Bagging your manga can help slow the oxidation process and keep your collection in great shape. But in the wrong environment, bagging manga can actually seal in humidity and expedite yellowing. Make sure to read through my Manga Preservation Guide first to see if bagging manga is the right choice for you. As long as your storage environment isn't overly humid, bagging your manga should not cause any damage or accelerate yellowing on your books.
BCW brand is my preference, as I find them most affordable, almost always available, and the closest in size to most manga I have. I've compiled this list of the four sizes I use to accommodate all sizes of manga from Naruto singles to artbooks. *Note: all sizing in this guide refers to U.S. printed volumes.
SMALL
Ideal for standard-sized manga and smaller.
Product: Digest & Manga Polypropylene Bags (BCW)
Size: 6" x 7 5/8" + 2" flap
Pack of 100
Perfect for:
Standard Shonen Jump / Shojo Beat and smaller sized volumes such as Naruto/Bleach/One Piece singles, NANA, Ao Haru Ride, Black Bird, and many more.
Smaller than standard-sized volumes such as Ancient Magus' Bride or The Girl from the Other Side singles.
Also great for Japanese volumes.
Notes:
NOT large enough to accommodate VIZ Signature or omnibus volumes such as Hell's Paradise or Bleach 3-in-1.
NOT wide enough for wider Vertical comics such as Blood on the Tracks or Go with the Clouds: North-by-Northwest.
NOT resealable. Tape works fine!
Price:
Varies between $5 - $10. The average is about $7.5 for a pack of 100 sleeves.
MEDIUM
Ideal for manga a little larger than standard-sized volumes, such as VIZ Signature.
Product: Comic Book Bags (BCW)
Size: 6 7/8" x 10 1/2"
Pack of 100
Perfect for:
VIZ Signature manga such as Hell's Paradise, Tokyo Ghoul, Blue Flag, Fire Punch, Golden Kamuy, Sweat and Soap, A Sign of Affection, and many more.
Wider-than-average comics like Blood on the Tracks, Go with the Clouds: North-by-Northwest (both from Vertical)
Smaller omnibus like A Girl on the Shore or 5 Centimeters Per Second, along with Bleach, D. Gray-Man and Shaman King 3-in-1 (but NOT some larger omnibus like Noragami 3-in-1)
Verifying the fit of larger hardbacks such as Soul Eater Perfect Edition and Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal edition
Notes:
NOT large enough to accommodate VIZBIGS such as Inuyasha 3-in-1, Noragami 3-in-1, Goodnight Punpun (with the exception of vol. 7) or Solanin.
Resealable!
Price:
Varies between $8 - $12. The average is $9.75 for a pack of 100 sleeves.
LARGE
Ideal for large manga such as VIZ Media 3-in-1 omnibus.
Product: Magazine Polypropylene Bags (BCW)
Size: 8 3/4" x 11 1/8" + 1 1/2" flap
Pack of 100
Perfect for:
VIZBIG such as Vagabond, Blade of the Immortal omnibus (NOT the Deluxe hardbacks), Inuyasha 3-in-1, Goodnight Punpun, Solanin
Large hardback deluxe editions such as The Girl from the Other Side Deluxe edition (but NOT giant hardbacks such as Berserk)
Notes:
NOT large enough to accommodate giant hardback deluxe editions such as Berserk, Blade of the Immortal, or Akira.
Resealable!
BCW also sells backing boards for this product that are 8 1/2 x 11", but because of the variety of manga sizes if you want to use something like this, you're probably better off just cutting cardboard to the size needed yourself.
Price:
Varies between $8 - $12. The average is $9.75 for a pack of 100 sleeves.
GIANT
Ideal for artbooks and giant hardcovers.
Product: Book Polypropylene Bags (BCW)
Size: 10" x 13" + 2" flap
Pack of 100
Perfect for:
Should be large enough to accommodate giant hardbacks like Berserk Deluxe, Hellsing, and Akira. *Not personally verified.
A great fit for American-published artbooks like the Art of Demon Slayer or the hardback Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist.
Also great for Japanese-language artbooks such as the hardcover Nabari no Ou. Note: some Japanese-published artbooks are smaller paperback versions (such as We Were There / Bokura ga Ita artbook) and may fit better in the Large size.
Notes:
NOT resealable. Tape works fine!
Price:
Varies between $10 - $14. The average is $12 for a pack of 100 sleeves.
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Questions about sizing or suggestions? Send me a message!
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