I use plastic storage boxes to hold most of my collection. I used to use cardboard but after having trouble with spiders, moths (they eat GI Joe clothing), and even literally a mouse nest, and finally a water leak from a broken water heater, I decided it was time to change. Sometimes while shopping MRS Bunkermeister will ask me to select a lunch meat. I pick it based mostly on the type and color of box I need for the current project. Red for WWII Germans and Soviet Union, Blue for US Army, Tan for Civilian projects, Black for Accessories, Pink for Superheroes. These categories are not strict, Green is also used for US Army and most small projects tend to get Blue since that seems to be the most common box top color.
Most of the time the plastic coated paper label can be pulled off, turned over and stuck back onto the lid. Then using a large marker pen I write down what is in the box. I have a number of abbreviations that I use to make it faster and easier to write up the description. SCI FI of course being science fiction. I also use WWI and WWII for the First and Second World Wars and a host of others. If the old label is not useful then I just cut out a piece of blank paper to fit and write on that. I use plastic packing tape folded over into a double sided piece to hold on the new label. Originally I wrote directly on the box, but this has greater contrast and is easier to read.
Sometimes I buy boxes. I got this one in a ten-pack at Dollar Tree about 15 years ago and they still sell them. It is a small box about 1x2 inches but it is good for parts sorting, and storing small numbers of troops. The bulk of my vehicle collection is stored in underbed storage boxes. Each of those boxes has one of these little boxes inside of it to store any parts that fall off or break off in storage, transport, or other handling. That way the parts are near the vehicles they came from. It makes it easy to find them when repair time comes. I also use these to store vehicle crews or other vehicle specific accessories near their assigned vehicles.
Some of the best boxes are free boxes. Take out food often comes in plastic containers and after washing can be used for hobby purposes. Sometimes I use these as trays to simply move parts of the collection from place to place. It is especially good for washing dirty vehicles, or for stripping off paint so the paint remover does not get on anything else. The nicest thing about these boxes is being free they are expendable. So when they get dirty or have old paint remover on them they can be tossed out.
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Mike Bunkermeister Creek