31 replies to this topic

[mania3]

I'm always interested in how people store and sort their LEGO sets and pieces.  I've got a pretty meticulous system in place for both sets and pieces, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to store my instructions.  How do you store yours?  As of right now, I have all of mine in a filing cabinet, but they take up a remarkable amount of space.

[VBBN]

I...

1) Place them in Manilla envlopes and store them away in my basement Lego Closet.
2) Scan them, and then sell the paper copies of them in my Trading Post.

mania3, on Jan 4 2009, 04:10 PM, said:

I'm always interested in how people store and sort their LEGO sets and pieces.  I've got a pretty meticulous system in place for both sets and pieces, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to store my instructions.  How do you store yours?  As of right now, I have all of mine in a filing cabinet, but they take up a remarkable amount of space.

[CP5670]

I keep them in a cardboard shipping box, arranged roughly by size, by theme and then by set number. I have a heavy book at one end to prop them up. The large manual sizes fit snugly in them.

They fill up most of the box, but don't really cause a problem in terms of space and it's easy to find a manual when I need it. My actual Lego models are the main space hogs.

[Peppermint_M]

Currently I keep the larger instructions in plastic pockets and the small (impulse sets) instructions in business card pocket file leaves (thats the name on their lable...) I am planning on getting some trading card pockets too and more lever arch files to keep them in, alphabetised by theme name and then by year of release, with the smaller set instructions in their own order elewhere.
I love to keep my instructions in order and I am very proud that I still have the instructions I had in sets from about 13 years ago when I was quite small.

[kill will]

For instructions, I put them all in a metal box, organized alphabetically by theme.

Edited by kill will, 04 January 2009 - 10:59 PM.

[posades]

I just keep my smaller ones in one of those big ziploc bags, roughly arranged by size.  The bigger ones I just have stacked...somewhere.  I really should get more organized like you other people.

[Big Pete]

I use several of these ... although you have to put instructions in every other "pocket" oftherwise it won't close due to sheer amount of stuff in the folder.

You can get them with 40 "pockets" too ... and also much cheaper in the supermarket!! ;)

[JimButcher]

Currently, I only have instructions from my latest sets, because every instruction booklet I ever had before my dark age (starting in '04) I threw out. I had no idea how important it was to keep them...

But anyways, I just stack them in a corner of my room, with the large rectangular booklets on bottom, the medium square booklets in the middle, and the small rectangular booklets on the very top. I also keep my sticker sheets (I usually don't use stickers) in the front page of the booklet. If there are two or more booklets of the set, the sticker sheet goes in the first.

[Eilif]

I've got 2 of these


The brochures are organized pretty much by theme. I unfold the single sheet brochures to file them.  Unfortunately, I have just about running out of space. I still have alot of my early set instructions and product brochures starting around '87  I don't save them for any sort of value, but more for my own interest.  Alot of the time when I get a larger set, I will cut the instructions down the binding so that my wife and I can build different parts of the set, then I staple it back together afterward.

[mania3]

Thanks for sharing with me the various ways in which you store instructions.  Eilif, I store mine in a similar way.  In my LEGO room, I've got a filing cabinet that I keep them all in, but as I stated before it's filling up.  I keep catalogues and LEGO club magazines in separate three-ring binders, housed in sleeves to avoid having to punch holes in them.  Just as you do, I find myself saving them more for the passing interest of thumbing through them as time goes on rather than looking forward to any sort of resale value.

[Dadster]

VBBN, on Jan 4 2009, 05:19 PM, said:

I...

1) Place them in Manilla envlopes and store them away in my basement Lego Closet.
2) Scan them, and then sell the paper copies of them in my Trading Post.

Shouldn't you make the copies before placing them in envelopes...?

I keep 1x of each set by theme just stacked away.  Extras get thrown in a lot to resell...

