Comic books are an important part of our culture, proving once more how desperately we need heroes and heroines to save the day for us, to keep us safe from the bad villains.
If you own a comic book collection, you know all too well what great fun it is to read and re-read those comics, the immense pleasure to marvel at them for hours on end.
Comics do not only have sentimental value, but they can also be rather expensive too, especially when they happen to be rare. And that’s exactly why you would do everything in your power to protect your serious investment when the time comes for you to move from one home to another.
Unless packed expertly, comic books may suffer serious and sometimes irreversible damage while on the road. To avoid that from ever happening to you, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the best tips for packing comic books for moving.
As a comics enthusiast, you just have to follow this step-by-step guide to packing comic books for a move.
Step 1. Pare down your comic book collection
Before you get to pack your comic books, ask yourself whether you still want to keep all of them. Remember that a house move is a perfect time to get rid of the comics you don’t need anymore or you don’t really like that much.
Do you happen to have any duplicates in your comic book collection? What about issues that have been severely damaged over time?
If you find comics that are not really adding any real value to your exclusive collection of comic books, then do consider selling those copies. In fact, selling off a few comics will make packing easier and will most likely bring in some cash you can add toward the moving budget.
See also: How to sell stuff online before moving
Step 2. Prepare the right packing materials
The truth is that comic books – like most collectibles – are very fragile. Oftentimes, they are very easy to tear, fold, crease, or stain if you’re not careful enough. And that is exactly why you’re going to need the right set of packing materials so that the expensive copies you own arrive in the new home perfectly intact.
Here are the high-quality materials you’ll need to gather to protect your comics when moving house:
- A backing board and a plastic sleeve for each comic;
- Cardboard sheets that are slightly larger than the comic books;
- Sturdy cardboard boxes or durable plastic storage boxes;
- Bubble wrap or packing paper;
- Painter’s tape;
- Regular packing tape;
- Paper labels or a marker pen;
- Special backing boards if you intend to store the comics for 5 years or more.
Once you’ve prepared the necessary packing materials, it’s time for the trickier part – to protect your comic books so that no harm comes to any of them during the house move.
Step 3. Board and bag each individual comic book
The very first step to packing comic books for moving is to give each issue the care it deserves. What does this mean in your case? You’re going to have to board each comic first and then bag it so that it stays safe during transport.
- POSITION a comic onto the glossy side of a backing board.
- PLACE the boarded comic book into a plastic sleeve.
- RUN your palm slowly and gently over the plastic sleeve from the bottom to the open part with the purpose of letting out any trapped air inside the bag. This will protect the comic book from the elements during the haul.
- SEAL the sleeve after you’ve made sure there are no air pockets – air that’s been trapped inside the plastic sleeve.
Step 4. Divide all comic books into stacks
The next step to packing comics for moving is to divide all comic books you’ve already secured into separate stacks. This step is necessitated by the fact that non-stacked comic books will be easier to rub against each other during transport, which could lead to potential damage.
- DIVIDE your entire comic book collection into separate groups of 4 issues in each stack.
Read also: Packing timeline for moving
Step 5. Sandwich each stack between two cardboard dividers
This step is all about protecting each individual stack consisting of 4 comic books.
- PLACE a cardboard divider – a cardboard cutout that is slightly larger than the comic books – on a flat surface, preferably onto a table.
- POSITION one stack (4 issues) of comic books onto the bottom cardboard divider.
- PLACE a second cardboard divider on top of the stack.
- USE painter’s tape to secure the top cardboard divider and the bottom cardboard divider so that the comic books remain sandwiched between the two cardboard cutouts. This way, your rare comics won’t slide around and crease inside the moving boxes.
- WRAP the entire stack in stretch wrap (Saran wrap) for maximum protection.
- REPEAT the packing steps above for each stack of comic books.
Keep in mind that completing this step will take some time but you’ll rest assured that your precious comic books are being transported as safely as possible.
Step 6. Arrange the stacks into a moving box
When packing comic books for a move, you’ll want to use sturdy and durable boxes that would not break under their own weight during transit.
- REINFORCE each cardboard box that will hold your valuable comics. Tape its bottom, and if needed – its sides as well.
- CREATE an insulating layer on the bottom of the box by placing a couple of sheets of bubble wrap or a few sheets of crumpled wrapping paper.
- TRANSFER the boarded, bagged, sandwiched, and plastic-wrapped stacks of comic books into the pre-insulated moving box, one by one.
- ARRANGE the stacks upright in the box, one next to the other.
- FILL in any remaining empty space inside the box with cushioning materials such as soft packing paper or bubble wrap, or both.
- LIFT and shake the box lightly – you should not feel any stacks moving inside the box. If you do, add more packing materials to fill the empty gaps fully so that the packed stacks of comic books cannot shift inside.
If you own a large collection of comic books, then you just have to divide those comics into several boxes so that you don’t end up with one or two moving containers that have become super heavy to lift and carry.
Also, feel free to use durable plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes to hold your valuable comics during the move.
Good advice: How to pack boxes for moving
Step 7. Seal and label the box or boxes
When you’re done filling up a box,
- CLOSE the lids of the moving container.
- SEAL the box with packing tape.
- LABEL it with COMICS and FRAGILE on at least two sides of the carton.
Keep your boxed comic books away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures when transporting them to the new home. It’s best if you move the comics-filled boxes in your own car so that you can keep an eye on them at all times. Remember that your collection of comic books is irreplaceable, so you should think twice before entrusting it to a moving company.
Good to know: How much does it cost to hire movers?
