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I'm up to a reasonably sized collection (~400 minis, with Kingmaker arriving this week) and my collection is at the point where I think I need to invest in some serious organization and storage.
Right now I have my collection organized in a google drive set of spreadsheets, by set, with a summary page. But I'm thinking of developing a relational database, using MS Access or some such, so that i can filter and sort by criteria.
Of course, there are websites that come to mind (miniature trading for example) that keeps online DBs and I'm on there as well. But I find the UI to be more than a little clunky.
At the same time, I'm interested in storage solutions. I'm keeping them in marked plastic containers (stackable storage) with the largest minis in a rolling set of plastic drawers. What do others do? Always interested in hearing other ideas.
I use a spreadsheet to track what minis I own. I also track pawns I own on this spreadsheet. You can see a small portion of it here.
I use plastic storage bins (found here for medium/small minis and here for larger minis) to keep them sorted. One is for just goblins, one is for undead, etc. I like that these bins are stackable and come with a handle, which makes transporting them quite easy when I take my game on the road. I have purchased multiple sets of each size and will continue to do so as my collection grows.
haven’t started tracking my minis yet, but will probably use excel.
Storage is in these boxes:
https://images.wogibtswas.at/data/image/500x705/545/ferrero-rocher-ital-pra linenspezialitaet-2724619.jpg
whenever I go through the airport I grab a few boxes
6 large bases fit perfectly
there are also other ferero chocolate stuffs with other sizes for small figures.
plus Feldherr foam boxes for singles (Iconics)
https://cdn02.plentymarkets.com/vm1nws82d5m7/item/images/57043/full/Feldher r-MAX22BO-Feldherr-MAXI-Tasche-fuer-grosse_6.jpg
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I've wanted to organize my large collection of miniatures in Excel, but haven't gotten to it yet.
For storage, I use a combination of bins.
Mediums and smaller: Super Satchel Slim with Removable Dividers
Large: Super Satchel with Removable Dividers
Huge: Snapware Snap 'N Stack Portable Organizer (10x14)
I like the ArtBin containers as they are stackable, have handles, and can be stored in Super Satchel Cube for convenient access as drawers. The cubes can be stacked on top of each other. I currently have 3 stacks of 3 cubes.
The storage cubes can also have casters if you want them movable.
Cool.
To expand, I mostly use the Really Useful boxes for smalls to mediums, and a labelmaker to label each. Unfortunately some of the mediums have to be stored sideways if they have tall bits (like humans holding polearms). I also have access to at least one of those wall-mounted drawer systems for nails and screws and et cetera. Right now, I'm using it more for small LEGO parts, (which are also useful as dungeon decor!) but I could see changing that and using them for small - mediums as well.
Larges and huges go in the drawers. Giants have a drawer all to themselves.
Almost all of my games I host, so transportation isn't as of yet an issue. But I can see that day coming - I guess Ill have to come up with something portable as well.
My spreadsheet is a google sheet here . It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
I'm also looking closer at miniaturetrading.com because you can put notes next to your minis and search by the notes. so, i could, for example, put CR, terrain type, or modules in the notes and filter by that.
I commend you for getting started early. I never got around to it and now (with several thousand minis) it's just too daunting a task.
My "solution" (such as it is) is just to store them in big, themed buckets. I have one box of elementally things, one box of flying things, one box of giants, one box of aquatic humanoids,.... and so on.
It doesn't help me know how many Sahuagin minis I have, but it makes it relatively easy to find the minis I'm likely to use in a game (and if I don't have the right one, I'm generally confronted with my twenty or thirty most likely standins).
I wish I'd got around to tracking them properly early on. Thinking about doing it now just makes me tired.
I wish I'd got around to tracking them properly early on. Thinking about doing it now just makes me tired.
I started tracking mine at around 100 minis and 500 pawns. I am up to 600+ minis and 1400+ pawns now after collecting them for just under two years. I find knowing the quantity absolutely helps me, as I buy many minis as singles and don't want to reorder things I've already purchased unless I have a specific need for more.
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I've sorted and stored my collection in a number of ways over the years. Easiest is in containers by type (Short races/Humanoids/Goblin family/dragons-reptiles/giants/etc).
Currently I am sorting my 25,000+ collection by set. I'm keeping one of each mini and am going to ebay the rest. The ones I am keeping are going on IKEA billy bookcases that I bought Drawer-pulls, and made the lower shelves able to be pulled out. I can fit about 300 minis per shelf, and just got a label maker for christmas to document where each set is at a glance. Now I'm up to 34 complete sets, not counting incomplete sets and promos, I'm hoping that a complete bookcase will be enough.
I wish I'd got around to tracking them properly early on. Thinking about doing it now just makes me tired.
I learned from my lego collection (a ridiculous amount of sets and 1000+ minifigs) that I needed to get started on this one early. Also, I had really good luck when I started sorting my Axis and Allies War at Sea sets early. So, it was definitely trial and error.
I kinda wish I'd been collecting these all along as they came out, but life intervened and now I'm catching up on them. Oh well.
I wish I'd got around to tracking them properly early on. Thinking about doing it now just makes me tired.
Yup.
Interestingly, I find the more finely divided things are, the easier it is to find things as the collection grows. For instance, my heaping pile of undead, "Lifeless Corposes" got subdivided recently into a second bin named "Undying Eating Disorder (skeletons, zombies, ghouls, vamps)". It's easier to find anything when there are fewer in the same bin.
My bins are all labelled whimsically. From the obvious "We Be Goblins!" to "Animals are people food too" to the bucket with plants saying simply "Salad", to its Large plant companion bucket which is um... "That's a huge bush!" The other guy who DMs here knows the system.
THEN there's three Ikea Detolf glass cases with both larger creatures and larger collections of creatures. So one shelf is entirely elementals, three are demons/devils, one chromatic dragons, one metalic dragons, and so on. On top there are the Gargantuans.
THEN THEN there's the mantle over the fireplace, where all the standard PC minis go. Grouped in areas for "ranged", "polearms", "two weapon fighters", "magic users", "sword and board" and so on.
I can't be bothered to track the collection because as you say... it's too late. Even my OCD can't motivate me to fix it. But organizing... that I can do.
Heh - I'm right there with you. My PC/NPC figures are basically "Goodies" and "Baddies" (with various subdivisions from there based largely on how heavily armored they are). I also broke my undead up into ghost-like/fleshy/skelly. I feel strangely guilty filing my centaurs (they go in the "mounted" bin).
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I can't be bothered to track the collection because as you say... it's too late. Even my OCD can't motivate me to fix it. But organizing... that I can do.
That's why I'm selling all but one of each mini (possibly 2-3 of the more fragile ones) Once I do that, it will be back to being a managel collection
