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So, do you guys have any good ideas/alternatives? How do you store/move entire (modular) Lego sets? Breaking them down and rebuilding them seems a lot of time-wasting.

I have not seen what you are looking for, but I would suggest that you pack your modular buildings by floor. LEGO can come apart during shipment, and if you only have one floor per box it should be easier to re-assemble as the loose parts would only be from one floor. Cardboard boxes would be much less expensive and you could use tape on labels with the set number and a dash to indicate the floor. Like 10197-1 for the first floor of the FB.

IHTH

Andy D

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How are you moving them? Are they going on a moving truck? Through the air? Or are you just transporting them in your car?

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How are you moving them? Are they going on a moving truck? Through the air? Or are you just transporting them in your car?

Transport in a truck

Cardboard boxes would be much less expensive and you could use tape on labels with the set number

I know but cardboard boxes aren't too safe to stack or to protect against moist or damaging impact. And labeling is a waste of time imo. A clear plastic box that can be locked up should be easier. Money is not the issue as those boxes are durable and for multiple purposes.

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You might give these two boxes from Sterelite a look. They are not "exactly" baseplate size (I believe they are a little larger)' but Sterelite make a bunch of clear boxes with latch lids. I use the 15 quart and the 66 quart for home LEGO storage. I just never thought of them as moving boxes.

http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-Deep-Clip-Box-Pack/dp/B004QJM0DG/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1418177914&sr=8-16&keywords=sterilite

http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-17571706-66-Quart-ClearView-Latch/dp/B003EH1GH2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418177914&sr=8-2&keywords=sterilite

Good Luck with your move.

Andy D

Edited by Andy D

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I transport my modulars quite often in my truck taking them to various LEGO shows for display. I put them in printer paper boxes ans simply fill the voids with cars, trucks, and other things going in the display. Some parts fall off into the box, but it's easy to figure out where they go.

I took them almost 300 miles like this.

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The problem of how to sort and store Lego can never be permanently solved unless you intend to never allow your collection to grow (and let's face it: how many of us would want that?!)

As a collection grows in size and diversity, the sorting system and type of containers used will evolve with it.

I prefer to sort by both colour and type, e.g. red brick, red plate, red arches, red slopes, red "special", etc.

To avoid "over-sorting" to where it gets tedious gathering pieces for a model, certain parts get sorted by type only, e.g. mixed hinges, doors & windows, 1x3 curved slopes, etc.

Then, of course, I often separate often-used pieces but then save space by combining similar colours. e.g. mixed green cheese slopes, mixed grey headlight bricks, etc.

My Lego room is tiny and my collection vast, so the containers have to be stackable, slim and super-efficient. At the moment I have a mix of SmartStore, Wham, Crystal and Really Useful Box containers along with a multiple drawer system for my minifig population.

A bit obsessive? Probably. TIdy and easy to locate pieces? Definitely!

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Hi, I am about to move soon and I was looking for some clear/transparant storage boxes/bins/containers that can store two 32x32 studded base plates next to eachother. ...

So, do you guys have any good ideas/alternatives? How do you store/move entire (modular) Lego sets? Breaking them down and rebuilding them seems a lot of time-wasting.

I moved a 6 weeks ago, and I packed my modulars in carton boxes for baby diapers. They fitted really nicely (most of them) and I didn't remove the floors. The space left I filled with loose bricks in zip bags. The buildings survived the trip by car. A suggestion if you don't find suitable boxes is to get larger zip bags and put one floor of a modular in each bag, than stack them in a larger box or suitcase. If bricks get loose, they're still inside a zip bag.

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This time last year I spend a couple of weeks sorting my collection. Between then and now, all disassembled sets and BrickLink purchases got dumped into bins to deal with "eventually". Now I'm taking the time to sort my new stuff, and am re-organizing my collection. I thought I'd share my process here.

I have 3 sizes of bins, plus those tackle box style bins with dividers inside. In the larger bins, pieces are put into small bags by shape, then those small bags are collected into larger bags by category. For example, each type of hinge goes in its own small bag, then all hinges go into a larger bag, which is put into the bin with other joining/bending/twisting elements. Basic bricks & plates and some minifig parts are the only elements I sort by color.

