I got to thinking if I keep collecting at the rate I am now for another twenty years then I'm going to either need a bigger house or start storing things off site. I'm not buying a bigger house or adding an extra room just for my toys but putting a shed in the backyard just for my collection doesn't seem so crazy. Anyway, has anyone expanded their home or have some sort of off site storage for their collection? On the flip side, does anyone think spending thousands just to have enough room to store your collection is a sign that you should cut back?
Building a nice storage/studio space in your back yard has reasonable value collection or no collection. Do not enter the slippery slope of an offsite storage unit. You will likely spend more than the collection is worth in the long haul.
I am actually exploring the possibility of doing this in 2025. I'm working on tentative plans now, but I'd like to have one big room where everything is in one spot and the room can be designed to fit the collection vs the collection fitting into the room wherever I can put it. Currently I have it in 3 rooms. Should I cut back? Most definitely, but I know I won't.
Some of the upcoming large items like the Cat's Lair and Eternia have me scratching my head about where exactly they can go as it is. I'm creative and like to do dioramas and such and I just don't have the room anymore to continue doing that, so I'd also like to have a bit of "studio space" in there as well.
I love those fancy little backyard houses or sheds that pop up on my youtube or Instagram. I've been thinking about the shed option, even if it's just to store some less important toys. I'm in the northeast where we get humidity in the summer and cold winters. I was wondering if I would need to go so far as having temperature control. Robo has mentioned building something on his property. If he still browses the board, I'd enjoy seeing a video or hearing his thoughts on the building process.
I did a lot of selling over the last 6 or 7 seven years, but now I'm at the point where it's difficult to pick out something I want to part with. I recently got rid of more packaging to squeeze out some extra space.
I recently got rid of more packaging to squeeze out some extra space.
I’ve played that card a few times the last couple of years with some of my import figures. My dilemma is that ditching the boxes reduces the resale value, but on the other hand, loose figures are easier to store if I decide to keep them, and easier to ship if I decide I want to move them.
Yes, I did just this when I bought the home we currently live in. Bought it in 2004 and proceeded to get a whole room (just over 400 sq ft) added on the following year. The idea was to store what I had, have space for future purchases, and still have room to display. I retired two years ago and have begun rearranging and opening stuff that I've had sitting in that room for years. Currently no room to display, but once packages are disposed of there will definitely be more room to store stuff. Have to think about what I'll end up keeping and what I may end up getting rid of. Haven't ruled out one more big move before I die, but that's not a certainty.
No matter where you live you'll have to consider environmental conditions. It's just a matter of how you address this for your collection. Temp swings, moisture and humidity will all do long-term damage to your collection. I looked into insurance over 30 years ago, but it's not really worth it. A few high priced items may be a different story altogether, it ultimately depends on how important it is to you. Probably best to get it graded before you go through with insuring an item.
Regarding boxed vs unboxed, if you plan to resell keep them boxed. If not, open them. They're meant to be articulated (played with! 🙂 ) and displayed. I don't think most stuff will hold it's value or even hold up. Plastic degrades over time, some more than others.
Good luck!
Me and the wife took an approuch that seems to be working so far. We got a house that had one more bed room than we really need and it also has a sitting room. The extra bedroom is my office (i.e. nerd shack) for my computer and my collection, the sitting room is the video game room, so any game related stuff in my collection went in there as well as whatever anybody else wanted to display that was game themed. We built a smal storage shed in the back for all the holiday decorations (my wifes vice). That (theoreticly) leaves the more space in the garage fot practicle stuff. My oldest just moved out the spring, so his room will slowly be converted into my wifes craft room, so even more junk can get cleared out of the garage. At the pace we are going I should be able to park one of my cars in the garage by 2029.
I've had to get creative with display, but I've also come to the harsh reality that I have to narrow down what I have on hand. The way I see it, I can have all the figs I want, crammed in the room and barley see anything, or I can trim waay down, have two to three lines displayed, and shown off in a way you can actually see and enjoy.
So I'm essentially pairing down to GI Joe Classified and Marvel Legends, with a few sprinkled here and there of other lines. Kinda sucks, but it's been a healthy withdrawl. I've been selling off and what money I make I get what I think is the best/essential version of a character if I don't already have it, then sell of the others.
