I don't know how other people do it, but my in laws had a large, unheated, dim, disused second kitchen at the back of the house with special wooden racks contained in a sort of wood outer - the racks were a bit like drawers, with a row of hollows inside in which you placed the apples individually, filling all the drawer/racks. Even so, they didn't always last very well, so my mother in law would turn it into apple sauce or peel, slice, lemon juice over and freeze.

i pick up the card apple trays fro the supermarket. I put my apples in so they are not touching and then in the cool coalhouse. I check them regularly and if there are any showing any rot they are removed. if not too bad they get trimmed and cooked.