Collectors, Where Do You Store Your MISB?

[Sir Prog]

Here is a general question. I read a lot of comments on here about how everyone is always buying "double", "triple", and "quadruple" versions of their favorite respective sets (i.e., especially Castle), and I too have quite a few accumulated over the past 6 or 7 years. My point is, I clearly see the spacial issues of keeping some of these in my house. With a spouse and a child, space becomes significant, especially as collections grow. So I want to ask all of the so-called mass collectors on here:

- Where are you storing all your excess purchases?

- Who is funding your, um, generous hobby? I mean (because) let's face it, you need a healthy income to keep up with TLG.

Thanks for sharing!

- Sir Prog

[Bluesecrets]

Good question. I don't have near as much as other people because I tend to sell mine off to go to conventions and such, but I have a set of shelves where most I have assigned the top two shelves for this purpose. Whenever I have gone on a spending spree with clearance items, I start putting them on the shelves in a closet. Mostly this is just the way I avoid them getting box damage. Being on the top shelves keeps me from reaching for them whenever I feel like I want to build a set.

[rogue27]

Shelves. I sell or open things periodically when I'm running out of space.

Regarding money, I have a few techniques for helping the hobby pay for itself:

1. I try to make things free when possible. For example, if something is on 50% clearance, I could buy two of them and sell one for full retail price. The one I keep is effectively free. Likewise, if something is 25% off, I can buy 4, resell 3, and the one I keep is effectively free. This requires a lot of short-term storage because a set that is on clearance doesn't tend to start selling at full retail for a year or two.

2. I sell the figures and keep the parts if I buy a set in multiples. I'll generally keep the figures from the first copy of a set I open, but I'll sell the figures from any additional sets unless they're extremely generic and okay to have in multiples. (Example, I would only keep one king or queen, but I would stock up lots of generic soldiers or peasants.)

However, most of my MISB sets are not sitting around to make an eventual profit. Most of my MISB stuff was purchased because I want to build it or use it for parts someday, and I simply keep it sealed until I have the time and space for it. If I decide that probably won't happen or I lose interest in the item before I open it, I put it up for sale to free up space and money for something else.

There are also a lot of MISB sets in my apartment that I paid full price for, and won't be reselling whole or in part. I can't get a deal on everything, but I try to make the most of it when I do.

[J1A3L5]

Hi -

I have a fairly large collection of MISB sets which are eventually put up for sale. These occupy the storage locker at my condo. My locker is in the attic and is climate controlled like the rest of my building, so I feel they are very safe. Many condo lockers are in the basement and are only chain-link, which would make me nervous.

Inside, I have black resin shelving from Costco. I have 4 of these in the locker, which are full of sets. I prefer the sets all up here, as they are kept away from my actual LEGO room, and aren't cluttering everything up.

-John

[Redav]

I can't say that I keep MSIB. There's only one set in my unit (at 162m2 it's not small but certainly not very big) which hasn't been built but I have several boxes from some recent new puchases and older boxes coming with classic sets. They're a bit scattered at the moment.

As for the dollars, some sets I buy from my own funds (as opposed to our funds) but most of the sets that have been bought in the last four years have been funded by softdrink sales at work. It's something I started because when our office moved, we ended up in a spot where softdrink wasn't exactly cheap so I commandered a fridge and started providing drinks. The surplus is generally used to shout morning tea for our group of drafties (it's an important part of any engineering company but frequently forgotten about) so I figured I'd do something for us as no one else would.