This system was born out of a lack of storage space - all bins are just stacked in a single closet and are pulled out when I have time to build. I would like to spread out eventually, but having this multi-level system is pretty nice, and it makes it easy to find what I'm looking for. I'm mostly happy with this structure. There are a few bins that are getting a little full so I might add 1 or 2 more and further break down a few of the categories

1. Large bins

a. Bricks

i. 1x and 2x bricks, sorted into bags by color.

b. Plates

i. 1x and 2x plates, sorted into bags by color

ii. Modified plates

iii. Wings

c. Modified bricks

i. Slopes

ii. Arches

iii. Rounds

iv. Other modified bricks

d. Structural

i. Walls

ii. Doors & windows

iii. Beams & supports

2. Medium bins

a. Vehicle

i. Wheels and tires

ii. Vehicle bases

b. Twisting/bending/joining

i. Hinges & joints

ii. Clips & bars

iii Turntables

iv SNOT & brackets

c. Bases

i. All plates wider than 2

d. Decorative

i. Space parts (engines, guns, etc)

ii. Car parts (steering, seats, etc)

e. Glass

i. Windshields & cockpits

f. Misc

i. Large animals

ii. Rocks

iii. Containers

iv. Boats, bikes, motorcycles, surfboards

v. Cannons

vi. Hand carts, wheelbarrows, stretchers, etc

vii. Ladders, bridges & stairs

g. Large parts

i. Monorail

ii. Train

iii. Ship

h. Technic

3. Small boxes

a. Tiles

b. Transparent parts

c. Plants

d. 1x1 tiles, plates, bricks, cones, cylinders, and cheese

e. Minifig torsos (sorted by color)

f. Minifig legs (sorted by color)

g. Plus several small boxes of individually-bagged collectible/licensed minifigs

4. Tackle boxes

a. Heads

b. Hair, horns, and claws

c. Guns

d. Hats & helmets

e. Blades

f. Food & small animals

g. Body wear

h. Utensils & objects

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I use resealable (ziploc bags, zipper bags)s plastic bags to sort and store my Lego pieces from the Lego Wedo basic and resource set together with the Simple and motorized machines set:

Those resealable plastic bags that you can get from the kitchen section of a supermarket.

Not as sophisticated as those neat storage boxes with drawers but very much cheaper

You can also punch a hole at the open end and hang it on a rod.

See Storage options: resealable plastic bags etc

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The resealable plastic bags are really economical. I bought a box of 50, size can fit a sandwich, for only a few $. How much would a 50 drawers storage cabinet cost?

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I use the small/medium/large jewelry bags you can get at a Craft Store...make each bag hold a certain part in a certain color...then throw all the bags with the same color in a Priority Mail Box I get from Bricklink orders. I have a box for each color.

Free storage boxes + 10-20 bucks in clear plastic bags = More money for sets :classic: :classic:

For Mini-figures...I use the Lego Store Pick-a-Brick cups. One cup for heads, one cup for torsos, etc., etc.

Edited by KringlesBricks

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Hi

I hafe an offer of this storage drawers,

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B00GYQXW22

On 25 €/~30$.

Does anyone have this item? I would like to use it not only for a lego assortment but general use with small and medium home parts.

I have one and once my collection expands enough I will definitely get another! These storage drawers are fantastic! I have one with 30 small drawers and 9 large drawers though!

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I like to use plastic storage bins, drawers, and the like. All with clear faces so I can see whats in each one. I label them and for smaller pieces, I use small jewelry/crafting bags.

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I picked up a set of those drawers that you see in people's garage's for screws and various fasteners. Got mine from Ace Hardware - not sure why everybody insists on Akro-Mils when these do the job perfectly. I don't know if others have this, but it's got holes in the back that you can use to attach it to your walls with!

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Hey Phoxtane, I have some of the Akro-Mills ones, and if I stuck with Akro-Mills it's just so they all match; getting them on Amazon is fairly inexpensive and with free shipping. I bought four of them before deciding against buying more. First, I have no wall space to mount more than one of them... I suppose I could do two stacked, but then one would be high enough that I couldn't easily use the top drawers. I can reach, but wouldn't be able to easily see what's in them.

Second, for me, the problem with those types of bins is the sacrifice of space on the horizontal plane. I need a much higher density of storage. I switched to the Stanley storage boxes - which I've mentioned previously, but here's a picture:

014708R_web_detail.jpg

That's the deep 10 bin storage.

014725R_web_detail.jpg

Shallow 25 bin storage for smaller parts.

What I like about them is they are customizable (I have many, and you can switch around the order of the bins, even swapping between units - like one can have more larger bins, and one can have smaller). And because you can take the bins out separately, there's no big problem trying to get a part out like you might have with units that don't have removable bins).

