Because you asked, here is what I use to store and display my collection…

The big organization project is done.

The long weekend afforded some time to get to some projects that I have been wanting to do, especially when it comes to the collection.  As any collector knows, things can pile up quickly, and if you are not careful you can find yourself more frustrated with it then enjoying it.

That is me.  Sometimes I walk into my office and just stand in the middle wondering how all this got here.  Add in the blog, and the things I want to feature, and it gets a little overwhelming.

And that isn’t just for my sake.  While I love the collection, and love doing the blog, I can’t let it overtake the other time I can spend with my family and doing other things that are important.  An unorganized collection can create a lot of stress.

The solution?  Keep the collection organized and streamlined, focus it in certain areas, and constantly be adding and purging to keep things easy to handle.  My rule is to keep my entire collection in my office, meaning in displays or stored in my office closet.  If it exceeds that space, time to cut it down. Some of you ask why I don’t collect older Matchbox and Hot Wheels?  My rule is a big reason.

So this weekend I went through my Hot Wheels collection – Matchbox and TLV was already done earlier – and organized it alphabetically and only included the cars I wanted.  And with a few exceptions, they are all loose.  I showed the entire loose collection here on Monday.

But I do have a few carded models – my in-the-wild Super finds are an example – and they need to be in the closet as well.  Same with the few extra loose cars I keep.  So there are some important tools I use to store and display.

And whenever I show them, I get flooded with questions on where I got a particular display or storage case, or a piece of furniture I use.  Well I took some photos and will share there with you.

Some specific diecast-related products I have links for, while others are just things I found at stores like Ikea and Target, and I don’t have the specific names.  But I bet you can find them online or in the actual store.

My displays:

108-count acrylic display cases from Carney Plastics:

You can see where I need to fill some Hot Wheels after removing what was there to organize.  I have shown these Carney Cases before, and I think they are the best diecast displays there are.  Acrylic display with a hinged cover to keep the cars free from dust.  I had these custom-made in white, but mirrored backs and totally clear are always available.  There are many other styles and sizes available as well.

In fact, I just got this photo below from Ethan’s Dad.  If you remember Ethan, the cool kid who relied on a few Hot Wheels cars to help him get through a very serious medical issue.  After we wrote about him, many of you decided to send Ethan a few cars to help support him in his recovery, and thousands of cars later, the story of the influx went viral, and the world noticed how generous and supportive collectors are.  Well, more than a year later little Ethan is recovered, and he definitely a collector for like.  Ethan and his family recently moved, and his new room is displaying his favorites in some clear Carney cases.  How cool is that?

My loose car storage:

Creative Options Thread Organizers, available at Joann.com, Amazon, Walmart.com, and other retailers.

My most used diecast tool.  This case used to be marketed as a diecast storage case nicknamed Jammer Cases, until it was rebranded as a thread organizer.  Nothing has changed about it, you just have to know where to find it.

Each case can hold up to 48 cars, and the plastic is soft enough that the cars can bounce around and not get damaged.  I have used these to move my collection several times in a moving truck with no damage.  Plus the vertical style makes them easy to store together.

My storage/drawer/shelf units:

White and grey drawer units from Ikea.  Clear plastic extra storage from Target.  Black shelf unit from Home Depot.

I love these drawer units.  The gray I use to store loose Kyosho, large TLV, and anything I am prepping for a blog post or YouTube video.  You can see I use the top for my YouTube videos.  It will soon be the base for the vintage Matchbox display I bought and will have later this year.

The white drawer unit houses my small and medium box TLV collection, while the black shelf is perfect for the Jammer cases.

My carded model cases:

Hot Cases carded Hot Wheels storage cases.

I only have two, and got them second-hand.  I don’t know if they are available at the moment for sale, but it would be worth contacting them on their site to find out.  They are fantastic, and for those of you keep most of your collection carded, there is no better option.  I have a couple of model on top which will be meeting their DLM fate soon.

My protector clamshells:

Sterling Protector Cases.

Yes, I still have some carded stuff that demands a protector, and I have gone with Sterling.  They are new to the game, but to me they make the best product.  Sturdy, easy to display with the two-pronged stand, easy to open, and most importantly, you don’t have to stuff the card in.  Trust me, these are awesome.  More on the Sterling later, as they have become a Lamley partner, mainly because I was so impressed with their protector.  But they are available now to order.

Of course there are other tools I use, including a storage unit that is currently housing the plethora of extras I am in the process of selling or donating.  My daughter’s summer project of selling my extras will continue here in a couple of weeks.

It always feels nice to be organized…

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