How to Keep Your Collectibles from Taking Over Your Home

Collecting is fun. Finding somewhere to put everything you’ve collected can be another story. Once your collection starts spilling from shelves onto tables, counters, walls, and floors, it may be time to rethink how you display and store it. 

You don’t have to get rid of the things you love. Instead, decide how much space you want your collection to occupy, display your favorites, and organize the rest. Rotating collectibles, using vertical space, and moving part of your collection into storage can help you enjoy what you own without letting it take over your home. 

Key takeaways 

• Decide how much space you’re willing to dedicate to your collection. 
• Display your favorite collectibles instead of trying to show everything at once. 
• Use shelves, cabinets, and other vertical storage to free up tables and floors. 
• Group similar items together to make displays look more intentional. 
• Rotate collectibles periodically to enjoy more of your collection without adding more displays. 
• Keep original boxes and packaging only when you have a reason to save them. 
• Catalog large collections so you know what you own and where it’s stored. 
• Consider a storage unit for collectibles you want to keep but don’t have room to display at home. 
• Store collectibles based on the needs of the materials they’re made from. 

Give your collection boundaries 

If your collection keeps growing, your first step is deciding where it gets to live. Choose a specific bookshelf, display cabinet, wall, room, or number of shelves for your collection. Once that space is full, resist the temptation to start putting collectibles on every available surface. 

This doesn’t mean you have to stop collecting. Instead, you can rotate items, move some into storage, or reconsider pieces you no longer love. 

Physical boundaries also make it easier to see when your collection is getting too large for your current space. 

Display your favorites 

You don’t have to display every item you own. Pick the pieces that you enjoy seeing the most. These might be your rarest finds, sentimental favorites, best-looking pieces, or items that fit your current decorating style. Put those in your prime display areas. 

Other collectibles can go into organized storage until you’re ready to switch things around. A smaller display can also give individual pieces more room to stand out. If every inch of a shelf is covered, your eye may not know where to look. 

Group similar collectibles together 

Instead of scattering collectibles throughout the house, try grouping them. You could organize a collection by: 

• Type 
• Character 
• Series 
• Artist 
• Color 
• Size 
• Era 
• Theme 
• Value 
• Where you found the item 

Grouping similar pieces can make a collection feel more like a display and less like stuff that accumulated around the house. You don’t have to organize your entire collection the same way. One shelf could be arranged by color, while another holds items from a particular series. 

Use your walls 

When floor space is limited, look up. Wall-mounted shelves can turn an empty wall into display space without adding another piece of furniture to the room. Depending on what you collect, you might also use shadow boxes, floating shelves, picture ledges, pegboards, wall-mounted display cases, or specialty holders. 

Just make sure shelves and mounting hardware can handle the weight of whatever you put on them. For heavier collectibles, follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions and use hardware designed for the wall and the weight you’re supporting. 

Try a glass-front cabinet 

If dusting every individual collectible is becoming a part-time job, consider an enclosed display cabinet. A glass-front cabinet lets you see your collection while protecting it from dust, curious pets, and accidental bumps. Adjustable shelves can be especially useful if your collectibles come in different sizes. 

Don’t cram the cabinet just because there’s technically room for one more thing. Leaving some open space between items can make the display easier to see. 

Use risers to create more display space 

If smaller collectibles disappear behind one another, add risers. Clear acrylic risers, small display stands, and tiered shelves can create multiple levels within a bookcase or display cabinet. This lets you see items in the back without spreading the collection across more surfaces. 

You may already have things around the house that can work as risers. Small sturdy boxes or other stable objects can sometimes provide the extra height you need. Just make sure whatever you use is stable enough to support your collectibles. 

Rotate your collection 

You don’t need a bigger house just because you have more collectibles than display space. Create a rotating display. Keep part of your collection out and store the rest. Every few months, swap the display. You could also rotate pieces seasonally or whenever you’re ready for something different. This works particularly well for large collections because you get to rediscover pieces that have been packed away. 

You can even create themed rotations. Display holiday pieces during the holidays, a favorite series for a few months, or items that share a particular color or theme. 

Create a one-in, one-out rule 

If you’re trying to keep your collection at its current size, try a one-in, one-out rule. Every time you add a new collectible, choose another one to sell, donate, give away, or move out of your display area. 

You can make the rule as strict or flexible as you want. Maybe one new item means one old item leaves the collection. Or you might require yourself to make room in your existing display before buying something new.  The point is to keep your collection from quietly expanding into the rest of your home. 

Be picky about what you add 

It’s easy for a collection to grow simply because something fits the category. Before buying another item, ask yourself whether you actually want that particular piece. 

• Would you buy it if you had to get rid of another collectible to make room for it?  
• Do you know where you’ll display or store it?  
• Does it add something different to the collection? 

If the answer is no, leaving it at the store may be easier than figuring out where to put it later. 

Reconsider all those boxes 

Collectibles can create two storage problems: the collection itself and the packaging it came in. If you’re keeping original packaging because you believe it affects the item’s value, do some research before tossing it. The importance of original packaging varies considerably depending on what you collect. 