So the reason I like the density of storage I can get with these is because I put them on shelving, standing up, almost like books, with a label on the side for the colors. So I have generally have a large 10 bin, and small 25 bin one for each color, then I can separate out by part type within the bin. I still need more sub-sorting, I use a lot of various size baggies because I still have a lot more part types than I have bins, but it's fairly easy for me to find what I need these days.

Also, at some point, I'd like to build a storage unit for these. Something like this:

182255-438x.jpg

You see the rails on the sides? The tops of the storage boxes have a flange on the top, allowing them to slide in and out on those "rails," they are not stacked (I used to have them stacked on my shelves, but getting the bottom unit was a pain, now I have them vertically with labels on the sides). I plan to double up the rails to make it very generically easy to use for the short or deep bins (the short is like exactly half the size of the deep - two units together take the same space). You can imagine the storage density of these are very high compared to the Stack-On or Akro-Mills units. In addition, with labels to classify what's in it, when you slide it out they have clear tops, so you can still see what's in it.

It's definitely a trade off; if I had a huge LEGO room I might have more Akro-Mills, Stack-On, or whatevers, but even if I did I think I'd rather use the wall space for display.

I still use the Akro-Mills (and I do have an older Stack-On) for odd, hard to classify, or parts that I didn't want to group by color. For example, I have one of those units dedicated to plants - leaves, stalks, flowers, etc. I also have a lot of other bins for overflow... like I have far too many white 2x4s to put in the Stanley case, it would take the whole case and wouldn't make sense, so I fill one bin them in the case, but overflow to Sterilite "shoe" boxes (4 qt), and larger 6qt boxes, that I can store out of the way. I also use those to store sets I've taken off display to make room for newer ones, and all my not-on-display minifigures.

Again, I sub-sort with various sized baggies. I simply don't have enough room to completely sort all my parts.

Edited by fred67

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Recently I have received an email via my blog from a fellow Technic builder asking for some advice on building / storage / display solutions. I have recently sorted out / rebuilt my collection so while it was clean and tidy I have taken the opportunity to take some photos and do a small write up on what I have found to work for me. As I am a Technic builder this works with that type of building, others who build different themes might need a different solution.

Photos with information: http://paulstechnic.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/my-building-display-area-january-2015.html

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Like most here I have tried many different solutions and have finally come across what works for me after 10 or so years.

I have 12 of these metal Ikea draw units;

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10251045/

I put all bricks, plates slopes etc. in those by colour. Depending on quantities they may have separate draws by type or for some colours that I don't have much of are all mixed in one draw (sometimes in bags by type). I find drawers much easier than boxes for access and these fit under a normal desk and are quite cheap. They aslo look tidy which my wife appreciates!

Every other peice I put in partitioned plastic trays that fit into click lock plastic tubs (I think they are called "Really Useful Box"). These I have by my desk as are used the most, the other drawers are farther away depending on colours that I use most. This is an easily expandable solution for both bulk and specialist parts.

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January seems to be the month we tend to go crazy sorting and storing LEGO as our collections expand over the holidays. After many years of using mainly Roughneck 10 and 18 gallon colored containers, we are moving most of our parts to the File Box 1868 made by Sterilite. It has clear sides, a black top and is stackable. This week many US WalMarts appear to have a pallet or two priced at 5US. They are somewhere on the floor....wherever the store has space. The item number is 007314918689. The regular prices appears to be 8US. Call your store first to locate them; they can tell you which store has them in at the moment. It changes day to day. Good luck! (BTW you can fit about fifty of these stacked inside a Honda Element 7 high with the seats lifted. I know from lots of practice!)

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I just recently mixed all my bricks after keeping them separate. I have those portfolio case containers from Toys R Us, and I have subdivided them using plastic lunch containers. One has regular bricks, one has flat bricks, one has smooth bricks, one has slopes and arches,mine has windows and doors, one has base plates and mini plates and one has technic bits and accessories. It is working so far but a few of the cases are nearly full already, and then I don't know what I will do :-)

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January seems to be the month we tend to go crazy sorting and storing LEGO...

It is also the time around my neck of the woods for stores to offer sales on storage containers of all sizes. I scored some nice plastic bins w/lids in bundles of 10 for $9.99 per bundle.

