A Collector's Journey - Organizing My Collection

Hi Dan
Organizing my collection
I have approximately 600 books ( and growing) as I am doing more buying then selling at this point.
Boxes:
1. I have one long box that contains Superman and Action Comics Volume One. That one is easy. A divider between the 2 series.
2. Batman Volume one: These take up one short box. Another easy fix
3. Additional Superman/Batman Volumes: These are in box #3 w/separators
4. Other Marvel/DC series: These are also in boxes with separators.
5. Single issues: I have a separate box for single issues or issues I have a small amount of. ( Also with separators)

Now here are some key points that really help with organizing/locating issues:

1. Each box is labeled on the outside: ( I use a label maker ( great investment)
Example: Superman Volume 1 or Superman Vol 2/Batman Vol 3 or Misc DC series or Misc Marvel series. ( if I can fit them I put the names of all the series ) I have quite a few misc Spiderman series so I have one box that is labeled : Misc Spiderman series

2. I got lucky for this next step. I have a nephew ( Nick) that is really into Marvel/ DC movies, etc
He was out of work and had some time on his hands so:
He created an inventory list on a word document that contains:
Each series title, issue number, publication year, description, # of copies I have, Grade ( if Graded) and Location ( box Name)

FYI: This list is valuable in many ways:
I can review my collection w/o pulling out any long boxes
I know exactly where to find physical copies ( box labels)
Once the main list is done very simple to add or delete issues as needed
If I ever decide to sell part or all of my collection I can easily share my inventory list.

3. CLZ Comic App:

This app really ties everything together. Check it out on the app store on your smart phone.
Quick description:
You type in a series name and volume
A list pops up with all the issues in the series
You check the ones that you have
For each comic it brings up:
A stock photo
All the specs on your issue you could ever want including story , characters, writer, artists, etc
You can also check out the FMV of each issue( if you know the grade): the app is connected to go collect comics
Very inexpensive 14.99 per year
Its got much more ( check it out)

So by adding steps 3 and 4 I can see/look through my entire collection w/o opening any boxes. Very convenient

Also, use any resources you may have to put this together.
Examples: My nephew typed up my inventory list
My son initially set up my collection in the app

Moving forward: My plan is to create a website showcasing my collection, blog posts, a weekly post ( by me) highlighting key issues. etc
And my dream: My own comic book shop............

• Great tips, thank you! I discovered the CLZ app and I love it. Please let me know when your website is created or even better when your shop opens! I bet you would make it a fun place to look around in.

I feel your pain. I’ve recently undergone the same undertaking and it hasn’t been easy. I’m trying to line up the volumes in order, and am having a hard time with the various Justice Leagues (Justice League vs JLA vs Justice League of America, etc!) I’m thinking of maybe trying to use software such as CLZ to help me out, but that would entail finding the time to enter all of them into it ;+P. So no easy answers from my end I’m afraid!

• I did discover the CLZ app and (as I'll note in a future post) found it easy to use. I'd recommend it!

I like you (Try) to keep a long box to one title. If it spills over maybe a short box if not I’ll label the outside as a reminder. Like Avengers then West Coast Avengers like that. Odd titles and mini series I put with the group or hero related to it. Anything else is marked xtra’s on a long box.

• Thanks for the comment. As you mention, we did it the same way... I just hate it when I'm only over by 30 books or so and have to drop them in a new box.

Great article. You touch the point.

I organize my comics by alphabetical order and issue, but when you talk about events or story-arcs I put them all together (again by by alphabetical order and issue).

I don't know if is the best way, but it is my way.

• Thanks Luis. I like the idea of alphabetical order a lot. Now I have to decide if I want to re-sort them to do that...

I place those odd issues that continue the story in order within the title I normally follow IF I know I won’t be buying the odd title on a regular basis. Where it gets messed up is if I DO buy that title on the reg. Then I either have to buy an additional copy or just know I have to go to another title to finish the story.

• I suppose that's why they do the crossovers to potentially get us interested in that other title. Curious... how often do you buy the additional copy to keep the storyline straight? I'd love to do that so when someone reads them it is a clean run, but fear I am too cheap...