For boxes you decide to keep, nest smaller empty boxes inside larger ones when possible. You can also designate a particular shelf, container, closet area, or other storage space for packaging. Once that area is full, reassess what you’re saving. 

Catalog your collection 

Once you have enough collectibles that you can’t remember exactly what you own, make an inventory. You can use a spreadsheet, notebook, collection app, or even a photo album on your phone. 

Depending on your collection, record information such as: 

• Item name 
• Brand or maker 
• Series 
• Date acquired 
• Purchase price 
• Condition 
• Identifying numbers 
• Whether you have the original packaging 
• Where the item is displayed or stored 

Take photos, too. 

A catalog can help prevent accidental duplicates and make it much easier to find something currently in storage. 

Give stored collectibles labels 

Don’t turn stored collectibles into mystery boxes. Label containers with enough information to tell you what’s inside without opening them. If you have a large collection, consider numbering the containers and adding those numbers to your inventory. 

For example, your catalog could tell you that a particular item is in “Box 7.” Then you can find Box 7 instead of opening 14 containers looking for one action figure. 

Clear containers can also make contents easier to identify, although some collectibles may need protection from light. 

Store collectibles based on what they’re made from 

There isn’t one perfect storage method for every collectible. Paper, fabric, metal, plastic, vinyl, wood, photographs, and other materials can have different storage needs. Before packing valuable or delicate pieces, look up care recommendations for that particular material or item. 

In general, avoid putting collectibles away dirty or damp. Use clean storage materials, protect fragile pieces from rubbing against one another, and don’t overpack containers. 

Be cautious with attics, garages, sheds, and other areas where temperatures and humidity can fluctuate significantly, especially when storing items that can be damaged by those conditions. 

Protect fragile collectibles 

Don’t assume that putting something into a plastic tote automatically makes it safe. Wrap fragile pieces individually with materials that won’t damage their surfaces. Use dividers when items could knock into one another, and avoid putting heavy objects on top of delicate pieces. 

Fill empty space when necessary to prevent movement inside the container, but don’t pack things so tightly that you’re putting pressure on fragile parts. 

Label containers holding breakable items so you don’t forget what’s inside when moving or stacking them. 

Keep frequently handled collections accessible 

Not every collection is meant to sit untouched behind glass. If you collect items you regularly use, read, wear, play with, or handle, organize them so they’re easy to access and put away. 

Don’t stack frequently used collectibles underneath things you rarely touch. Give them a shelf, drawer, bin, or other spot you can reach without unpacking half the collection. 

The easier your organization system is to maintain, the more likely you are to actually use it. 

Consider a storage unit for larger collections 

If you want to keep your collection but don’t have enough room at home, a storage unit can give you additional space. This can be especially helpful for large collections, original packaging, display pieces you’re rotating, or collectibles you don’t need to access every day. 

Before moving a collection into storage, organize and label everything. Create an inventory that tells you which container holds each item, and position things you may want to retrieve near the front of the unit. 

When choosing how to store a particular collectible, consider the materials it’s made from and whether changes in temperature or humidity could damage it. Some collections may benefit from climate-controlled storage. Don’t store anything super valuable. 

Revisit your collection periodically 

Collections change. Something you were excited to find five years ago may not mean as much to you today. Every so often, go through your collection and see whether you still want everything. 

You might find duplicates you don’t need, pieces that no longer fit the collection, or items you’d rather sell to fund something you want more. 

You don’t need to purge your collection just for the sake of making it smaller. The goal is to make sure the things taking up space in your home are still things you actually want to own. 

Collectible storage FAQ 

How do you organize a large collection? 

Start by sorting the collection into categories that make sense for what you own. Then, separate the items you want to display from those you want to store. Label stored containers and create an inventory so you can find individual pieces later. 

How do you display a collection without making a room look cluttered? 

Give the collection a defined display area rather than spreading it throughout the room. Group related pieces together, use risers to create different heights, and leave some open space between items. Rotating your collection can also let you display fewer pieces at once. 

What should you do when you run out of room for collectibles? 

You can reduce the number of pieces on display, rotate your collection, add vertical storage, sell or donate items you no longer want, or move part of the collection into another storage area or a storage unit. 

Is it better to display or store collectibles? 

You can do both. Display the pieces you most enjoy seeing and store the rest. Rotating items periodically lets you enjoy a larger collection without having everything out at the same time. 

Should you keep the original boxes for collectibles? 

It depends on what you collect and why you’re keeping the packaging. Original packaging may matter to some collectors and buyers, particularly for certain collectible categories. Research your items before discarding boxes if resale value matters to you. 

How do you store collectibles long-term? 

Clean and completely dry items before storing them, choose storage materials that won’t damage them, protect fragile pieces individually, and label containers. Research the storage needs of the particular materials in your collection, especially if they’re sensitive to temperature, humidity, or light. 

How do you keep track of a large collection? 

Create an inventory with the name, description, photo, condition, and location of each item. Number storage containers and record those numbers in your inventory to make stored collectibles easier to find. 

How often should you go through a collection? 

There’s no set schedule, but it helps to review your collection when displays get crowded, storage areas fill up, or you stop remembering what you own. You can also review it before buying more collectibles to see whether you already own something similar.