(For those in Canada: Link to Canadian Tire sale price)

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Having a rather large inventory on Bricklink for a while now (currently over 480,000 parts!), here is what I do to keep things organized and allow me to effectively sort orders very quickly (typically a 24-hour turnaround even though I have a full-time job not involving LEGO at all:-)) :

- I essentially use four types of storage *items*: "Stack-On" plastic storage cabinets (18-drawer & 39-drawer, found at Lowe's), "Really Useful Boxes" (mainly the 64-liter, and a few 32-Liter, 17-Liter, & 4-Liter size as well... found at Office Depot), a few of the Plano Pro-Latch Utility Boxes (think I got most fo these at Walmart in the "outdoors" (fishing) department), and ziplock bags (various sizes, I buy many bulk through Costco, the larger 5-gallon at Target, and all smaller ones through Box City)...

- All parts are initially sorted by "major"-type parts (Bricks, Plates, Modified Bricks, Modified Plates, Wheels/Assemblies, Doors/Windows, Technic, etc.)...

- I then sort those "major"-type parts into "sub"-type parts (ex. "Bricks" would be sorted into 1x1s, 2x2s, 2x3s, 2x4s, 2x6s, etc.), and place them in separate ziplock bags (some parts are separated by colors at this point, especially when I begin to accumulate too many to fit in one large ziplock bag, just to make pulling orders easier)... in most of the sub-type part ziplocks, I have also added a smaller ziplock bag to separate all the particular parts in the older colors (Brown, Light Gray and Dark Gray)... again, I do this so I don't have to spend time separating them from other colors when I pull orders... as I add to inventory, and a sub-type gets too large for a particular Really Useful Box, I just get another one to stack & store the spill-over (for example, I started with all Bricks and Plates in one 64-Liter Really Useful Box, and over a 3-year period have expanded to a dedicated 64-Liter Really Useful Box for all my 2x4 Bricks, and those 2x4 Bricks are separated by color in ziplocks within the Box for ease of sorting... and I have a different 64-Liter Really Useful Box for all my 2x2 and 2x3 Bricks, and one dedicated to all 2x6, 2x8, & 2x10 Bricks sorted in the same way)... the beauty of this way of handling my inventory is that the Really Useful Bins are easily stackable (are much stronger than other plastic bins), and I can always add more Bins and ziplock bags, making the system easily expandable (I have added well over 400,000 parts to my store inventory in a less than three years; again, all while holding down a full-time job and going to school part-time all along)...

- I use the Stack-On plastic storage cabinets specifically to store all Minifigure component parts (mainly Utensils, Weapons, and Shields for now.... I *used* to use the cabinets to store all Minifigure-related items like body parts, body wear, head, headgear, legs, torsos, but I have way too many of them to store/sort them that way anymore (and not enough tables/space for more Stack-On cabinets)... now many of those parts are in stored in the Plano containers and stacked in Really Useful Bins... except the Minifigure Heads, those are stored in a separate 4-Liter Really Useful Box, sorted by certain features (i.e. Solid Stud, Recessed Stud, w/ Beard, Female, w/ Glasses, etc.) and each sub-feature group is mounted 5-heads high on 2x* plates so that they are easier to identify when sorting through them (so that they can all be facing the same way, and are easy to identify without wasting time sorting through a bin of them)... the sticker sheets in my inventory are also in a dedicated 4-Liter Box...

- I began my inventory with three of the 64-Liter "Really Useful Boxes" years ago, and have added more as I have added to my Bricklink inventory (I have over 30 of the 64-Liter size ones now). I cannot say enough how great these storage units are! The Really Useful Boxes have proved so durable (they stack perfectly, even with great weight at times, and have made sorting inventory fairly easy), that I have bought many different sizes of them to use for storing many different items in my garage, house, etc... while it is true that they are a more pricey than other bins on the market, they never seem to warp, bend and they rarely crack (unless you drop them from 10 feet, and they just break a little part off and are still usable)... I can honestly say that the Really Useful Boxes have lasted longer than any of the various Rubbermaid/Sterilite/etc. bins I have bought over the years... and if you keep a watchful eye open, at least a few times a year Office Depot does a "buy one get one @ 50% off" on the Really Useful Boxes, which is typically when I load up on the large ones. ;-)

So that's it... the "secret" to my success! (well, that and providing good communication to Buyers and maintaining a focused dedication to sorting out all damaged/broken/yellowed/dirty parts from lots not fit for sale in my store *before* adding any of those lots to my inventory)... :-)

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....

I use the same system for the reasons and advantages you mentioned. :classic:

It is great. :thumbup:

img_0143.jpg

img_0135.jpg

img_0138.jpg

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