I always keep the new comics away from the old stuff.(silver, golden age). They get the best care. The new comics like to go every which away but loose and continue on, on on,on. They ( comic company's ) love to cross over other titles in their stories to get more $ out of you. So if there a title I am collecting ( Batman) and goes in to saga mode, I keep all the cross-over's together, in the same box. I use the check list to keep it in order and tag the comicbag w/ what story and what order it goes in. That way I got the whole story when I reread it. There's no " where the hell did I put that book?". All mini series (Batman etc ) gets it own box. I also have a section "best stories" , keep it easy access. All my collection is logged on a computer showing what I have and don't have. If I have multiple copies and if any mini series is complete. Who put that book out . Anyways..yes it takes time but I know what I got and how many. Thanks for sharing.

• Thanks Anthony. I really like your "best stories" idea. Sometimes my daughter will ask for a great story and I have to sit and think about it.

I feel you on the relaunches - I'm facing the same problem. Also infuriating is retitles - especially with the damn XMen. Try this for figuring out volumes of Marvel books: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_Database. This one for DC: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Comics_Contents.

I also use Comic Collector software by Collectorz to check the cover art.

GOOD LUCK!

• Thanks Ken! Fandom is a great resource for researching characters, I never thought to use it for helping with Volumes!

I feel your pain. I use the CLZ Comics app to create tags so I know where they are in my collection. I am just an X-Men and particular Wolverine fan with over 3500 comics. I have another 1800 on my wish list. I have tags like X-Men, X-Men Mini, X-Men Other, and X-Men Spin-Offs. The rabbit hole happens when you try to follow one character like Wolverine. Now I have a section of Avengers, Wolverine Series, Wolverine Minis, and Wolverine Cameos. I even have a Wolverine Covers tag for comics that I purchased with him on the cover, but nowhere to be found inside amongst the storyline. That is another topic for another time - 20 plus variants that have nothing to do with the story written inside!

• I love the idea of collecting all of a certain character like you are doing (although Wolverine has to be a daunting task).

I've been going through the same thing over the last couple of weeks. I've walked away from it a few times, hoping that I'll come up with a solution but I haven't yet.

• I sympathize with you, John. There are some great suggestions here in the comments. Now I have to decide how much energy I want to put into taking them all out and reorganizing them...

I usually put everything in alphabetical order...even the crossover books that I don't normally collect. I do make some exceptions..for example, I've recently started collecting some Dr. Fate issues from the 80s. So I have my Immortal Doctor Fate lumped in with the Doctor Fate mini-series and ongoing series, rather than in the "I"s. I try to look up odd books that I've collected of titles that have gone through several different series to see which book belongs to what series - then it's numeric order by series then issue. I've found it helps to look at the UPC code if I have a jumble of issues from one title, different series/volume...matching up the upc code at least gets them all together by volume.

• Thanks for the comment. By "look at the UPC code" do you mean scan it in to something like the CLZ app to find the volume?

  • Nothing that high tech, lol...I just eyeball it to get them gathered together, then look at on online comic shop's catalog to figure out which volume(s) I have.

    • Got it. Thanks!

I’ve been doing the same thing...just finished last night. I do everything alphabetically, but for something like that has changed titles I have them under the original title and in parenthesis the new title name; i.e X-Men (New X-Men or X-Men Legacy). Same thing with Iron Man (so many go back and forth between Invicible Iron Man and Iron Man) or Ultimate Spider-Man (Peter and Miles). Hope this helps.

• Sounds like a smart way to handle it. Thanks Trey!

The correct way to arrange your comics is whichever way works best for you. There really isn't a wrong way as long as you are happy with it.

• Great point, Pete! (Unfortunately, I'm still trying to come up with the way that works best for me!) :)

First I try to split books by publisher DC, Marvel or Independent, then list titles alphabetically within long boxes (currently about 3,700 books). Key issues are separated from the regular books and I have those within short boxes alphabetically by publisher. As others have said CLZ App is a live saver when trying to alphabetize and create labels. I only have the app currently but wonder how much more efficient it would be by having the full desktop program.

• Thanks Xavier!

I also use CLZ although I use their Desktop App as I have close to 20,000 comics and like to edit and add more data to my comic entries. I just catalog alphabetically. However even this (supposedly) simple approach runs into problems i.e. when a title changes name midway through a run. like Superman becoming Adventures of Superman, The New teen Titans becoming Tales of The New teen Titans etc. Then of course there are the Free Comic Book Day and Halloween ComicFest titles. I'll sit down and think about them once my whole collection is catalogued (I'm only upto T).

• 20,000!!!! Wow! Please keep us posted on your thoughts about those odd comics. Good Luck!