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If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

The precious painted multitudes of figures need care and thought in storage for two reasons: protection & identification.

My solution has been to buy the relatively expensive plastic stackable storage drawers.
These are sturdy enough and if you cut felt to size, the figures don't slide around the bottom. Additionally, their opaque plastic allows you to at least get an idea what's inside. I also use a label maker that might proclaim, "4th Corps FRENCH Infantry" or "British Napoleonic artillery" etc.

I am open to new ideas so please tell me what your solutions are.

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

hi Paintdog,

It sounds like you are using the "Really Useful Boxes", that I have recently switched too and are really good for the reasons you have mentioned prior to that it was the old metal biscuit tins that used to come out every Christmas.

In the UK several MDF company's have also started selling inserts that let you store figures in trays that also stack thus making more use of the RUB storage boxes.

I also use large cork pin boards that i stack one on top of each other using little wooden blocks in the corners and allow larger formations all to be laid out together on one board. It can be stacked as high as you wish and has a limited footprint.

Storage is a pain of contention in my house as i feel the moment that you clip the figures off the sprue's they will lose value even though I have never sold a box in my 44 years of collecting figures and have no intention of starting.

I am sure we have all being asked why do we need so many?, and where are you hiding that lot.

Hopefully others will post their tips as well

bfn
Allan

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

Alllan from Glasgow
hi Paintdog,

It sounds like you are using the "Really Useful Boxes", that I have recently switched too and are really good for the reasons you have mentioned prior to that it was the old metal biscuit tins that used to come out every Christmas.



I am sure we have all being asked why do we need so many?, and where are you hiding that lot.

bfn
Allan


Here in OZ the Really Useful Boxes aren't easy to get so I have some but most are generic (& not quite as good) ones.

The metal figure guys, I know, sometimes use metal boxes & the figure bases have magnetic strips under them to stop them sliding.

I had to laugh at your "why do you need so many figures" comment. If you have to ask, you'll never know.

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

I use the plastic "fishing tackle" boxes.

Put something on the bottom to keep figures from sliding around.

Inexpensive at Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire (and get Canadian Tire Money).

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

Dear Paint dog & Friends,

Excellent topic. I think I'm hearing two challenges, (1) Long-term storage for figures put into action, and (2) New sets awaiting their turn to be called up for active service.

For my active collection, I too put my individual figures in fishing tackle boxes/trays, PLANO brand from Walmart (Cheapest but excellent quality). But my figures are not based; they are loose. Other bigger things that a fish can't swallow such as tanks go into cardboard boxes bought from a real "Box Store."

For my waiting figures not ready to be taken off their sprews, I take all out of their beautifully art-work boxes and put each set in the least expensive (cheapest) sandwich Zip-Locks, and then put the flattened boxes and each set still on their sprews into Freezer size Zip-Locks. of which I can fit at least 5 sets into. This saves me at least half of the space of a soldiers box.

Then all goes into Sterilite plastic file-letter/legal paper size, stackable drawers with clear fronts.

Anything bigger, you know, MARX Playset size goes into cardboard boxes and set on top of the plastic stackable drawers all the way up to the ceiling.

I print-out fake wood prints, slide them inside the front of the clear drawer, then label it very simply, such as F & I War, ALAMO, AWI, Napoleonics, ACW, US Cavalry, and so on.

Simple is best, so that's my solution to a fairly large collection that keeps growing. Lastly, if something is too big, such as oversize Playsets like "Guns of Navarone" mountain, it stays in it's box, is set inside a garbage bag to keep moisture and dust and grease, or worse and goes into the garage.

I call my entire collection "MY LIBRARY" so I do have a folding step ladder to reach all the way up to the top.

I hope it helps but it sounds like we are all pretty much on the same page.

P.S. Amazon sells some of it's items in some nice Playset quality boxes, so I keep those and make some really neat Playsets with them, or storage - and 1/72 size too! I try not to waste anything before deciding to cut up anything and going into the Recycling Bin.

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

GarrisonClay
(2) New sets awaiting their turn to be called up for active service.



I hope it helps but it sounds like we are all pretty much on the same page.



I've picked up a couple of ideas from the thread. As you've indicated, storage is also about organising the pile of figures.

Re: If I should fall to rise no more, As many comrades did before :storing figures

Mine stay in their boxes until I paint them then they tend to go in file boxes. I also use the plastic drawers mentioned above and any suitably strong boxes I get hold of... I really need more room...