The Energon Pub

I know ryan has mentioned a few tips on a podcast awhile back ( that I cant really remember). just wondering if anyone out there had any good tips? Im running out of room on my shelves.

Any Rubbermaid storage things are great

The best way is to store them in their respective boxes, of course. But failing that, plastic storage boxes will suffice.

Also, avoid piling them one op top of the other. Store them in alt mode to make them less vulnerable to joint and limb damage. Also try to fold in the wings of Jet TF 's if possible.

what the others are saying will work... though i bag each transformer and add a layer of buble wrap for each layer of Transformers... put big ones on bottom and work your way up getting smaller TF's as you go.

VioMeTriX wrote:what the others are saying will work... though i bag each transformer and add a layer of buble wrap for each layer of Transformers... put big ones on bottom and work your way up getting smaller TF's as you go.

This is what I've been thinking of doing soon as my space runs out. I save most of the bubble wrap I get my figures in (I buy everything online so I have tons of the stuff). I just need to get some of those Rubbermaid storage bins.

I save most of the boxes for my TFs but usually don't save the inserts unless it's something 'special' like an exclusive (eHobby/Botcon etc.) so I'll likely flatten the rest out to make more space. It's astounding just how much space a collection can occupy.

The hard decision will be which TFs I want to store and which ones I want to keep on display. MPs and Beast Wars are staying on the shelves, Movie toys and some classics will probably go into bins. I haven't decided whether to keep my G1s on display or not, but at least some of them will be going into bins most likely.

My FP combiners are definitely staying on display along with my TFC combiners (and probably all the FoC Brutici I've accumulated as well ).

One thing I'll have to be careful with are the ones which I've painted. I used acrylics which easily scratch/peel, so I'll have to either leave them on display or very carefully bubble wrap them.

Thanks for bringing this up Mr_Wayne, it's something that I've been putting off for a long time and I'll have to deal with it real soon, so this brought it to my attention again. My next shipment from BBTS is going to be MASSIVE so I'll probably need to start doing this before I next ship my POL.

Ok, disclaimer: I do not have a big collection. My collection is thus far storable on my shelf space. When it no longer fits on my shelves, I already have figures picked out that I will be getting rid of to make more room on my shelves to store new figures until I can get more shelf space to store the figures that I can't part with. I also understand that most here on this board have a much larger collection than I do that requires a lot more space. So when I share the following question and thoughts, I'm not trying to be an ass. I am legitimately trying to understand.

What is the point of having a collection so large that it can't be maintained properly and needs to be stored in some fashion? To me, if a collection (or parts of it) is in storage then it can't be seen or appreciated. Likewise, no one else can see it or appreciate it. So then why have it?

Also, if you've made the decision of what figures to keep on display and which ones to store, you've essentially made the decision about which are you favorites and can't "live without" and which ones you can tolerate parting with. So why not get rid of the ones that you just decided that you don't need to see anymore instead of storing them away possibly forever?

Coming from me, who recently got rid of my comic collection simply because I got tired of storing boxes all over, I know the inevitable happens and you eventually run out of places to store storage containers.

In my mind, you aren't solving a problem by storing parts of your collection. You're creating a new one. Now you are out of shelf space AND you have to find somewhere to store your storage containers. Plus with your shelves still full, anytime you buy a new figure, you have to take another figure off and store it to make room. A figure that you just recently decided was worthy of your display and not storage.

It just doesn't seem to make any sense.

@joesaysso, I see what you're saying and it makes sense, however my issue is simply a matter of space. I live in a 2 bedroom apartment and the only place I keep my figures is in my spare/second bedroom, which isn't that large. Eventually I plan to move into a larger home at which point any figures in storage bins would get shelves so none would be stashed away. This is just a temporary measure to deal with my rapidly expanding collection in my rather small space.

I would never put any of my figures in any sort of long-term/permanent/semi-permanent storage because I agree with you that it doesn't make sense (unless you're one of the individuals who plans to buy figures now and sell them later when the market price rises for profit, which I am NOT, I will die with my collection intact ).

this may not be applicable to many people but if any of your transformers have been exposed to smoke or other smelly subtances dont store them in a plastic or rubber container that will trap the smell. use cardboard as that will allow the smells to filter into and out of the box itself.

tip from the guy who oversaw the cleaning of my collection after a fire

My collecting habit is formed around my availability for space and of course my finances. For the time being, my wife and I, who are just starting out, do not have a lot of space so much of my collection is put in chests and are thankfully organized in the manner of which many of you have stored your figures. I def take them out every week and let them get some exercise.

Most of mine are in their original packaging or small plastic storage boxes in a filing cabinet until we get a place with more space for shelving (our place could be mistaken for a library at a glance), which shouldn't be too long now (hopefully). As for why store them when they can't be enjoyed that way? Rotation. I totally agree with storing them in alt mode to prevent wear/damage. If you smoke, follow mbd88prime's advice. I smoke but only outside, I used to smoke indoors and it wasn't until we moved that I noticed a horrible coating of tar on the few figures I had displayed. Everything else too for that matter.