The Perfect Storage System

Last week we added a line of acid-free, archival storage boxes specifically for storing movie posters. We are currently working on adding three more sizes - Sports Poster, Marvel Poster and Rock & Personality Poster.

The matching polyester (mylar) L-sleeves and the backings that fit into them are now added to our website. L-Sleeves have two adjacent sealed sides, which allows safe insertion and removal of posters, prints and photos from the sleeves. Crinkling, crimping, corner fold-overs are yesterday's news when you use these sleeves for storing your most valued collectibles. We use DuPont inert Melinex or a suitable equivalent.

The backing board material we use for the corresponding backings meets the Library of Congress archival standards for indefinite term storage. The board is .040 thick, 100% alpha-cellulose, acid and lignin-free and buffered. So when you use the archival poster boxes, the polyester L-Sleeves and the alpha-cellulose backings, you are literally re-creating storage techniques practiced by the top museums, libraries and archives anywhere.

This is not to say that the other products we sell for print and poster storage are less than adequate, but if your goal is to meet or exceed top-of-the-line storage techniques, the above mentioned products fill that bill.

Here are our DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
20-25% OFF LIST PRICE

TL1016 - Black Linen Hinging Tape

PX1293 - Top-loading Frame Mailer

AASGS - Antistatic Gloves

AL387-0156 - Frame Sealing Tape

Are Your Collectibles Worth Anything?

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE.....

books, magazines, comics, records, and everything else you have been hanging on to for.....? What was the reason again? Well, if you can't readily come up with a reason, maybe we can GIVE you one! ALL collectibles are worth SOMETHING, even if it's only sentimental.

Before you throw away that box of old digests, perhaps it might be worth a look see to go through them and see if they hold any collectible value. Lots of appraisers will gladly do this for you (make sure it's a reputable company), or you might be able to find a book on the value of your collection (which can often be a tedious job looking up price value book by book)....either way, it's probably worth at least checking.

Things that bring the value of an item up are:

 1. Are both the front and back covers still intact?

 2. Are the corners still flat on all sides?

 3. There are no rips or tears in the pages

 4. There is historical information published 

 5. It's numbered

 6. It's signed

 7. It's an original

 8. It's a misprint

 9. It's a first issue

10.The author is no longer living

These are just SOME of the things that bring a collectible up in value.

One of the ways you can ASSURE that time will not ravage your collection is by PROTECTING it with acid free sleeves and backing boards and even storage boxes.

If you store your collection in your basement, make sure they are stored in boxes OFF the floor (in case of flooding) and are no exposed to too much heat, and be sure not to stack boxes more than the allowed pressure of the box.

For more information on collection protection, please visit our website at www.bagsunlimited.com

Happy Collecting!

Marion

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

What are YOUR comics in?
Bags Unlimited would love to know what you're doing for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! So much news these days about comics, and a slew of Super Hero movies makes it almost impossible to go a day without hearing about comics!
So what are your plans for free comic book day?
Don't forget to check our stock of comic sleeves and boards!
Marion!

What's news for COMIC, MUSIC, POSTER and other genres
Bags Unlimited is constantly on the hunt for new product and promotional ideas to help support and grow your business. Since we are a small business, we like to help other small (and large) businesses to keep a continuum in growth. If YOU have an idea for a product, please let us know, but in the interim, we invite you to visit us at www.bagsunlimited.com and read our blog for our convention promo packages and the release of several exciting new products that your customers may be asking for!
Thanks! and make it a great week.
Marion

Double Wall Is Better

If you do shows and sell LP Records, have we got the box for you! It's the same size as our standard LP box (holds 50-65 single LPs in jackets). The "new" is that they are made out of 250-lb-test corrugated, which makes them the strongest LP box around! They are made from double-walled corrugated cardboard. So if you need a box that takes a beating, whether you're using it at home or on the road, you'll find it here.

We're looking for record stores interested in give-aways for Record Store Day. Our choice is 20 bottles of two ounce groovy cleaner. Use it as a come-on-in incentive, give it to the first 20 customers of the day or put your customers' names in a hat for a drawing - whatever works! We just need a store front address and your resale certificate and you're good to go! The sooner you let us know the better - we want to be sure there's enough to go around!

Here are our DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
20-25% OFF LIST PRICE

BPLM1215 - Carry-out bags

AB3R12123 - Magazine sized binders

XSF836E - Corrugated shelf files

AB3RA4 - A4 sized 3-ring binder

PROMOTION PACKAGE FOR COMIC CONVENTIONS

Generally we don't take our products on the road but we are thinking about branching out this year. It's also pretty dangerous to travel from our Upstate NY home town of Rochester in the winter months as we are prone to terrible snow storms and I don't like risking my guys safety. But this morning I saw the geese returning and I charted my vegetable garden planting schedule this past weekend, so I'm thinking it's safe to go back on the road. We have a few things that we like to do for shows depending where they're located and the attendance.

