How Do You Move Your Collection?

[Cambot]

I'm currently in the throes of moving, as we have finally purchased our first new home, and I was wondering how you guys move your game collection.

Do you have any special methods you use to carefully package up your rare boxed carts? Do you let the movers (assuming you actually hire movers) even touch your games?

[dunkoff]

I use those big plastic totes you can buy at Wal-Mart, etc. for like $5 each. The ones I got are the perfect height for NES games, boxed or loose, and each fits about 100 loose games or 50ish boxed games.

If I remember, I'll take a pic when I get home. I have like 7 or 8 of em currently filled (actually preparing for a move myself).

Of course, I move them myself - nobody can be trusted ;)

[PapaStu]

Having moved a small portion of my collection just a year ago I had the luck of my last job to help me. Since I worked in music, our company regularly sent out our restock CD's in a boxes that easily held 120 cd's a pop, so I just took a pair of boxes and loaded up my DC collection, NGPC and some other random stuff into them and they fit very well into the trunk of my car.

I just made sure that the NGPC box was on top since those little game boxes are super flimsy and positioned things so that if there was an accident my computer or anything else heavy wasn't going to turn the boxes holding the games into little flat pancakes.

If your worried about your special rare stuff, split it off, pack it very securly into some other boxes and take it along with you (if your using movers). The only other thing I can suggest besides writing fragile all over the boxes is to not write VIDEO GAMES on them if your really worried about something happening.

[Pico956]

I use tons of bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, and penuts.

No way in hell any items are going to be loose.

[ClubNinja]

Last move, it was one at a time in my station wagon. Next move, I'll rent a truck.

[jferio]

An additional note about labeling the box they're in, especially if you can't move them yourself. Label the box 'Accessories'. That's what my parents did every move we made (military brat, so the stuff was moved for us). There was no indication whether it was a box of cables, or a box of video tapes/carts, for them to have a hint to go rooting through it.

[o2william]

I agree with Dunkoff on the plastic bins idea. Plastic drawers like the kinds made by Sterilite are perfect for most carts (even most boxed games), and they're available in different sizes for storing different sized items. I have about 90% of my collection stored in these now, but because they are sliding drawers, all the games are easily accessible. It's not the most attractive display option, but it's convenient. I'm likely to move before too long, so that'll cut down on the packing I have to do -- cram some bubble wrap in the boxes, shut them with packing tape, and you're good to go.

But I also agree about taking your most prized/valuable items out and packing them extra carefully, maybe keeping them with you during the move so they aren't damaged/lost/stolen.

[Jibbajaba]

I mostly used those boxes that hold a case of copier/printer paper. Quite sturdy since they are built to hold about 40 pounds of paper, and they have a nice lid. I think they are a good size, too. You don't want something too big because you don't want to stack too many games in one box. I also agree with jferio that you should be careful how you label things if you are going to make use of a moving service. I move everything myself, and I still label things nebulously so that no one would be interested in looking through the box. Use acronyms or make up your own code. Then use lots of tape so that the boxes are not easy to open.

Chris

[scorch56]

I'm a really lucky guy because of where I work. When it comes to storage and moving; this is what I store about 80% of my stuff in:


http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a315/emdeesee/dessicant.jpg


Anybody who's seen me post pictures of stuff for sale will recognize these because I always use them as pedestals for display but I've never said what they are. They're dessicant barrels. You know those little packets of silica gel (In our case we use absorbent clay because we're working with food products.) you get in products that need to be kept dry? They come in these barrels.

Nice thing about these barrels is they're strong as hell (about 1/4" sidewalls made of hard cardboard). The metal retainer rings that seal each metal lid around the top even have a hasp for small locks (Although they come with simply a wire tab wrapped through them). They're stackable because they nest on top of each other. These things are so strong I can stand on them for step-stools and I weigh 200 pounds! The two you see stacked here I use to put my feet up on every evening when I play games or watch TV; and currently eight of them form a base pedestal for my bed (look closely in the lower right corner). Someone posted a thread awhile back about having sex on top of his video games. His bed had storage space in it's base.. I've got him beat.. these things ARE my bed.

When sealed up.. these things are almost "hermetic" and that fact that they once held dessicant doesn't hurt either as they are bone dry inside. I'm a smoker and I store ALL of my games that aren't currently being played, in them, as soon as I get them.

They're like big giant LEGOS. All of my games are in my bedroom (I used to pay $50 a month for a storag unit) so I've even learned to configure them as "furniture" because I'm SO cramped for space.

People fight over them at work as soon as they become empty and available; and I've been "dibbing" some for 3 years. I currently have around 40. They're awesome dude.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I recommend using one of these (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_%28Star_Trek%29). A big one, if you've got one.