[mrklaw]

How do you store your instructions? As our Lego collection was mostly my son's until recently, he just kept them all in a drawer. But rifling around for different books means they get dog-eared or worse. I've tried to keep my more 'precious' instructions in the original bags with cardboard backing, sometimes two sets share a bag. I'm thinking to get more card so each set of instructions can be stored separately, and then stacking them flat in a cupboard

Is that he best way to minimise damage? I guess the cardboard and having them bagged should keep them well enough. I'd considered a suspension file but mightthey get damaged over time like that?

[Legocrazy81]

This also has me stumped. Right now, I have them in the bags with the sets. But, I plan on ditching the bags with some kind of drawer unit. If the instructions don't happen to fit, I'm not sure what to do. I used to use an accordion file and seperate them by theme. That wasn't too bad, actually. The file was a bit heavy. So, you may want to try an accordion file.

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Currently my large instruction books are stacked in an old plastic drawer, while the manuals are bagged in groups (fire, aviation, race, etc) and placed in a dresser. I'd like to have a better way to store them for easy finding. Looking into a small file cabinet with those accordion-style folders mentioned  

[JackJonespaw]

I would try a labeled accordion file, or something like that. That way, you could sort them by instruction size, and then theme. Right now, I keep all of my instructions on top of 10188's instructions. This works, but I never really get them out to rebuild.

[purpleparadox]

Mine are in a shoebox, currently in the process of being transferred to sheet protectors in big binders.

[mrklaw]

JackJonespaw, on 09 April 2012 - 02:24 AM, said:

I would try a labeled accordion file, or something like that. That way, you could sort them by instruction size, and then theme. Right now, I keep all of my instructions on top of 10188's instructions. This works, but I never really get them out to rebuild.

I guess that's the downside to storing flat in a drawer - you never rebuild anything at the bottom of the pile (plus there is no real organisation to it)

[legomaniac83]

This works best for me:



Although I am stuck on some larger books - They are longer than the binders, and page sleeves do not hold them as well. Right now they are in a Tote and it bug me because all my other booklets are in binders for easy use.

[fyrmedhatt]

My instructions are kept in accordion-like plastic folders from Office Depot as well as a carry-sized document box with hanging folders.

legomaniac83, on 09 April 2012 - 08:03 PM, said:

Although I am stuck on some larger books - They are longer than the binders, and page sleeves do not hold them as well. Right now they are in a Tote and it bug me because all my other booklets are in binders for easy use.

Some of Lego's older manuals are in the European sizes even in North America. Check online for A4 sized binders and plastic pockets  like the ones you show, they are longer, narrower and have 4 holes instead of 3.

[mrklaw]

for page protectors (plastic bags) in ring binders, and hanging files - do you not find your heavier manuals crumpling over time?

eg for page protectors in a ring binder, they'd pull down on the top ring, and for hanging files they'd push the file 'open' and collapse onto themselves?

[typo]

I have not had crumpling issues or binder issue so far. I have had them in these binders for almost a year. Here's my set up:

Easy Identification



A4 Binder and Sheet Protector (Left)



I haven't figure out what do about my Architecture series instructions other than put them in a shoe box...

[mrklaw]

typo, on 10 April 2012 - 02:32 PM, said:

I have not had crumpling issues or binder issue so far. I have had them in these binders for almost a year. Here's my set up:

do you have any big/heavy books like UCS instructions or technics?

[typo]

mrklaw, on 10 April 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

do you have any big/heavy books like UCS instructions or technics?

No, the modular buildings and Creator houses are my heaviest and they have held up just fine...

[mrklaw]

typo, on 10 April 2012 - 03:03 PM, said:

No, the modular buildings and Creator houses are my heaviest and they have held up just fine...

thanks, will give this a try

[legomaniac83]

I've had no problem with the binders....I keep them lying flat instead of standing up so everything stays flat.

fyrmedhatt, on 10 April 2012 - 01:14 AM, said:

Some of Lego's older manuals are in the European sizes even in North America. Check online for A4 sized binders and plastic pockets  like the ones you show, they are longer, narrower and have 4 holes instead of 3.

And thanks for the idea!

Edited by legomaniac83, 10 April 2012 - 05:15 PM.