Storage for your collections

[Digibasherx]

So I want to pick the brains of other collectors. It seems we all amass huge collections and we can display some in detolfs and custom shelving, but those take up so much space.

How does everyone store their collections that are not on display? Bins and moving boxes are good for things that have packaging. But what about loose items?

For me, I put everything loose in sandwich bags and in plastic bins (probably not the best idea) and boxed stuff goes in moving boxes.

[Alexander Quinn]

Easy trick for me; if I can't display it then I can't keep it. Our apartment is fairly limited in space, and unless the Lotto 649 gods decide to bless us that's not going to change anytime soon. If I can't fit something into my space I either don't get it or I sell something I'm no longer in plasti-love with. So I tend to keep a smaller collection. Still fairly diverse, with TFs, Marvel Legends, Star Wars figs, Amiibo and Disney Infinity figures and some Power Rangers stuff, but I get very picky about what I pick up and what stays.

[TRUCKvsGUN]

Like AQ said above, if you can't display it, consider selling it. Having said that, I eventually plan on not sharing a 1-bedroom, so I break that rule every day.

I store all my toys & accessories in 100% polypropylene bags from http://clearbags.ca/ ; polypro will not ruin paint applications like regular baggies are alleged to do after several years. There's articles about this out there, but I don't have the time at the moment to search them.

[Mega Truck]

I have a 8ft display in the living room. It's very tall, yet not overly wide or deep, so it has a small footprint and makes use of wasted vertical space. When it's jammed to capacity, it's time to scale back before buying more.
Not only do I get to enjoy seeing them constantly, but they always interest our house guests.
The toys I no longer want to display, go to one of three locations... my office desk, my kid's room, or for sale.
I'm not big on storing stuff. If you're not going to display, play, & enjoy, then stuffing it in a bin or closet seems like a total waste. Get rid of it and let someone else get some productive use out of it.
If you don't use it - lose it

[justprime]

Stored in plastic baggie in those plastic water proof etc resistant yellow black totes with the lock lid that you could almost drive a truck over...rest is displayed and rotated every so often

[wervenom]

To be honest all my stuff is out on display but I would agree with Scrapmaker. If you can't display it then selling it is a good idea

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Yeah, I do pretty much the same with the stuff I don't have on display. Boxes, plastic bins, and baggies.

I haven't gotten to the point where I'm seriously selling the stuff I'm not displaying yet. But as my storage area becomes tighter, I'm starting to look for stuff to move. Already moved a few extra things I had lying around, but I've also tightened up what I buy.

[Digibasherx]

Well, what I do is rotate my stuff, so I would swap out every several months in my displays. Works for little kids, they feel like they have new toys. However, with an constant trickle of new toys, the swap space gets tighter and tighter :P.

[BludChylde]

Since I have a 6, 5 and 2 year old, diaper and pull-up boxes have been plenty. I have a box for g1, a/c/e, Animated/movie figs, generations (Autobots and Decepticons get their own box). GI Joe are sorted into 25th anniversary style (Joe and Cobra boxes) and old school, Marvel Legends have about 8 boxes themselves.

Any figures with accessories are put in Ziplock freezer or sandwich bags depending on size. Transformers that accessories peg onto in vehicle mode don't get bagged. Then I just carefully layer the toys in the appropriate box. I've been using Ziplock bags for stuff I don't have on display since at least 2000 and the only downside I have seen is that every 4-5 years I need to switch the bags out because they develope tears (which look like the bag was sliced open witha sharp knife) which allows the accessories to fall out. I have not touched my Star Wars stuff in a couple years because the last time I did, most of the bags had tears and to this day I still don't want to play "who does this lightsaber or blaster go with"

[Omegatron]

Ahh yes, storage, the bane of any collector. I'm tempted to agree with those saying that if you don't need it sell it but I've never taken my own advice. I'm a buy and hold kind of collector, once I own it I don't want to sell it so I've amassed a storage problem myself.

The best storage solution I've found has been rolling storage carts with multiple plastic bins. Ikea used to sell a good one but I can't find it now. The closest thing to it I've found is this:

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...e-cart/3289213

Then what you do is transform your toys to the most compact mode (usually vehicle mode) and layer them in the bins by series and size. I would also place some acid free material between layers, usually ethafoam. Then label the outside of the bin with the contents. This should give you easily accessible storage that's vertical rather than horizontal and because it rolls you can move the cart in front out of the way without disturbing your toys to get at something in a cart behind it.

I would also then take a look at your shelving and try to estimate what it would hold in a way you're comfortable with (so not all jammed together in heap). Place the stuff you must have on display first but keep a reasonable area free to rotate your displays in and out of storage so you interact with your whole collection from time to time. If you find in a couple of years you've never pulled something out of storage, maybe consider selling it, or if you can't be bothered to do that because selling can be a hassle, donate it to a charity (children's wish, your local hospitals children's ward, etc.).

That's what I do and it seems to work, so that's my two cents on the topic. Best of luck!