Storage and Sorting LEGO

[tafkatb]

I recently received a 44-drawer cabinet from The Container Store as a gift, and it's perfect for me - admittedly, my collection is quite a bit smaller than the average AFOL's (in the thousands, but definitely not tens of thousands of pieces, including several permanently-on-display sets), so I'll have to upgrade eventually, but it's a very good start considering I had almost no method of organization previously.

[Vindicare]

Hi.

Excellent topic. I have so many sets without their own box, do I store them mixed or in a set? I've been busy with sorting out which parts goes to which sets and putting in tesco resealable freezer bags.

I'm been wondering If I should store them in sets bag or mixed? What would you do?

Also should I dismantle 8421, 8110 and 8258? That take a lot of bags....

Daniel.

Ya know, I plan on storing mine by set in those stackable drawers. I'm no MOCer so, sorting isn't really a priority. But, it really is impressive seeing some of these sorting pictures. I've been going back and forth with myself on how I want to store my collection.

To answer your question, if you like to build your own stuff then I'd say sort it with like pieces. If you're more the set collector, then it's better to store them as sets. Either way, you have a lot of great examples to work off here.

[morganm]

I'm assuming it's not climate controlled, in which case, it probably will at least increase the chances of something happening. High temperature or rapid changes in temperature can cause parts (particularly ones put together, but sometimes unassembled bricks also) to lose clutch power and warp. Also if there is a lot of humidity, that's not very good for applied stickers (especially the paper based ones I imagine), and it will might encourage mold growth (Though with the bags and such, mold probably isn't much of a concern). All of this depends on the climate where you live though, and the specifics of the storage locker.

I had my collection in a storage unit that was not climate controled. Was in there during the hotest parts of the summer (well over 100 degrees some days, lots of humidity) and we didn't move out of there until winter (several days in there below freezing). Now that I'm unpacked in my new house my kids and I have actually had a chance to play with our Legos. I have not noticed any negative impact of the storage. Stickers all seem fine, no plates or blocks warped, or anything really. They seem the same as the day I bought them. These truly are durable, quality, products!

[brickmack]

I had my collection in a storage unit that was not climate controled. Was in there during the hotest parts of the summer (well over 100 degrees some days, lots of humidity) and we didn't move out of there until winter (several days in there below freezing). Now that I'm unpacked in my new house my kids and I have actually had a chance to play with our Legos. I have not noticed any negative impact of the storage. Stickers all seem fine, no plates or blocks warped, or anything really. They seem the same as the day I bought them. These truly are durable, quality, products!

Hmmm. Were they put together? I left a few complete sets and disassembled parts in a car that was about 100 degrees, and only the ones that were put together had problems (namely reduced clutch power).

[Vindicare]

Hmmm. Were they put together? I left a few complete sets and disassembled parts in a car that was about 100 degrees, and only the ones that were put together had problems (namely reduced clutch power).

I'd like to know as well. I have all the modulars+ the Imperial Flagship put together in the locker and I'm worried they'll be messed up.

[LEGO Guy Bri]

While looking for my instruction book for 6397 Gas N' Wash, I found this mini catalog. I wish Lego would still make them. The little scenes they set up were always fun to look at, IMO. Anyway inside the first page below 'Jack the Lego Maniac's message was this. I thought I'd share it with everyone

Here is the recommendation:

And the booklet from 1992 it's in:

[Legogal]

Does anyone know if Lego has changed the composition of the plastic itself since this 1992 warning that 104 degrees F was the max temp?

I have so many rubbermaid 18L containers that it would be great to store some in our attic that gets very hot in the summer.

What is the current max temp the Lego recommends? Is there any minimum temp as well?

I would never store my most valuable ones, my minifgs, up there. Thanks, Legogal

Edited January 13, 2012 by Legogal

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Does anyone know if Lego has changed the composition of the plastic itself since this 1992 warning that 104 degrees F was the max temp?

I have so many rubbermaid 18L containers that it would be great to store some in our attic that gets very hot in the summer.

What is the current max temp the Lego recommends? Is there any minimum temp as well?