I've been going backwards. I had a huge space in our first house, a smaller but still decent amount in the second house, and in the third (and likely final) house my space is pretty small. I'd love to have a dedicated wing but it's just not going to happen. Off-site storage would be a step too far and I might have to admit the collection is out of control. Hey, if you the means to build a "study" go for it.
Building a nice storage; studio space in your back yard has reasonable value collection or no collection. Do not enter the slippery slope of an offsite storage unit. You will likely spend more than the collection is worth in the long haul.
I live in an 1100 sq ft apartment, so the majority of my collection is in 2 storage units (one mine and the other shared with my mother in law).
When my wife and I were looking for houses, we were looking for ones with a finished, or close to finished basement, so I could fully set up my "toy museum" and studio in it. That took a back seat when interest rates in our area went above the costs of the overpriced housing.
Robo has mentioned building something on his property. If he still browses the board, I'd enjoy seeing a video or hearing his thoughts on the building process.
I wouldn't mind hearing from someone who's built something as well. I'm pretty ignorant about adding a structure to my property. Is it simply a matter of finding a level spot in the yard and plopping a shed on it or is a foundation required? I do know that climate control is a necessity for my area so there's the additional cost of an hvac system. As for power, I think I can get by with a portable power station and solar panels so no need to tap into the public electricity.
You’ll need to check up on the building codes in your area, particularly if the structure is attached to your main dwelling. Since you’re running an HVAC to it, I presume you’re looking to run it from your dwelling. Either way you should make sure it meets building codes. I realize this isn’t a structure you’d be living in, but since you’d be running HVAC and some kind of power setup for it, it needs to meet code.
A concrete or otherwise raised foundation is simply a good idea, whether the codes require it or not. It will lift the structure a bit above ground level, That will be a deterrent for water getting inside. Sealing the base of your structure and adding weather stripping is a good idea. You’ll want to avoid getting too many six and eight legged vagrants moving in.
Robo has mentioned building something on his property. If he still browses the board, I'd enjoy seeing a video or hearing his thoughts on the building process.
I wouldn't mind hearing from someone who's built something as well. I'm pretty ignorant about adding a structure to my property. Is it simply a matter of finding a level spot in the yard and plopping a shed on it or is a foundation required? I do know that climate control is a necessity for my area so there's the additional cost of an hvac system. As for power, I think I can get by with a portable power station and solar panels so no need to tap into the public electricity.
What's required and what you should do are not always the same. Ultimately, though, you need to do the research for your municipality and find out what the permit and code requirements are. For a shed (usually in the sub-150 sqft neighborhood, but it varies) you typically don't need a permit to build. But, as was said above, you are still required to meet all building code requirements on any structure on your property. Also, for the love of all that is holy, know if you are part of an HOA and check with the HOA guidelines if you are. You'd be amazed how often someone does everything right, builds themselves a nice little shed, and some fucking HOA scumbag shows up and makes them tear it down.
You can, if you want, run power from your home out to the structure - but you need a professional to do it as it's going to probably be a main line dug through your yard not just like.. an extension cord. If you're going to be running HVAC, you'll want to make sure your power is consistent (if you can do that with solar - absolutely do so). The bottom line there is to contact an HVAC company, tell them what you want to do, and get an estimate on the power draw on that system. HVAC guys can do load calculations on the building size and function to basically tell you exactly what size HVAC system you need, roughly how often it will run, and how much power it will draw when running and when idle. That's critical information if you're planning to use a power source that isn't necessarily the 'limitless' power from your house.
Concrete is expensive and, depending on where you live, almost definitely not necessary. For something like an 8x10 building, the most you really need is a few engineered support beams. That gives you your support structure and lifts your floor a minimum of 16" off the ground. For both function and aesthetics you're going to want to do a nice job on the exterior of the building with properly fitted siding (or properly assembled panels if you're using a metal prefab) and all the weather stripping and suchlike to keep it tight and water resistant. If you're somewhere that gets snow - make sure your weather stripping is perfect at the ground level (melting snow infiltration) and make sure you're going with something that has a properly peaked roofline so the snow falls off instead of piling up.
