Storage and Sorting LEGO

[Davey]

I think this is an issue that everyone struggles with at some point. Stacy and I are starting to approach outgrowing our current LEGO storage space. We have managed to add some display space for a lot of sets by buying more shelves for the walls in our house. Target and IKEA seem to have a lot of innovative storage and display shelving. We have had good luck at both. Once we run out of space, I'm not sure what we will do. Hopefully by that time we will be looking at moving to a slightly larger house.

We have also contemplated renting some studio space for our LEGO collection. However, I really want the collection to be right at the house...or at worst 2-3 blocks away. Right now since we live outside of town...that's not an option.

Good luck with storage and the wedding!

-Dave

[Burf2000]

Thanks Dave, I was thinking of doing a display at my parents house or mates but as you say, its too far away!!. I need to take a visit to IKEA

[Corvus]

Well, I think you have two options. One, you could dump extra stuff into a box (carefully) and wait until you get the bigger house, or you could get as much shelf space as possible.

It all really depends on when you plan to move to the bigger house.

[I Scream Clone]

Hi burf2000, great to hear about the impending nuptials. Sorry to hear about the lack of space for Lego though. Perhaps this topic will assist your needs.

Sorting and Storage of Lego

For now I will close this topic as the Sorting topic will serve everyones needs and discussion.

Cheers

ISC

[Piranha]

Right now I have my bulk LEGO parts sorted by color into large Grey storage containers, that have multiple plastic pull out slots

They are very common on Brickshelf if you type in storage

I have 2 with large slots (about 9 compartments on each container)

And 2 with small slots, I'm not sure how many slots, but it is alot

For minifigs and special parts/ accessories I find using a fishing tackle box very handy

I also have some sets from my collection on display as well

And on the floor I am working on a train layout as I do not have a large enough table or space for it hehe

[ziljin]

I have been using the plastic bags that the lego sets came with, and some bags from gundam model kit purchases, and a few of those air bags(box fillers) cut in half for smaller pieces.

I just started stacking my bricks so that they are one solid piece in storage. This means no loose pieces, so less likely to go missing when I take pieces out for building. More organized since all the bricks are together, which makes it easier if I just want mass of one brick type. Doesn't work too well with slopes though, so far its great for bricks, and arches. Plates vary, 1x# works great, but bigger ones get too tight if stacked, so I just put them together but only on one row of studs for easy removal.

[Topsy Cret]

Oh yeah... The glory of sorting. During this wonderfully (and unusually HOT) Summer of 09 here in high-tax Sweden, guess what I did? Was I outside on the beach? Was I taking walks in the park? NO! I was sorting 30,000 pieces of LEGO right from scratch. The scary part is that I (with the help of Mom, naturally), was able to do it within a two-week period.

I currently hold 217 boxes of sorted LEGO, all of which are sorted; be it by theme or piece. I also have six boxes of those cubicle suitcase things. For the fun facts, more than 3000 SEK (roughly more than $300) were spent on some of the highest quality storage boxes I have ever seen. Yep... Well, at least I didn't have to pay for it. Would have ruined my LEGO shopping list for the next year!

The pain of sorting though, is that it requires a HUGE amount of discipline. The MOCs and purchases add up extremely quickly. At the moment I'm sitting next to about 1000 pieces of LEGO that has to be resorted. Ughh.

[Rapseflaps]

I'm thinking of using the ziplock bags as well, although instead of the whole color sorting thing, I'll take my newest sets and recreate the numbered bags they came in.

All my old Lego is a horrid jumbled mess and I know there's a bunch of pieces missing. Sorting that will be a painful chore (also, most models are actually stored intact right now).

Not to mention I lack any sort of space for the kind of storage racks I've seen in this thread.

[thewizzard]

I am not as organised as most of you but as a kid I had a big lego sack type thing and used to play and build in it does anyone still do these type things I may get one for my boy.

[JCC1004]

I took Maina3's bagged figures to a new level. I got these bigger bags that work good for 3^1/2 inch action figures. I used them as set bags. I'd put all of the figures in a set into one. The figures were neatly organized. I can try and get some pics tomorrow. It's alot easier then digging around in a big box of figures.

[Piranha]

Just discovered between 50-100 pounds of misc bulk LEGO parts that needs sorting

No room or place to sort it though

I also would like to resort another 100 pounds that I already sorted, but could be much better.

Also I would recommend using fishing tackle boxes for LEGO parts.

There are loads of compartments for specialized parts and accessorizes.

I organized mine much better yesterday. Put in train tracks/motors and such.