I would never store my most valuable ones, my minifgs, up there. Thanks, Legogal

I'm pretty sure the composition has changed slightly. The elements like the modified plate w/ clip is somewhat flexible. Compared to the early ones, if you tried to bend them, for better grip, they would usually snap off. They may even be less toxic, though I'm somewhat sure they weren't, toxic, to begin with. I used to keep many of mine in the attic for a couple of years. We have 95+ F in summer and below 32 F in winter up there. My layout was also in a room that gets quite cold/hot, albeit not as the attic, throughout the year. They are all fine. Many from the layout were exposed to those temp changes for over 15 years. I clean mine in water hotter then 104 F (except for baseplates) and don't have any problems either. Others on here recommend luke warm though, just to be safe. I'm pretty sure 104 F is probably a recommendation so children don't burn themselves. ABS is pretty durable.

I would guess anything mother nature will throw at them, so long as they are in a house or building, they can handle. If you are still weary, get you favorite or most prized and store them in a closet or cabinet

[JackJonespaw]

I have boxes stored by similar colors. Reds, yellows, and orange are stored in bubble gum tubs! Blue, dark blue, sand blue, purple, and light blue are in another tub. Green, dark green, sand green, and light green are in another. Sand yellow, tan, brown, red-brown, and dark orange are in another. Dark bley, light bley, old dk gray and old lt gray are in a huge one. Finally, all of the rest are in a small tub. (Dark red, sand red, pearl gold, gold, pearl silver, etc.)

[AndyC]

Does anyone know if Lego has changed the composition of the plastic itself since this 1992 warning that 104 degrees F was the max temp?

Nope, even the recent ships recommend a temperature no greater than 40C, i.e. 104F. I don't think I've ever seen a minimum temperature anywhere though.

[Orange Leader]

I think I have a problem with storing my sorted out LEGO. The main problem is that I don't have enough storage place when everything is sorted out. Does anyone has/had the same problem as me?

[brickmack]

I think I have a problem with storing my sorted out LEGO. The main problem is that I don't have enough storage place when everything is sorted out. Does anyone has/had the same problem as me?

All the time. My LEGO room is currently so packed with boxes of parts (and MOCs, sets, unopened boxes, etc) that I can't even walk around. Got it mostly cleaned up now though, screwed some of the sorting containers into a wall to add extra space.

[Orange Leader]

All the time. My LEGO room is currently so packed with boxes of parts (and MOCs, sets, unopened boxes, etc) that I can't even walk around. Got it mostly cleaned up now though, screwed some of the sorting containers into a wall to add extra space.

I see, I don't even have an extra room for LEGO.

I'm aiming to get a small wall for storage cases and sort by part instead of color and part. Unless I got a lot of the same colour and part, I might make an exception.

The storage part of this hobby is one of the things I'm scared of. Next to missing pieces and looking for one piece a whole day.

[mrklaw]

My son and I have a fairly basic setup - a wooden set of four drawers that my father built. One drawer for special pieces, one for large plates/slopes, one for bricks and one for smaller plates.

Plates/blocks are subdivided by size into 1x and 2x, and then further subdivided so I have 1x1/1x2 together, 1x3/1x4 together, and then anything longer in another section. For 2x we do it slightly differently - 2x2 and 2x3 together, 2x4 on its own as we have a lot, and longer gets its own section. Special pieces get put in bins in the top drawer, but I could move them to a separate small drawer unit with sealed boxes later as thats getting quite full and the open tops can result in 'accidents'

Everything else lives in Really Useful Company boxes. Technic beams we drop in big boxes based on size (5 holes and under in one box, 7 holes upwards in another. Fairly easy to sort through those). Tiny parts like technic connectors go in a drawer unit with sealed lids. Then there are a few misc boxes for car parts, wheels, house parts etc.

A little bit stuck with special parts though. Eg we have a 'cars' box which has things like chassis, windshields, and those complex curved panels that cars use. But thats getting quite full so I'm wondering how to subdivide. I'm thinking it'd make sense to pull all the curved panels out and have them separately, as they could be used for other things too. Not sure though. (already have wheels/tracks in a separate box)

Edited January 16, 2012 by mrklaw

[brickmack]

I see, I don't even have an extra room for LEGO.

