Storage and Sorting LEGO

[dr_spock]

I got them from Bed Bath & Beyond.

From my experience buying storage stuff (Plastic Tackle Boxes) for my other hobbies, one of the big drawbacks to wall-mart is that if you decide to get more storage later on, they will have something similar, but not the exact same thing. This makes stacking more difficult and makes it look worse. My advise is that when you set up a storage area, make sure you buy a lot of it, so that you won't have to hunt for the same box again.

So true. I went back a few weeks later to Walmart for more. The boxes were the same except for the handle color. Now I have blue handle for Technics stuff. Green handle for Town. I should have bought more first time around.

[alphachild]

Hi Everyone, this I believe is my first posting reply and was just wandering about sorting.

I have been sorting Lego's for two years now and I have alot in ziploc bags and have bags for same pcs but alot in seperate bags so I am trying to sort the same colors together since they are seperated in the many ziplocs. My only deal is pushing me back and yes sound crazy but should I put the NEW Lego's in with the used ones? This is putting me in a delimma. Any feedback would help. Thanks.

[legolijntje]

(First time I post in this topic )

I'm busy whit sorting now. I've sort the most bricks now.

I prefer to sort by part, and not color. I'm using all kinds of boxes.

Here you can see my collection (in the meantime there are more sets added to my collection, and there is sorted more)

And for people in the Netherlands: at the HEMA (a shop:wink: ) you can buy good boxes for only 4,50 euro (see picture below for a box (whit my minifigs)

PS; sorry for my bad English:grin:

[nicoga3000]

I should have pics of my completed sorting collection. Needless to say, I'm quite proud of it. There's a few tweaks left on smaller hinge style and connection pieces, but it's essentially complete. Sweet.

[Seluryar]

here is what i currently use as storage:

1 gallon storage bags as a temporary storage system

currently, most of the lego i own can fit onto a package thingy that my old modem was delivered in:

the original plan was to use bags for every set i own, but then i decided it might be simpler to have one bag for each color as opposed to 2 bags per color(1 bag per color per set, only own 2 technic sets so far)

[eltsyr]

I finally finished my kids'room.

- 4 linear meters of desk for building (although most of it happens on the floor )

- 8 linear meters of shelves for exposition & temporary models (eg graveyards)

- 1 big lego head container to quickly pick up bricks before putting them to bed

- 30 red labeled drawers (Ikea model : HELMER) for bricks / plates / figures / round stuff / slopes & archs / ship parts / objects / instructions

- 80 DIY drawers on the desk for small components (greblings, technics)

- a laptop to retrieve/visualize pdf instruction manuals

Although not the best looking room in the house it's very functional and it is quickly becoming their paradise at home :)

Edited March 4, 2011 by eltsyr

[Follows Closely]

I finally finished my kids'room...

Very nice. There is plenty of room for the collection to grow as well.

[nychase]

Just want to add my 2 cents.

I have just finished adding near as makes no difference over 100,000 bricks to my collection. Most of my collection is in set form without original boxes so the parts stay in freezer bags with the set number on the label. Why freezer? ... simple, its a thicker plastic and highly resistant to punctures (which is a real problem with those rogue 1x16 technic bricks). All those bags just go into big storage bins and are stacked.

Parts are another story.

For the bulk of the parts I have them in these containers. Stanley makes three kinds, although the other two "professional" ones allow for the cups to be removed (certainly easier for emptying) they are not resizable and thus are less helpful when you have vastly different quantities of items. I also have a few of those old Technic cases from the universal set for the more rare parts. The rest of the bricks? well thankfully after reading this I finally have a solution I can live with. The bins that are mentioned previously as being "shoebox sized" are still available from walmart for a still reasonable $1.07 a bin (link). I purchased these for the bricks and other items that are just too large for sorted containers.

I will post pictures later tonight when I get a chance to take some.

[CommanderFox]

What a lovely room eltsyr!

What lucky kids they are!

CF

[happymark]

Very nice eltsyr! did you buy the 'long' desk from IKEA too? what's the model?

Thanks!

I finally finished my kids'room.

- 4 linear meters of desk for building (although most of it happens on the floor )

- 8 linear meters of shelves for exposition & temporary models (eg graveyards)

- 1 big lego head container to quickly pick up bricks before putting them to bed

- 30 red labeled drawers (Ikea model : HELMER) for bricks / plates / figures / round stuff / slopes & archs / ship parts / objects / instructions

- 80 DIY drawers on the desk for small components (greblings, technics)

- a laptop to retrieve/visualize pdf instruction manuals

Although not the best looking room in the house it's very functional and it is quickly becoming their paradise at home :)

[TypoCorrecto]

I was looking around and stumbled upon Brickset's webmaster's Brickshelf page and he has a storage system pictured here:

Does anyone know the brand name those many navy blue storage drawer containers? I have sent a message asking him as well?

