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Collectibles StorageThere aren't really gold standards for storing anime merchandise and different collectors have different preferences. Below are some of my opinions on the storage methods I've tried. * marks the methods that I currently use. Will add pics later.
| shitajiki (individual boards) |
1. UltraPro Clear Sleeves (Silver Age)* PROS: archival quality sleeves that feel well-made; one version has a 3-hole binder spine to put into binders; recloseable sleeves to keep out dust with adhesive that doesn't gum up; perfect size fit for standard B5 sized boards CONS: meant for comic books so sleeves are not flush against the board surface; expensive; folding over the flaps then storing the boards stacked together makes the flap side uneven; not an option for non-B5 sized boards or slightly larger B5 boards 2. Clear sleeves (generic) PROS: perfect size and flush against the surface fit; comes in recloseable and open sleeves depending on your preference; economical; available in all standard shitajiki sizes (B5, B6, A4, A5) CONS: not archival quality and more likely to warp over time, possibly scuffing/scratching boards; adhesive on recloseable sleeves tend to be poorer quality and come off when reopened; open sleeves allow dust entry |
| shitajiki (multiple boards) |
1. Magazine/comic boxes* PROS: stores boards upright, which makes it easier to flip through a collection and add/remove/rearrange boards, and is better than stacking them, in terms of scratching/scuffing from boards rubbing together; consolidates larger collections; adds additional protection from dust since the boxes have lids CONS: makes sense for larger collections but not smaller; need place to store the boxes; most useful for B5 sized boards 2. 3-hole binders* PROS: when stored with the ring side on top, reduces friction between boards; easy to flip through and view a collection, fairly easy to add/remove/rearrange boards CONS: binders will warp over time from the weight of the boards, limit on number of boards that can be stored in one binder so not feasible for larger collections; only useful for B5 sized boards 3. Clear books (Kokuyo, Itoya, King Jim, etc)* PROS: may be archival quality; perfect size and flush against surface fit; easy to flip through and view collection; side entry (opening on inside spine) reduces dust entry; no need for boards to have an individual sleeve; available in all standard shitajiki sizes (B5, B6, A4, A5) CONS: may not be archival quality; shitajiki are thicker than what the books are intended to store so storing to the book's capacity will warp boards; limit on quantity that may be stored within one book so not as good for larger collections; may be hard to find in US, or expensive; harder to re-arrange boards; dust entry still possible |
| teleka (phone cards) | Name card holder books or binders will work nicely for these. I find the Japanese name card pockets to have the best fit and look, but generic name card holder books are probably perfectly fine. I leave the teleca in the plastic sleeves that each come in, and slip that into the name card holder binder pocket. |
| clear file | Currently have no great way to store these. I've yet to find a clear book that fits them well. Most are A4 sized and A4 sized clear books are slightly too small. I leave them in the plastic sleeves they come in, and store them like files in boxes. Easy to access and rearrange. |
| idol/lami cards | I buy the archival quality UltraPro nine-card 3-hole binder pages, and store 9 cards per page. They are a good fit for the lami and the pages fit into regular 3-hole binders. |
| postcards | I use Japanese postcard books, 2 cards per page size, similar to clear books. The one I use is side-loading to reduce dust and also comes with an additional hard plastic cover that you slip the binder into that further reduces dust. These have the most options in general, since there are plenty of postcard sized books out there (for photos). |
| binsen | Being paper and thus, the most fragile of my collectibles, I had the hardest time finding a good method for storing these. I'm currently using Japanese clear page binders that are B5 sized. Essentially like clear books, but they're binders and the pages are multiple hole-punched so it's easier to add/remove/rearrange binsen. These clear page binders are excellent, durable, and look great, but are very expensive. |
Created 04.07.2008 |