Hello everyone! I am back from a short vacation and this topic recently came up in our Discord, so I thought I would share some tips from my personal experience when moving. How do you store specific collectibles? What kind of padding to wrap them in? Boxes or not?
I'll answer these questions and more for you! These tips also work great if you're looking to temporarily store any items from your collection! 1. Box or no box?
For games and figures, and some plush, you may be wondering or not whether to keep the bulky box included. I think this is all on personal preference, but I'll provide my recommendation:
As for storing them for the move: I'll go into this in more detail below, but wrap each one in bubble wrap. You can get this pretty cheap, or if you sell/buy a lot like me, you probably have a bird's nest worth sitting somewhere. 2. HOW TO STORE THEM - CONTAINERS
For containers, there are a few options. You could move them by hand, but that wouldn't be efficient unless moving across the hall. I do recommend moving specific fragile/important pieces by hand, ie: carry them with you in the car if possible.
For larger containers, I'd start with cardboard boxes if you need a cheap way to go about it. Check with friends in local grocery stores (we used banana boxes for an entire move once) or stocking jobs-- they often toss cardboard and will give it to you for free. You can also buy things like banker boxes or moving boxes from places like U-Haul, but this can get expensive. Make sure you don't pack too much in a single box and try to go for medium sized ones over something like a furniture box-- you'll thank yourself later. Second, you can invest in Rubbermaid totes or plastic totes (Sterilite for example). Rubbermaid is quite expensive, but durable. Sterilite is more fragile but you get way more for your money. If you don't plan to keep the items in the totes, they work great for storing craft supplies, garden supplies, ect. Totes are normally pricey, but right after Christmas and through mid-Spring they go on sale. In fact, lots of storage related items go on sale during the spring for spring cleaning! Ornament boxes might work well for some items. You might also find some organizational stuff on sale around late July to mid August for back to school, but it won't be as plentiful as "spring cleaning/gardening" time of the year. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that these will be bulky/heavy. You might want to use them for things like clothes, figure boxes, or plush! Putting lots of scale figures, books, and games can get heavy quick. Another smaller storage option to consider is egg cartons. A friend on my Discord told me they used them for things like smaller figures and keychains. I think I will try this on my next move considering last time I individually bubble wrapped everything and it took ages! 3. HOW TO STORE THEM - PADDING
As for what to use as padding, there is the aforementioned bubble wrap. DO NOT use newspaper, especially on figures! Newspaper ink will rub off and stain your collectibles.
If bubble wrap is too hard to come by, plastic bags saved from the grocery store work well. Make sure they didn't house any chemicals or meat products as you don't want to transfer grime to your collection. Another option is foam inserts, which you can buy in rolls. This would be a quick way to cushion flats (posters, cards, ect.) or make layers between other items (games, can badges). You can even use them to wrap figures / figure boxes, but it's not as malleable as bubble wrap, so you may need tape. Just don't tape the item itself, otherwise you risk tearing the box or removing paint! You can check my previous post in regards to storing posters, trading cards, and more here! A quick reminder is to always store posters and wallscrolls in poster tubes! They will otherwise get damaged very easily... we even use a wrapping paper container to help store them (see photo). You can find poster tubes at the post office or anywhere with mailing supplies! You can also use clothing to help cushion/lighten each box, but remember what clothes you put in, especially if you plan to wear them! One thing I tend to do is use sweaters and other winter clothes, since you likely won't need them for some time. I only recommend this method for items you plan to unpack right after the move; if you're storing something for a longer period of time, say in a closet or storage unit, go with bubble wrap or plastic bags. 4. LABELING AND ORGANIZING
Organization is the key to any move. Pack toiletries last, friend. Once you have the containers of your choice, invest in a cheap label maker or use tape/permanent marker on the box so you know what's inside. For my last move, I photographed each box or made a list so I knew what was where... and I STILL lost items in my move. You should decide how you want to pack them up. I prefer to put my scale figures together, if they fit, or pack a specific collection together (like my Digimon Adventure stuff). This will be dependent on you and the space you have. Just remember, don't pack things too densely. Things get heavier than you think and quick! It's okay to test out things or lighten the load with paper/clothing items as you go. Just make sure you make some kind of note somewhere to ensure you can find it later. See through containers are great for knowing what's inside without having to take extra time to label, but they are more of an investment. Simple permanent marker on a cardboard throw-a-way box works just as good! Another thing I want to mention here is marking things as FRAGILE. This is very important for any cold cast statues or things like video games. Make sure it's loud and proud when you label your moving boxes! There's a few reasons for this. Outside the fact that everyone will know the contents are breakable, YOU will know too! When stacking items, this can be a useful tool so you don't put that weight set you bought and never used on top of a $500 statue. (No, that isn't a personal experience, but it is good advice...) What if I don't have space, HGT? What then, huh? Well, you may want to read my post on weeding collections! Sometimes you may have more than you want to move or you need to raise funds for moving. Weeding your collection makes this a lot easier and you might have a bit of a financial buffer, too! 5. who to trust to do the work
Now, who do you trust to do the work? Friends, or professionals? Personally, I've never used professional movers. I've never had the money, nor do I trust them to move my stuff. If you do go this route, ask around and check reviews, compare prices. Just do your research and make sure you've followed the other steps, especially labeling, packing things securely, and also: supervise and make sure things are stacked properly--but don't be rude about it. Most movers, I'd assume, know how to do their job. I'd definitely look into ones that offer insurance and have worked well moving other fragile items before.
As for friends/family--this can be one of the best options! Not only will they usually help you for free, but they tend to respect your personal belongings. (This is subject to your friend/family circle, though...) I would, however, treat them to a nice dinner or offer pizza/drinks. If you're working in the summer, make sure you have lots of water or Gatorade handy. Finally, don't be lazy--make sure you're helping, they're doing you a favor after all! Lastly, you can do the work yourself. My wife and I rent a U-Haul or find a friend with a truck to help move items. We load everything ourselves, drive the vehicles ourselves, and unload everything ourselves. This can be a daunting process! You will be tired and work late, especially if you are trying to do it all in three days. (U-Haul's aren't cheap... you pay by the day with insurance/rental and other minor fees on top). I'm sure there are other companies to use, this is just the one I have personal experience with. I hope these top five tips helped you plan your next move. I'll be moving again in a year myself, so thinking about these things ahead of time is probably in my best interests! Have you moved a large collection? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments!
1 Comment
4/1/2023 05:48:51
Thanks for sharing the moving and storage tips, your blog cleared many doubts about how to relocate houses and offices hassle-free. The packing and storage tips are very good and useful.
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Author: ShindoW
I am a anime and video game enthusiast living in Texas. I have been collecting since 2005. During that time I've collected a variety of merchandise and knowledge to help other collectors. Archives
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