Need Micro-Storage for Your Small Items? Recycle Time!

Imagine this. My funds for play stuff has dwindled in recent years. I have had to - gasp! - cut back on my doll spending. Oh no! Oh yes. Sigh. I still have over 600 DAFs in spite of recent sales; and yes, that quantity of figures needs to be corralled. My DAF Room seems clogged with dolls I want, action figures I adore, accessories I need and lots of stuff that I can actually spare. Storage options help manage this collection. And ready-made storage options that won't absorb your doll and action figure collecting funds ... well, that's like found money.

My priority is to buy the DAFs, then sometimes outfits and/or accessories for them. Expensive micro storage pieces - while nice - are NOT particularly first on my list. So I need to be more creative in my storage choices.

How so? Well, let's start with recycled plastic covers and clear boxes that housed dolls or action figures I have deboxed. Surely Mattel and Hasbro and other companies would LOVE to know that they have given us a bonus in the packaging. That's why they make all those clear "windows," etc. For the savvy consumer, hmmm? Right.

The empty tall, mostly clear Fashion Fever tubes can hold tall objects like fishing rods, microphones, swords, rolled up posters, etc. Bodiless heads, etc. Less mess already. Plus, I can "see" what I have. Similarly, the clear plastic covers for the 12" pegboard G.I. Joes make neat shallow bins. I have plastic doll purses and backpacks in one of those.

Don't let us forget the plastic mini bin for wet wipes. I LOVE these. Easy open, easy close. You get this neat "snip" sound for free! (Who can pass up special sound effects like that?!) I have retained almost every one I nabbed. One large aqua one, I use for my toddlers' clothes and accessories. The more usual size, I use for accessories like shoes, food items, and other items. They can be covered with fabric or papier mache, etc. to individualize them or to identify the contents.

Other packaging can also be used for new purposes. You can give these pieces a Second Life. You can rescue them from landmines. Well, ideally, before they reach the landmines ;-D

Here some samples ... hope you enjoy seeing them!

Save Us From the Sterilite Drawer! Part Two

The Sterilite chest of drawers is doll-free.

The former inhabitants are presently held in an open cardboard box or clear plastic package top as shown in the photo below. They will be soaked and dried and inspected for repairs, etc. The Free Moving Ken and the Love doll required repairs some time ago. Ken fell apart - Free Moving Curtis came undone the same way - the "free moving" construction did not hold up. Love lost hair and one leg came off it's setting. Mary Quant Daisy has a partially melted butt. The others just seem to be dusty.




Where will the newly liberated crew go? After their clean-up, I would like to arrange them in my shelving units. I need to insert either a cardboard floor or a rug to a.) keep the dolls from slipping through the slits in the shelves and b.) to avoid bad plastic-plastic contact. I'll have to debox more dolls or move some boxed DAFs around, but having them out like that will satisfy both the storage/home need AND the diorama interest.

Wonder what setting they can fit into? Possibly a lobby or a park? Suggestions welcome ;-D

Save Us From the Sterilite Drawer! Part One

Remember I mentioned dolls left in the Sterilite drawer? Well, here are photos of some of those dolls.






For now, I am going to wash them and then stand them on a lined garage shelf. (Have to line the plastic shelves because the plastic shelves have slats dolls and action figures can fall down in.) Seeing them out will help me determine how I want to store them. And I will avoid any further damage to them. The Malibu Barbie and PJ and Ballerina Cara had some sticky substance on their legs.