1) Send our catalogs and some freebies or give-aways for show raffles at no charge
2) List your show on our links page (we get 49,000+ unique visitors per month)
3) Attend shows for those close enough to NY State and a large enough attendance
4) Co-op printed trade show bags for appropriate exchanges

So if there's a show you'd like us to consider or if you're having a show and would like some freebies to give to your show attendees, give us whistle and we'll get back to you. Actually emailmoyer@bagsunlimited.com or dstreet@bagsunlimited.com or call 800-767-2247 and ask for Marion or Dave.

Spring is coming...Let the shows begin!

Generally we don't take our products on the road but we are thinking about branching out this year. It's also pretty dangerous to travel from our Upstate NY home town of Rochester in the winter months as we are prone to terrible snow storms and I don't like risking my guys safety. But this morning I saw the geese returning and I charted my vegetable garden planting schedule this past weekend, so I'm thinking it's safe to go back on the road. We have a few things that we like to do for shows depending where they're located and the attendance.

1) Send our catalogs and some freebies or give-aways for show raffles at no charge
2) List your show on our links page (we get 49,000+ unique visitors per month)
3) Attend shows for those close enough to NY State and a large enough attendance
4) Co-op printed trade show bags for appropriate exchanges

So if there's a show you'd like us to consider or if you're having a show and would like some freebies to give to your show attendees, give us whistle and we'll get back to you. Actually email moyer@bagsunlimited.com or dstreet@bagsunlimited.com or call 800-767-2247 and ask for Marion or Dave.

Here's our DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
20-25% OFF LIST PRICE

AB3R005CNS - UniKeep 3-ring binder

CHELMET - acrylic holder for a full-sized football helmet

SPPWCPR - polypropylene window card poster sleeve

TMAS1 - 1" wide masking tape

The Weekly Deals Really are Worth a Look

https://bagsunlimited.com/p-6148-drying-book-small.aspx

If you need supplies, you can get supplies from www.bagsunlimited.com at 20% discount if you check the weekly deals.
Artists need products and you can easily begin to add up bonus points, wholesale pricing, and more by checking in regularly.

Awesomed By Comics: At the risk of ubernerding this place all up

Awesomed By Comics: At the risk of ubernerding this place all up: We're not dead yet.

Archival POSTER Boxes!

I've successfully added the archival poster boxes as promised. There are 5 boxes total- Insert Poster, Window Card Poster, Half Sheet Poster, One Sheet Poster and British Quad. As previously stated, these boxes are the ultimate in archival, acid-free storage. I checked the sizes of our poly sleeves to see if they fit in these boxes. The polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves do, however the polyester (mylar) sleeves do not. I spoke with Kris our product developer and he said- no problem! So...we are going to add the correct sized L-Sleeves to fit in these boxes with corresponding lignin-free, acid-free, 40 pt. buffered backing boards. L-sleeves are sealed on two adjacent sides only. This makes it easy to take your poster in and out the sleeve, which cuts down on the possibility of tears and wrinkles. This is very exciting! Archival storage matching that used by the Library of Congress!

Don't forget to take advantage of our ever growing list of OVERSTOCK ITEMS while supplies last.

Here's our DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
25% OFF LIST PRICE

MVHS1TAPE - VHS Mailer ships one VHS tape.

MMD912 - multidepth mailer 9-1/8 x 12-1/8"

MRTT1318W - White rigid mailer

MSF1311 - Stayflats Lite mailers white paperboard.

Getting it done

Today I'm going to keep this blog short so I can actually put up the new boxes for poster storage. Many posters are stored rolled or are framed or matted. We currently stock various blue-gray boxes for prints and photos, but nothing the perfect size for posters. The new boxes won't show up until tomorrow, but this is the link you can use. http://www.bagsunlimited.com/c-561-blue-gray.aspx

Why use these boxes for poster storage? ... they aren't cheap! What they are is acid-free, lignin-free and buffered. These boxes are the ultimate in paper storage safety. This kind of storage isn't always required, but if you're a serious collector, there is no better choice. The boxes come with a drop-front for easy access to the stored posters. The corners are reinforced for greater stacking strength. These boxes are used in museums and libraries world wide due to the long-term (100's and 100's of years) storage life of the material used to make them.

Here's our DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
25% OFF LIST PRICE

Colored foam board for mounting prints and photos. Use for craft projects or displays. Material is CFC-free.
KFB2030YEL, KFB2030R, KFB2030BL, KFB2030GRN, KF2030BLK, KF2030GY.

