Toy Storage Solutions

Collecting toys, comic books, trading cards and vintage books has developed into a very big business over the past few decades. Some people have rooms dedicated to their collections, such as a toy train set up in a basement or toy collections set up in an extra bedroom. These collections can end up taking over our homes if they are not properly displayed or organized. Keeping the collections organized is key to keeping your home clutter free.  But, doing this can be hard depending on the type of collections that you have and in which room you store them.

Toy Storage Ideas

There are many ways to store toys. Kids toys that are played with on a daily basis can easily be stored in toy storage containers in a child’s room or a playroom. A great tip for organizing younger kid’s toys is to put them in clear plastic bins with a picture of the toys on the outside so the child will know where to put the toy when they are finished playing with it.  The toys that are played with the most should be kept within easy reach, while lesser used or unused toys are placed higher on shelving units.

For bigger kid’s toy collections, create a toy storage or display plan for the toy collection. Some collectors buy multiple copies of a toy in order to have one opened for display and the others protected in storage.  Invest in accessories to display or store your collections such as shelving units, specially made boxes, stands, risers or glass cabinets. It is a good idea to keep track of your toy collection. Create a database or a spreadsheet of your collection you can use as a reference to avoid purchasing duplicates or forgetting what you currently have.  This can also be quite handy for insurance purposes.

Tips for Preparing Toys for Storage

Storing toys correctly is critical to keeping them in perfect condition. Toy collectors know that the value of a collectible item is tied directly to its condition. If you plan on selling your toy collection at some point, especially action figures, then it is imperative that you keep them in their original packaging.  Packaged toys are worth a lot more than toys that are opened and played with.

Storage Units for Toys

Renting a storage unit for a toy collection is a great household storage solution. This is especially true if you don’t have enough room in your home to properly display or store your toy collections, but you do not want to get rid of them.  Taking extra steps to protect the collectible toys during storage will ensure that they keep their value over time.  If storing your toy collection, make sure that you have the proper amount of packing supplies such as boxes, packing material and packaging tape. Properly wrap the items in bubble wrap or newsprint to protect them from damage. Do not over pack the boxes of collectible toys as this can cause damage to the toys. Use newsprint as filler material to fill up the boxes. Pack collectibles in smaller boxes and store them on the top of the stack of the boxes in the storage unit.

Store collectible dolls in fabric boxes or bags. Cardboard or plastic boxes can produce acid or chemicals that can ruin a doll that is in storage over a long period of time.  Keep any stored toys away from direct sunlight to prevent discoloration which should not be an issue when renting a self storage unit.  Storing toys in an attic or basement is not recommended because the extreme humidity, heat and dampness of an attic can cause plastic toys to warp and break.  Proper toy storage solutions will allow the collector to keep the toys in great condition for future generations.