I need to buy plastic bins, more containers with draws, some of those 2x3 small bags.

LEGO Organization Continues......

[ILikePi]

Oh, thanks so much for reviving this topic! I almost completely forgot about it.

I will try to post a pic of my room tomorrow. The table really needs some organizing, and I'm running out of room for displaying my sets!

Unfortunately, that means taking apart some of my larger sets.

[starwarsfanatic]

I did try to sort out all of my LEGO by colour, but although I put dark tan with tan, both browns together, all greys and blacks together, dark blue, blue and red in a box and all greens together I ran out of storage. I had to put my dark red parts in the lid of my minifig box and make a weird structure using all of my orange parts. And then I got some gold parts..

Fifty posts... My first benchmark achieved.

Edited October 17, 2009 by starwarsfanatic

[castlestrike666]

I sort by color and by part and recently reached the 65 000 pieces!

Not everything, but most of my loose pieces:

Sorting

Edited October 17, 2009 by castlestrike666

[Rapseflaps]

I'm thinking of using the ziplock bags as well, although instead of the whole color sorting thing, I'll take my newest sets and recreate the numbered bags they came in.

All my old Lego is a horrid jumbled mess and I know there's a bunch of pieces missing. Sorting that will be a painful chore (also, most models are actually stored intact right now).

Not to mention I lack any sort of space for the kind of storage racks I've seen in this thread.

By the way, any thoughts on this?

I've received my bags, now I just have to start the storage process. You think this would be the way to go, or do you have another advice? Keep in mind, I'm not that into MOCs as most here, I usually stick to the instructions (yes, I'm boring like that).

[Karto]

I moved last summer to a new house. As you probably know, that's a lot of work but I took the chance sort my Lego stuff. There was a spare room just waiting to hold all of it.

Note: I'm more into collecting / restoring sets than building MOCs.

Here's the result:

The shelves:

Uniboxes with unboxed sets:

Some of he sorted parts:

Note2: My provider seems kinda slow today. Pics should show up faster soon...

[Milan]

Damn!

And I thought I have a nice and tidy sorted parts...

Nice work, man!

[harrysnapperorgans]

I have a small Lego collection combined with a reasonably small house and a 2 year old. So I need to be able to find peices to build with and also clear it all away pretty quickly. So I came up with the system of heavy duty clear ziplock bags, stored in two latching rolling rubbermaid bins. This works well, I can pull out what I need easily and pack it away fast

I have a few catagories, bricks sorted by color, 1 and 2 wide plates, 4+ wide plates, tiles, odd specialist pieces, minifigs, minifig accesiories, hinges, trans parts, round 1x1's and 1x2's, technic pins, technic liftarms, technic shafts and quite a few more I can't think of right now.

[Big Cam]

I moved last summer to a new house. As you probably know, that's a lot of work but I took the chance sort my Lego stuff. There was a spare room just waiting to hold all of it.

Note: I'm more into collecting / restoring sets than building MOCs.

Here's the result:

Pics removed to save load times

Note2: My provider seems kinda slow today. Pics should show up faster soon...

OMG, I am so jealous of your setup. I am in the same boat as you, except I have about 1/25th the amount of LEGO's that you do.

[Piranha]

Wow that is one sweet LEGO room

Are all the sets in sealed boxes? Or all the boxes empty?

Or did you open and place them back into the set boxes?

[jonwil]

I use these

http://www.fischerplastics.com.au/ProductP...orageBoxes.html

for storage of most of my parts.

I also have a Plano Tackle Systems 3-tray tackle box that I store some stuff in (It was the first thing I bought when I got into LEGO)

For parts I have lots of, I use various sizes of plastic drawer.

Large parts like train wagon bases, base plates, ship hulls, large technic wheels and train track get stored in various sizes of large plastic tubs.

I also have a large plastic tub for my collection of light and dark bley parts and a drawer for my red brown parts. (although if I keep buying sets like the crawler crane, my tub of bley parts will be full before too long)

Have never sorted by color except for the new grays and brown.

[Karto]

Are all the sets in sealed boxes? Or all the boxes empty?

Or did you open and place them back into the set boxes?

Most of the boxes are sealed. The others are opened but usually in mint condition.

[BearHeart]

I'm considering using Ziploc bags to sort my LEGO rather than plastic containers. I'm trying this specifically to save on space. Comments?

[commdr_neyo]

I need to chose, the method with boxes on this picture (on the left),

or a method with something like this.

Which do you think I should take?

[davee123]

I do not support any sorting mechanism that breaks image links! (2nd image is broken)

DaveE