Aging high gravity beers

I have a quick question before i buy a homebrew kit, I'm deciding whether I want a 5 gallon secondary or not. I know when brewing a high gravity beer like a barleywine or imperial stout, they need a great deal of time to age and even out the flavors. Does this need to be done in a carboy or can aging it after bottling have the same effect?

I know starting out I'm going to brew something simpler but after getting a few batches under my belt I'll want to begin some more advanced higher alcohol beers. I'm assuming it would be wise to invest now in a additional carboy so I can brew more while waiting on the high ABV to age.

Bulk aging seems to help. I age big beers in cornies.

A 5 gallon carboy IS a wise investment. Many beers benefit from a secondary, in which you rack your brew off the primary yeast, and let bulk age and clarify. Having multiple carboys is beneficial as you will undoubtedly want to brew more than one beer at a time. I have 4 sets of 5and 6 gallon carboys for this purpose. The more the marrier!!! It seems expensive at first, but it is an essential investment in my opinion.

I have aged in the bottle and in a Secondary and the Secondary made for a better beer IMO. As for brewing a rew at the same time, it will happen and I have one 6 Gallon Primary and 3 5 Gallon secondaries to let me make more yummy beer.