Mill Case Comic Storage Review

Introduction

When it comes to comic book protection, most collectors have very few choices for protection. The comic book bag, board, and box are the three essentials in protection that is true, but lately the market is seeing a rise in the kinds of options available to collectors. One of those items is the Mill Case, by Millennium Storage Solutions.

A Novel Idea

I had a hard time with this product. When I first heard about it I was jazzed. “The Mill Case resembles a slim type CD-ROM jewel case.” Sounds simple enough. I asked for a review copy of one and it arrived at my doorstep. I took it out and tried a comic in it. What worried me right off was when I put my comic book in it, I was worried that it wouldn’t fit right and if it slipped out when I closed the case, a side would be clipped.

I also found it awkward to take the comic book out. Basically I needed to open the case and then flip it over to get the comic book out. If I tried to get the comic out otherwise, I would need to dig next to a side and then I would risk crimping or damaging the edge of the comic. Granted, I think these things would be easier over time to deal with, but I was a little put off about the process.

Digging For Gold

With this in mind, the product sat in my box of things to do. And sat. I finally did some digging to find the nugget of gold.

From their website:

“Mill Cases offer real protection from mishandling by clueless customers, tired sales clerks, uninitiated friends and the acidic fingerprints of your sweaty little brother. Being a rigid storage medium, it protects the spine from creases and prevents comics from crushing each other in a box or when transporting a stack.”

This quote showed me one of the great things about the Mill Case. A comic book in a bag and board can still be easily mishandled, dropped, or mistreated. All of these things would damage the precious cargo inside. The Mill Case, however awkward it would be to get the comic in and out of the device, is very protected once it is. If you want your friends to look at a comic, or a customer, it is very easy to view. You will be able to see any and all surface blemishes in the comic and all the while keep it safe while it is being handled.

If it is dropped, one might worry about the case opening up, but in my very unscientific test, (I just tossed it around our living room, trying to get it to open), the only time it opened up was when I put some backspin on it and it landed right on the hinge.

Vital Specs

Cost: 10 - $33 ($3.30), 50 - $125 ($2.50), 500 - $1000 ($2.00)
Height: 10 9/16th Inches
Width: 7 1/2 Inches
Capacity: 1 Comic

Pros and Cons

Pros

Solid construction.

Prevents mishandling mistakes.

Fits in a regular comic book box.

Price break at larger quantities.

Cons

Cost – It costs as much as most new comics.

Only available through online sales. (Shipping costs $8, $21, and...wait for it...$190 respectively for the 10, 50 and 500 lots.)

Awkward to get comic out.

If not fitted properly the edges may get crimped.

In Conclusion

I think the Mill Case has some initial flaws. For the uninitiated, you will need to be on the careful side when putting comics into and out of the Mill Case. Granted, that is also true for the regular mylar bag and board, but I feel less so. I think the Mill Case would be good for those comics that you want extra protection for. I don’t see myself shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars to keep my comics safe. For small collections and prize possessions maybe, but when you have a collection the size of mine, your talking thousands of dollars to use all Mill Cases.

In my opinion the Mill Case would be a great thing for retailers. Your comic books get handled all the time, and having some of these for those comics that are more spendy than others could be a great thing. If I were a retailer, I might think about investing in some of these. The good thing is that they are very reusable and would only need an initial investment.

The Mill Case is not for everybody. It is a great idea and interesting to see, but some of the failings made me worry. I think with time it would be much easier to use, but I worry this will put people off in the long run.