If you're going to be heating/cooling this space, don't neglect your insulation. It's amazing how many people either don't do this, or half-ass it and end up regretting it later and spending thousands ripping stuff apart to redo it properly because heating/cooling is costing them a fortune and/or they're getting interior damage from freezing and humidity.
On a project like this, your best bet is to build your floor assembly first, flip it over on its face, and get an insulation company to show up and spray foam the bottom-side of your floor assembly. Once the structure is built, your 16" gap below is too small for most guys to get under there and comfortably do a good job insulating for you. But you -must- insulate your floor. 2-4" of 2lb spray foam will make a world of difference in your energy consumption and in your comfort when you're walking around in there. 2lb spray foam is moisture resistant and somewhat pest resistant. Do not let anyone sell you on half-pound or 'light density' spray foam under your floor and exposed to the elements. That is not the type of assembly that material is meant for, but it's a lot less expensive so some companies will try to get the job by being cheaper with a cheaper material.
For context; I've been in construction for 15 years now. I'm a (triple-)certified spray foam installer running an insulation company (meaning, lots of courses on building science), and of course I've had to work closely for most of my career with framers, tin bashers, sparkies, and plumbers. So, lots of information by osmosis on stuff that I'm not directly educated on.
NOW, to the question at the end of your original post: The nature of your collection, and cutting back, is definitely something that should at least be in the conversation, in my opinion. I say that with all respect. Only you can know how you should proceed. I don't know your actual collection, the space you have already set aside in your home, your financial situation, how this potentially affects any relationships you have. Even your mental state. I don't know, and it's not my business. But you know, and should have a good think about it, I would say.
You are, after all, talking about a significant investment here. It's an investment in the aesthetics of your property. It's not only a large initial financial investment, but it's an ongoing financial and even physical burden to add another structure on your property that you have to maintain physically, pay to heat and cool, pay to maintain when mechanical elements break down, etc. It's no small thing to have a conditioned building on your property. You're adding a significant responsibility and burden on yourself for the sole purpose of having more room for your toys.
Whether any of that is truly an issue at all is really only something you can answer. If you go through with it - just take tons of pics for us all.
This thread makes for a good juxtaposition for my collection completion thread.
U.S.-based folks should also look into their local municipality's rules on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADU is the technical term for a mother-in-law suite. ADUs have become a huge talking point here in Seattle because the city was poorly zoned for decades (for reasons that I could but won't get into) and is now facing a housing crisis. Long story short, you may be surprised as to how strict your city/state is about adding another living space to your property.
Ultimately, it's your life, your money, and your living situation, so only you can answer questions about scaling back. For me, I only ever want to own the amount I can feasibly display. I understand that there are extenuating circumstances around that. I certainly couldn't display all I owned when I lived in a studio apartment. For me, it was about what I could display when I found a house or something semi-permanent. After buying a 1,200 sq. ft. house, I can comfortably display all I own. If I outgrow my little office in this house, I know I've gone beyond the boundaries I established. Like Pancha Maestro, I draw a strong line at off-site storage. That's just me, though. It's about what makes you the happiest.
I recently found long-time toy reviewer Michael Crawford's YouTube channel. He's got a toy storage facility that's bigger than my house. It works for him, and that's great.
I dwell in the northeast and I can't imagine constructing a separate facility for my toy collection. I have a very modest sized home, a split-level built in the early 1980s with three bedrooms and a partially finished basement. Most of my stuff is in the basement on display in an old school rec room. I have a cabinet in my bedroom with some stuff as well and a few shelves. I also have a shed on my property where I store my tractor and other lawn care type tools and I can't imagine trying to keep my toys there. It's a solid shed with a lot of room and a good roof that never leaks, but it's not insulated and there's no power. Mice get in it and if I wanted to store toys there I'd have to go to great lengths just to deal with the rodents. And then to keep it somewhat climate controlled to display toys in it would be a whole other thing.
I have two kids, so my long-term plan is to just keep my collecting confined to the spaces I have and once a bedroom opens up then I'll consider doing something else. Both of my kids are in elementary school though so that's a long ways off.
My wife and I built a new house of our own design, specifically designed with our collections in mind. I now have a 18' x 66' room in the basement that will be mine. my wife has a 15' x 33' room on the main floor for her collection. Currently still unfinished, but hoping to get started on finishing the basement this winter so I can finally set up my collections again.
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