Attention: proud collectors, bookworms, and gamers.
- You’ve been collecting comics since childhood
- You own more books than the local library
- You can’t bear to throw out your old gaming consoles
- You have more coins than dollars in the bank
- Or you see your stamp collection as your most prized possession.
When you’re looking to place your favourite nerdy items in a storage unit, take extra care to keep them in mint condition with these tips.
How to Store Books and Comic Books
Has your collection outgrown your bookcase? Or perhaps you’re preserving some special titles for the future? Whatever the case, you’ll want to make sure your books and/or comic books are properly prepared for storage to avoid damage and maintain their condition.
Keep Them Clean
Oil stains and smudges from that late-night chocolate can invite mould and mildew onto your pages. Gross. Be sure to wash and dry your hands before you sit down with your favourite book or comic to prevent soiling.
Prevent Damage with Bags and Boards
Book and comics can easily bend, tear or crease if you’re not careful. Good news: you can buy specially sized plastic sleeves and cardboard backing for them. You can use these for your comics and regular books to help keep them protected and in shape. Because unlike Wolverine, your books won’t heal smoothly if they get ripped.
Store Them in Reliable Boxes
Storing your collection in a sturdy box doesn’t just add further protection. It also helps you keep things organised. Opt for a box specifically designed to hold books. Take our Book Cartons from the Box Shop, for example. These are the boxes you deserve and the boxes you need right now.
Label Them
Don’t like your Spiderman touching your Hulk? Or hate it when your poetry anthologies mingle with your autobiographies? Organise your books and comics into boxes by title, author, genre, or whatever tickles your fancy, and label each box so you can find that copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets without digging through them all.
Avoid Humidity
Both books and comic books generally don’t do well in extreme heat or humidity. If you’re storing some really special, rare or valuable books or comics, you might want to consider hiring a climate-controlled storage unit (available at select National Storage centres). Otherwise, add some silica gel packets (those little bags of beads you often find in the box with a new pair of shoes) to your boxes to absorb excess moisture.
See 5 book display and book storage ideas here to make your collection look like part of the house.
How to Store Video Games and Consoles
If you’re a serious gamer, chances are you have a console or two sitting around – perhaps they’re hiding in the shadow of the colossus that is your massive pile of games. Don’t want to give them the boot? We hear you. Take the right care to keep them in top condition while in storage, and they’ll be ready to play when you are.
Disconnect Cords
Make sure all electrical cords and components are disconnected. Roll them up neatly, or place them in a zip lock bag, and tape to their console so you remember what piece goes where. Because you’d rather spend your time on portal puzzles, not plug puzzles.
Wipe Them Down
Dust is a gaming console’s worst nightmare. Give your consoles and games a good wipe down with a clean microfibre cloth to remove any dust and dirt. You can even use Kirby a handheld vacuum to gently suck out any dust that’s collected in hard-to-reach places.
Keep Discs Separate
Optical discs need to be stored in separate sleeves or cases – never stacked on top of each other. Keep them in their original cases if you’re a collection perfectionist, or buy a CD storage book to save room in your storage unit. If you’re sticking with separate cases, try stacking them in different formations to find the most space-effective system. It’s just like a game of Tetris… except your games won’t disappear if you line them up in a perfect row (we hope!).
Use the Right Packing Equipment
Store your gaming consoles and video games in separate boxes to remove the risk of bumping against each other and causing damage. Bubble wrap consoles for extra protection, and fill empty space in boxes with packing paper to avoid banging and clanging around. You can’t spin your way out of this one, Crash.
Avoid Humidity
Moisture is super effective against video games and gaming consoles. So, just like with books and comics, consider choosing a storage unit with climate control or add silica gel packets to each box.
How to Store Coins
Love your coin collection, but don’t love the space it’s taking up in your cupboards? Get your precious coinage ready for storage with this top tip.
Keep Them in an Air-Tight Container
Cardboard containers and plastic coin flips are fine for temporary storage. But if you’re wanting to keep your coins in top condition during long-term storage, an air-tight container is your best bet.
While more expensive, air-tight or slab plastic containers are best for holding individual coins and protecting them from potential damage caused by humidity.
How to Store Stamps
Thanks to the Australian climate, it can be tricky to keep postage stamps in mint condition year after year. Here’s how to make sure your collection is protected.
Use Slipcases
Slipcases provide protection for your stamps, keeping them separate and ensuring they don’t curl. They’re also great for organising your stamps, whether you like to catalogue them by year, country, or theme.
Avoid Humidity
Damp paper usually leads to mould, which is bad news for stamps. If you’re particularly proud of your stamp collection, or have a few valuable ones under your belt, it’s a good idea to consider climate-controlled storage to avoid mould or discolouration.
Our storage units are commonly used to store collectables, but that’s not all. Check out the weirder things our units have seen in these entertaining self-storage stories.
Store all your nerdy items with National Storage. Discover our affordable, flexible options here and book today. Or, see our extensive box shop for how we can keep your goods all in one place.