Packing Box for shipping 8x10's
PX1083

I've tried to give myself a list of "things to do" each day at work and after a week or so realized that my list may havc been more wishful than anything else. Here's my list:
1) Put 4 new products each day on 25% OFF discount (overstock items)
2) Find one new place to advertise, blog, tweet, make new friends.
3) Two hours developing new products
4) 1/2 hour on blog
5) Clean up one area of website that isn't as clear as it should be.

Well my last blog was days ago. I do have 4 new products to discount, but I think I came up with those last Thursday. New product developement -due to our vast category types, I keep coming up with ideas, but find that the wheels of execution (not the killing type) grind very very slowly. I have found a few new places to advertise- one of them is ClassicMovies.org. GREAT site! I've only cleaned up one area of the website so far- the section on 78 record supplies. I feel good about the work I have done, but these are supposed to be daily tasks, not weekly or monthly tasks. Now I have one more thing to do and that's figure out if I'm just slow, can't multi-task, don't delegate enough, put too much on my plate. Bah!

Anyone have any suggestions? How about some topics that interest collectors? I'll be glad to talk about it- and have just one more thing to push my daily schedule out.

Backing Boards- What are they good for?

Backing boards are generally used as a stiffener for a displayed or stored collectibles such as prints, posters, comics, magazines, maps and other similiar items. They also keep the corners and edges from crimping and tearing. The quality of the backing is an important consideration that people often overlook. We stock boards that can be used for short-term, intermediate or long-term storage.
Short-term boards should only be used for quick-sell items or items of low or little value. Anything that is being put away for long-term storage, should use (minimally) an acid-free backing (intermediate)- preferably a buffered, acid-free backing (long-term). When a board is buffered, it keeps out acid for hundreds of years. The only way to tell for sure what kind of backing board is behind your collectible is to ask your dealer for the specifications- you can not tell by looking at it. People often confuse pure white boards as being "safe", but that is far from true. If you need a special size backing, we are manufacturers and can cut them to the exact you need, often as few as one hundred boards, depending on the size. Call us for samples and quotes!
http://www.bagsunlimited.com/
800-767-2247

What's the difference?

This is a question people often ask concerning the poly sleeves they use for their comics, photos, vinyl records, posters, magazines and more. We stock three types of poly materials that are considered acid-free and safe for long term storage: Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polyester. All of these materials are inert which means that there is nothing in them that can transfer to the stored item and cause damage to it. All of our poly materials have been tested by an independent lab and have passed the photo activity test which means that the material is safe for storing printed images.

The following is a synopsis that should help you to decide which material is right for you.
POLYETHYLENE: Is a bi-product of natural gas. It is a soft, clear material that has some stretch to it. It is not as clear as the other two materials listed, but does have excellent contact clarity. It comes in four different thickness. The thinner the sleeve, the higher the clarity. 3 mil is by far the most popular and generally gives the protection and clarity that is considered the standard of the industry. Our polyethylene is 100% pure virgin polyethylene.
POLYPROPYLENE: Is a very clear, high sheen, crisp material. We use bi-oriented polypropylene which mean that when the material is made, it is stretched in both directions so that over time it will not pucker (decreasing the clarity) as some polypropylenes do.
POLYESTER: Is considered the ultimate material for archival storage. It is crystal clear, semi-rigid and in acclerated tests shows no break down of the material for over one thousand years. Storing collectibles in polyester is the equivalent of using the Library of Congress archival preservation standards.
poly sleeves for collectors

Tomorrow- Backing Boards 101 ;)

Why Protect What You Collect?

- 2/1/2012 3:13:45 PM

How do you decide what storage materials to use for your collections? Storage supplies are an investment just like the items you purchased for your collection. You probably wonder if you should even spend the money on the supplies. Won't they be just fine if you keep them in the box they gave you at the estate sale? Maybe yes- probably no. For the few pennies you spend on protection supplies (per item) you are keeping insect infestation, water damage, sun damage, dust, dirt and finger oil damage, corner and edge crimping damage from bringing down the value of, or completely destroying your collectible. It's not to say that some of these things won't happen anyway, but the possiblitiy is greatly diminished. You should also check your collections periodically to be sure that the environment that you stored them is still suitable. The storage environment is equally as important as the storage supplies. Most items should be stored in the same type of environment that the human body is comfortable in. To repeat the old mantra- No attics or basements!

NEW ITEMS COMING SOON:
Plastic Corrugated Storage Boxes
1) 9 x 14-1/2 x 11-9/16" (WxHxD) for Life Magazines, Rolling Stone, Lobby Cards and Graded Magazines.

2) 9 x 13 x 11-9/16" (WxHxD) for Newspapers

Plastic Corrugated Box material attributes: water-resistant, acid-free, UV- and vermin-resistant. SUPER-STRONG!

FOUR DAILY OVERSTOCK ITEMS:
25% OFF LIST PRICE

MCDWP

BG4210
BG6318
BG84182