If you have a LOT of books that will be stacked in boxes, consider 12 gallon folding lid storage bins sold at Costco. It's a different brand (than the Amazon link) and sells for about $7 each. I use about 30 bins to store children's books for schools. The downsides: The bins have several convex bubbles on the bottom, and thus could, over a long period of time, bend the books that are in direct contact. I cut thick cardboard inserts to line the bottom. Once in a while Costco changes brands and they sell versions without the bubbles. The walls aren't at a 90-degree angle, slanting out as they go up. This works for me because I have different size books. You're likely not to have a snug fit for books. The version currently sold has sharp edges on the outside. I trim them with scissors. Sometimes when Costco changes brands, the boxes don't have the sharp edges. Not water-tight. As you can see from the photo, the lid is two pieces that fold together. The upside: Sturdy as hell and they stack well. If you're going to stack lots of bins on top of each other, you want bins that won't crack over time. The price is right. Costco sells nicer bins, more expensive bins with flat bottoms, smooth edges, etc., but they're not geared to sustain significant weight on top. More on reddit.com

It really does depend on what you are storing. I have gone through this. I have a large book and memorabilia collection. At one point I stored them in cardboard boxes and had a box go moldy. I would not recommend cardboard for anything more than short term and moving. I got plastic containers on sale shortly after Christmas that work great. Plastic will break if thrown around, over loaded, or stored incorrectly (in wet or very hot conditions). These are water proof and mostly bug proof. I highly recommend plastic totes. Military style are the best but expensive. Poly chests are very durrable. I've had one for years outside for storing garden stuff and have never had a problem with it. Wood containers will be heavy. They must be treated to prevent water and bugs. I have yet to come across a good wooden container that didn't attract insects. Metal is tricky. It can rust depending on the type of metal used. Aside from rusting it has the same perks as plastic only stronger. More on reddit.com

Minimalism recommends not to have storage just to be able to keep it simple and less. More on reddit.com

I wouldn't use cardboard boxes for permanent storage. They attract bugs. More on reddit.com