Technically I don't either, it's in my bedroom. However, since the only non-LEGO related thing in the room is my bed (which when I'm not sleeping is used as a second work table), and a bookshelf (Which is mostly covered in MOCs and small sets), I just call it a LEGO room.

[nicoga3000]

Bumping to show my sorting progress!

Finally got some pics of my sorting. I need to change the photo setting on my phone so they aren't so huge...

This is what I currently have sorted.

Here's some random pre-sort stuff and extra containers. Also, sealed Fire Brigade in the background.

And this is what I'm currently going through. The open top square container are all the pieces I've found while sorting the pre-sort that made it into the wrong bin. The rectangular one with the lime green piece are all finger hinge bricks. And the big pile of pieces is the Tower Bridge disassembled. -_-

[Vindicare]

Nice looking cabinet there. What did you do with specific printed/stickered pieces? I'm going through ideas and sorting methods in my head and using this thread. But I still haven't seen any good results for those bricks...

EDIT: Finally, I'm free! (1776 posts. America reference)

Edited February 23, 2012 by Legocrazy81

[iluvmyelement]

Does anyone know if Lego has changed the composition of the plastic itself since this 1992 warning that 104 degrees F was the max temp?

I have so many rubbermaid 18L containers that it would be great to store some in our attic that gets very hot in the summer.

What is the current max temp the Lego recommends? Is there any minimum temp as well?

I would never store my most valuable ones, my minifgs, up there. Thanks, Legogal

I had my own collection (including a Cafe Corner, Taj Mahal, etc.) in storage in an unvented trailer sitting out in the Arizona desert in 115+ temps (and you know it was hotter than that inside the trailer) for 4 months. It just about killed me to know that it was there and I couldn't save it from the heat. I was so sure that when I was finally able to get things out of storage that everything would be ruined (or at least some pieces). Amazingly everything was perfect - I couldn't find a single piece with any discoloration or warping.

[nicoga3000]

Nice looking cabinet there. What did you do with specific printed/stickered pieces? I'm going through ideas and sorting methods in my head and using this thread. But I still haven't seen any good results for those bricks...

EDIT: Finally, I'm free! (1776 posts. America reference)

I actually have a container specifically for printed/stickered pieces. My theory was that if I want a piece with a printed logo on it, I'll dig through the container with them in there to find what fits the mood. Or better yet, I'll find one I like and build around that specific piece.

One thing I've learned through this sorting is that sometimes, it's OK to lump certain bricks together. If/when the container gets too full to be functional, I'll break it down into two+ separate containers with said pieces. At first, I thought I'd want a 1x1 plate (smooth) container, but when I realized I didn't have enough to merit one, I opted for a 1x1 and 1x2 plate (smooth) shared container until I build my collection.

Also, not sure where you're located, but that shelf was dirt cheap at Walmart ($30-40 maybe?). IKEA also solves all of your storage and decorating needs, hahaha.

[Follows Closely]

I like this product from LEGO, especially the plate mounted on the front of the drawer.

I am wanting to glue some white plates on the front of my sterilite drawers like the below. Any suggestions on what type of adhesive would work best?

[travisco_nabisco]

I like this product from LEGO, especially the plate mounted on the front of the drawer.

I am wanting to glue some white plates on the front of my sterilite drawers like the below. Any suggestions on what type of adhesive would work best?

An epoxy should work well since they are both a plastic of sorts.

Once I get my first set of drawers populated with pieces I am going to print a color sticker for on each drawer to show what type, and colours of pieces are in each drawer, that way I don't have to remember and it doesn't matter if the plastic clouds over time.

[Yucca Patrol]

I saw this at the LEGO store today. It did look very nice, and I like that LEGO is offering such an item. However, it is just too small to do very much with. The only thing I could really use it for would be for very small parts like minifig accessories.

For now, I am sticking with the larger sterilite drawer carts with sorted LEGO's in slide lock zipper bags.