Edited May 6, 2011 by typo

[turtleboy1975]

They aren't real good for storage but I started buying the actual LEGO storage containers. I paid $6.07 and they came with a free base plate. So That I felt was worth it. Plus they have either a minifig head on the front or a scene.

I am actally using these with the lego shelf system with a board across them for a build desk

[Seluryar]

Hello, monster thread!

I'm about 3 months into this new hobby of mine, and the shelves are starting to get full. Time to think about breaking down some built sets and storing them away, particularly my winter toy shop and bakery. I finally got over my mental stumbling block where I didn't want to throw boxes away. (I even kept the empty clear brick bags you cut open! Why!?)

I've decided to go with the Akro-Mils cabinets. The 44-drawer one in particular looks like a nice start:

I think I'll just get one to start with since it has a mix of big and small drawers. If anyone is interested, here is a nice link to see their product page. And here is a link to a pdf file with some stats; see page 2 with the measurements. Looks like most of them have the same width so that you can stack them, with the exception of the 16-drawer one, which is probably not what most people want anyway.

Am I strange for being a little excited about storing Lego?

I'll try and answer these after I get my 44-drawer Akro-Mils cabinet. But from what I've read, they do in fact stack and have grooves for that, but I don't know if they lock together like giant Lego bricks.

#2 is a good question. I see a bunch of the clear plastic trays with cubbys and a lid at the bead and craft area of craft stores. If you're in the USA, try Michaels and on the left side of the store they have the bead area with those things. Bring a minifig with you and test them out. This is also the area of the store where I buy the tiny 2x2 inch ziploc bags in which I will keep minifigures.

i have decided that if i am gonna upgrade to a storage system better than baggies, im gonna go with the same as you posted, i just found out that akro mils is a local company :D

Edited March 22, 2011 by Seluryar

[LEGO Guy Bri]

I recently bought two sets of those all plastic storage containers. Two 27 medium drawer cabinets and two 39 small/ medium drawer unit. I will eventually need a couple more as I order from BL for more MOCs. It makes MOCing or modding an existing set SO EASY. S****y part is going through all the pieces. I recommend sorting the pieces into piles before buying these units. Get the pieces in the piles you want them in. Then get those piles in with others, if you don't want to have a bunch of the storage containers. Plan on 2hrs per 5lbs

[RoboFabio]

Hi people, I'm new LEGO fan (trains and city) and I would like know where keep your LEGO collection... display showcase, bookcase ?

[Stank]

In my room. If there's no place for it, then... umm... i don't know. But there always is place, even my pockets count!

Anyway, I put unsorted pieces in container (yes, only 1 big container) because my collection isn't very big and i put sets and MOC's on my table.

But seriously, where to put a big collection when there's no place?

Edited May 6, 2011 by Stank

[WhiteFang]

Hi people, I'm new LEGO fan (trains and city) and I would like know where keep your LEGO collection... display showcase, bookcase ?

Topic is merged into this existing discussion. Please refer to the content in here for reference.

[fred67]

Topic is merged into this existing discussion. Please refer to the content in here for reference.

I sounded to me like he was asking about displaying, not storage and sorting.... although it seems like there should be another perma-thread about displaying.

[Brickdoctor]

I sounded to me like he was asking about displaying, not storage and sorting.... although it seems like there should be another perma-thread about displaying.

Agreed.

To answer the question, I part out my sets and display MOCs worth keeping on top of my storage bins.

[happymark]

want to share my storage and sorting/display

Still need a lot of work done

I share all of these with my sons. although I do most of sorting work

Sorting Pieces Wall:

More storage:

Display Shelf and building table:

Our small town:

To be sorted/fixed:

Hi people, I'm new LEGO fan (trains and city) and I would like know where keep your LEGO collection... display showcase, bookcase ?

Edited May 6, 2011 by happymark

[MinifigFreak2010]

OMG! I am so jealous of that room! I'm willing to bet that if christopher doyle of Reasonably clever is looking at this, he's just drooling over the massive amount of storage and display.

As far as my storage method, I posted a few pages back but I need to update the list since I reorganized a couple drawers in my organizer and my cart has been changed up a bit. The stray lego minifigs I have in different containers are finally being corraled into one container. Let's hope they don't start multiplying on me or I may have to seperate the girls and boys XD

[Stank]

want to share my storage and sorting/display

Still need a lot of work done

I share all of these with my sons. although I do most of sorting work

Our small town:

*oh2* This is the biggestest (yes, double -est) collection i have seen! And is that the yellow Family Home on the pic i quoted? White City Corner bus? Awesome!

[bricklayer]

Holy organized.

Freaking awesome stuff happymark.

Now I can see how MOC's are built..........because you have every piece imaginable at your disposal.

How long have you been working on that collection?

[BrickWild]

Even Toy Corner has those handy storage cases!

It's easier to keep them in those trays rather than mixed up in labelled drawers!

[legolijntje]

What's their price?

They look good, our toy shops sell only toys