How to Store Figure Boxes Properly!
When you buy a figure, it usually comes in a box. Box size and material will vary depending on the figure you purchased. This could be a small cardboard box, a larger cardboard and plastic box, or a large box made mostly of plastic and cardboard. If you only own a few figures , you probably won't have any problem finding space for the figures or boxes, whether you collect them inside or outside the box. However, what if you have more than 5 figures and collect them all out of the box? In this article, I will share my solution for storing figure boxes efficiently.
1. Use of Shelves
When I started buying a lot of figures, I initially placed all the boxes on my shelves. I had 4 shelves, but it didn't take long until I ran out of space for new boxes. This also applies to the bed, if you have space underneath you can use it to store boxes. However, it ended up looking more like a storage warehouse than pretty boxes on shelves, as shown in this image:
2. Storage in the Attic
Since I was out of space on my shelves, I eventually moved all of my boxes into the attic. However, at one point the attic became inaccessible because too many boxes were in the way. That's when I had the most brilliant idea. I started looking for all the boxes made only from cardboard. I opened these boxes on both sides and took out everything inside (often pieces of cardboard), then started folding them. The boxes then looked like this:
When you think about it, you really don't need the items inside these boxes, even if you plan to sell them in the future. The only thing that matters is the box and the figure itself. As long as you have the box in good condition, no one will care about the pieces of cardboard that were originally inside. And why keep them if you have so much more space without them? You can also fold the boxes, companies don't do anything else. They do it exactly like I did, and some stores even ship the figures with the boxes folded like this.
2.1. Trick
I also followed this method with my SEGA figures, which are inexpensive figures, but unfortunately used plastic to protect the figures in the box. They really don't need this, it's a waste. They could do it like Banpresto and other manufacturers, but unfortunately they only started using cardboard pieces instead of plastic recently. So I just threw the plastic away. Figures really don't need that, and SEGA itself doesn't use much plastic these days anyway. So don't be afraid and do it, even if you plan to sell one of these figures it won't make any difference. Only the box itself is important! They also look like the others I folded:
Once you have them all folded, you can put them in a larger plastic moving box you purchased, like I did, and store it (possibly) under your bed or in the attic/basement -ground. You will find that you have a lot more space now. I put about 100-200 boxes of figures in my moving box, and it wasn't full. I really saved a lot of space. The attic was full, and now all the boxes are in one moving box with space to spare. It's the best idea I've ever had. This is what the moving box looked like with all the figure boxes inside:
Some of you may already know this method, but I hope I was able to help those who didn't have an idea yet. As for expensive figures or Nendoroids, I still don't have a solution at all. They should remain as is, because of the plastic and because they were really designed that way to protect the expensive figure or any additional accessories for the Nendoroid ! So don't touch them. Leave them as they are! :D
Conclusion
By following this method, you can save valuable space while still retaining your figure boxes. Make sure you only keep the cardboard boxes and throw away any unnecessary materials inside. This will allow you to continue enjoying your figurine collection while avoiding unnecessary clutter.
