LifeLongBuilderJim

Hi Turnip, your getting lots of help! I love Maniac’s routine of actually rebuilding each set every year, I just don’t have the energy or competent help to do that. Sounds like a hoot though! We use the Sterilite boxes suggested above so they stack easily. They make a tall thin one that holds ones like the Gingerbread house and Fire Station, and more squat ones that hold ones like the Bakery and Workshop. I’ve added some things, like I’ve winterized the Treehouse and I winterized the Disney Train Station and added them, but I have to get special boxes for them. I’m finishing a train tunnel and snow hill this year (if I can make it!) and that is modular on 4 baseplates. Need to find boxes for that. Our tradition then becomes the assembly of the village, not the sets. I set up 8, folding half card tables that have telescoping legs, set low. We cover the tables in white cotton batting (I know I’m cheating, I just can’t justify covering the thing in baseplates), and I set up the 3 interlocking train loop tracks. Then with whatever of my kids/grandkids are there we place the buildings. Some have standard locations, others we change year over year. The grandkids love the motion of 3 trains (2 winter Village and the Disney train) and I’ve got room for a lot more sets. Assuming I get done the mountain/tunnel/ski hill (=survive), next year I was thinking about winterizing the Disney castle, but I wonder is the Hogwarts one wouldn’t look better covered in snow.