Right now, I am using one of these Stanley boxes for organizing my minifig accessories and other very special small parts. The larger versions of this organizer with fewer, larger, deeper trays is also very nice. I especially like that the individual trays are removable, as this makes it easier to move a few of these to my table while building without having to have several of these organizers taking up too much space.

[woolie]

Well, I've been to this thread several times now. Please excuse my thinking out loud.

My collection has been rapidly expanding lately I have about 10-15k bricks from my childhood collection. I have those sorted into plastic baggies (fairly fine grained) and then grouped into 4 rubbermaid containers. These are "offline, archived" bricks that I can access in an emergency :) Then in the past year I've acquired a bunch of sets, about another 15k bricks of which half are built and on display and half are disassembled and sorted into bins (described below.) But I'm shifting strategy a bit, partly because I acquired someone else's collection of about 10k bricks that I am now merging.

Originally I purchased 2 Sterilite containers, with 5 drawers each, for my new bricks. Well, those immediately filled up and didn't give me enough bins. So, I bought 2, then 4, then 6 Stack-On drawer boxes (18 bins each) and moved everything into those. Those are fantastic! But my basic bricks quickly started taking up 1, 2, or 3 bins per type (e.g. 1x4 bricks). So I am going to add in a couple extra carts of Sterilite drawers for "basic system" parts -- bricks, tiles, plates, slopes, wedges, basic modified bricks/plates, etc. I probably won't be able to be absolutely fine grained (1 bin = 1 mold) in the Sterilites, but should be close enough to OK. Everything that doesn't neatly fit into the Sterilites will go into the Stackons.

The question now is WHERE! The configuration of my house is a bit awkward for Lego. Three story townhouse, with bedroom suites on 1 and 3, and open plan living area with no walls on 2nd. Since both bedrooms are basically in use, and I don't want everything out in my living room 100% of the time, the garage is for cars, etc. etc., it's a challenge to find a spot for all my bins. I do have a small loft/office space on the 3rd floor landing. There is a little-used desk here, but I think I will put that into storage and build a shelving system (like the beautiful wood shelves for the Sterilite boxes upthread.) I will also have room for a small build table. Now, we usually build on the 2nd floor, so it will be unpleasant to be constantly running up and down the stairs for parts, but it's good exercise :) I will probably have room for a small build table upstairs as well.

Anyway, I tend to go overboard. But that is the current state of my sorting.

Edited February 26, 2012 by woolie

[woolie]

One final idea/question. I frequently deal with ontologies in my work -- how things are organized, hierarchies, "this-is-a-" relationships, etc. So I've been dwelling a bit on this:

When I present you with a random element, you're going to immediately mentally put it into some category. And if you were going to sort it, it'd go into a bin. Do you rely on any of the "established" systems, or just what feels right based on your experience?

I personally feel that BrickLink has the most "natural" grouping, also with an attempt to have second level groups like "brick, modified" and "technic, liftarm." And sorting to their system is advantageous if I am buying/selling bricks. But the tool that I use most often is BrickSmith/LDraw. I doesn't feel quite as natural, and it has too many useless top level categories, but if it's the tool that I'm using........ And finally, of course, LDD's grouping has the imprimatur of TLG. It is also largely based on functional categories, which is very useful and a natural way of thinking about building.

Edited February 26, 2012 by woolie

[SNIPE]

I only sort main system bricks such 3001, 3002, 3003, 3006, 3007, 2456 by color, stuff like technic bricks and other system bricks and other themes don't get sorted by color by by the different parts

will be using four 5x6 drawer cabinets I have 2 already and few other things like flat cases with lids and big storage boxes.

The draw sizes differ from each, some have rows of five draws, some have one long raw that is the width of five

some have three or four slightly wider drawers.

im thinking of getting two of these, they are £18.56 each

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000Y8DSZM/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

i was going to get 4 four of these but i think the above offer is better. (these are £16.88 each:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-89470-30-Drawer-Storage-Cabinet/dp/B000PJDUEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330022215&sr=8-1