight. Sort by title and number and you find a sold issue in seconds.
Our approved alternative for the same job: Clear stackable 32 L tubs, 4 pack
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Back-issue stock that outgrows a shelf
A long box makes sense once your back issues no longer fit on a shelf. If you sell single comics on eBay or run comic shows on Whatnot, a few boxes sorted by title turn your spare room into a back-issue bin you can pick from in seconds.
One box holds a few hundred books, so 1,000 to 2,000 issues need four to eight boxes. Below 100 issues, a short box takes less floor space.
Board, lid and inside width
Corrugated cardboard with a separate lid and hand holes at each end is the standard build. A typical long box holds around 250 to 300 bagged current-size comics and measures roughly 27 inches long inside.
Measure the inside width against your largest bags. Silver Age and Golden Age bags run wider than current ones, and a box cut tight for modern books will crush their edges.
Plastic long boxes cost more, resist damp and stack higher. In a garage or loft, choose plastic or a sealed tub.
Filing runs so a pick takes seconds
File every comic upright, bagged and boarded, in title order and then issue number. Write the range on the box end, such as "Amazing Spider-Man 1 to 300", so you open the right box first time.
Fill each box until the books stand without slumping, with enough slack to flick through. A spare board makes a divider between titles; write the title along its top edge.
Add the box code to your listing notes, and a sale sends you straight to the right box.
Tubs, shelving and bags alongside the box
Clear stackable 32 L tubs, 4 pack, are the fallback. They seal out damp and dust, though comics stacked flat inside a tub pick up pressure dents; stand them upright with boards between titles.
5-tier steel shelving, 180 cm, holds long boxes off the floor, which protects them in a garage or ground-floor room that can take on water.
Comic bags and boards, 100 pack, come first: in a long box of unbagged books, covers rub and spines slump.
Lifting, stacking and damp
A full long box of a few hundred comics gets heavy. Lift it by both hand holes, and keep the boxes you pull from often at waist height. Cardboard boxes stack two or three high before the bottom one bows.
Radiators, damp walls and direct sunlight fade covers and soften cardboard, so keep boxes clear of all three. Once a box goes soft at the corners, it has lost its stacking strength.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- Five cardboard long boxes in one stack will crush the bottom one. Keep stacks to two or three, or move them onto shelving.
- Raise boxes on a shelf or pallet in a garage; on the bare floor, damp creeps into the bottom row.
- Books packed so tight they bow turn every pick into a struggle. A finger's width of slack fixes it.
- Without dividers, mixed titles turn a sale into a search, so add labelled board dividers between runs.
- Stand comics upright in the box. Lying flat puts stress on their spines.
Setups that use it
Complete kits this product is part of.
Questions
How many comics fit in a long box?
Around 250 to 300 bagged and boarded current-size comics, fewer if many are thick annuals.
Long box or short box?
A long box stores more per square metre of floor. A short box holds about half and is easier to lift, so it suits smaller collections and shelves.
Do Silver Age comics fit in a long box?
Most do. Measure the inside width against your wider bags first.
Can I post comics in a long box?
For a big bulk sale, yes, with the gaps filled and the lid taped down. For a handful of issues, use a smaller box or a stiff mailer.
Should I store long boxes in the loft?
Lofts swing between hot and cold and can be damp, which harms paper. A spare room or dry cupboard is safer.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
3,200-count card storage boxes
Sort singles by set and number with dividers, and you can pull a sold card without flicking through binders.
Typical price£10 to £18
See on AmazonClear stackable 32 L tubs, 4 pack
Label each tub with a shelf code and record the code against the listing. A sale then tells you which tub to open.
Typical price£30 to £45
See on AmazonHeavy-duty double clothes rail
Hanging stock stays uncreased, so it photographs and ships without ironing. A double rail fits along one wall of a spare bedroom.
Typical price£35 to £60
See on Amazon5-tier steel shelving, 180 cm
Floor space runs out before height does. Number the shelves and each item gets an address you can pick from.
Typical price£40 to £70
See on Amazon