BCW Plastic Corrugated Comic Book Box Review

Introduction

Since the dawn of time, well since the dawn of comic collecting time, the only item to store your comics in was simple cardboard. This material has been a staple of the comic collector, but no more! There is a new material that your comic books can be housed in…corrugated plastic.

Super Strong Construction

This material is very strong indeed, but what is it? According to ABC Systems, corrugated plastic is, “…formed when two plastic liners are fused together on either side of a sheet of wavy plastic known as fluting.” Basically this makes three layers of plastic to form the box wall.

The benefits of such an item might not seem apparent at first, but there are many little things that when you add them up, make corrugated plastic a pretty cool thing. First of is its water repelling abilities. Most of us know what happens to cardboard the minute it comes into contact with water. It becomes a soggy mess. Not so with these boxes, water slides right off and will not go through the plastic. This is not to say that the boxes are water proof, rather, they are more water resistant.

There is also the fact that once you buy these boxes, they will probably last a lifetime, even under difficult circumstances. For those of us who have moved time and again, you know how hard this can be on your comic boxes, rendering them unusable at times. The plastic boxes will not do this, and will maintain for much longer.

Another nice thing is the fact that they come in two colors, black and white. This may not be a big thing to many of us, but I think this is the first time that collectors actually have a choice as to what color their comics will be stored in. I know this is a little thing, but it’s still something.

So why doesn’t everyone have these boxes? The simple answer is cost. The plastic boxes, while are probably the most durable and lasting boxes out there, are also the most expensive. A short comic book box will set you back $16 and a long box will cost you $21. Granted in lots of ten the price goes down, $10.24 and $13.39 respectively, but that is still a pretty large investment.

From their website:

“The BCW Storage Box is the highest quality, most competitively priced corrugated plastic storage box on the market today. They are constructed of corrugated plastic and have a 250 lb. test strength. Use this box to store and protect all your valuable collectible comics.”

This quote shows what most people will probably use them for, protecting and transporting their more valuable comic books. The plastic comic box excels at this and that is why many comic fans should think about picking some of these items up.

Vital Specs

Long Box:
Cost: 1- $16.00 each. 10 - $10.24 each
Size: 7 1/2" wide, 15 3/4" deep, and 10 3/4" tall
Capacity: 150-175 Comics

Short Box:
Cost: 1- $21.00 each. 10 - $13.39 each
Size: 7 1/2" wide, 27 1/4" deep, and 10.8 " tall
Capacity: 200-225 Comics

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Very Solid Construction
• Long Lasting
• Water/Vermin Resistant
• Price Break At Larger Quantities

Cons

• Cost – You get what you pay for.
• The only way to get a price break is by spending over $100.

In Conclusion

Ideally, I see this item as the place you put your more expensive comics. I could also see this as a great thing for store owners and convention sellers as it will last a long time and really take a beating. While expensive, you should feel safe in the knowledge that this will probably be the last time you purchase a comic box. For myself, I will be using the plastic comic box to put those number ones, valuable issues, and sentimental items in a well protected place.