How do you store your spare parts?

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Pretty much what the title says.

 

I've been using the storage bin that came with the Mindstorms resource kit I bought to jump start my collection of technic parts, but it didn't really seem adequate to begin with and as I've gained more spare parts from adding various Bionicle sets, I find myself with storage too small to hold everything and so disorganized that I spend more time searching for a particular part than actually building when I'm in the mood for building with Lego.

 

I've used Plano brand tackle boxes to great effect storing some of my other construction toys, but some fo the CCBS parts are rather buly and awkwardly shaped that I don't think they'd work well for storing/organizing lego pieces.

[Lyichir]

When I was at college and thus couldn't sort the spare parts to new sets into my larger collection, I started storing them in ziploc bags. And when I left college, I kept doing that, in part because the bulk of my collection was inaccessible to me. These days I've expanded to more bags and started sorting them between things like System parts, Technic parts, and minifigure weapons and accessories.

[The 1st Shadow]

Like Lyichir, I used to use ziploc bags. But, after a while, the bags couldn't hold my parts, so I had to upgrade to a bunch of those plastic drawers witht he white frame. However, I'd like to go and get a tool sorter from Home Depot or Lowes or something. Like so:

 

[Bonkle]

I have one of those three-tiered sliding drawer things. I sort parts only by color family. But someday I'd like to upgrade to something like Shadow suggested. It'd be a lot easier to find parts.

[aldero]

I have some moderate-sized, rectangular storage containers next to my main building table that each contain notable minifigures, miscellaneous minifigure parts, studs, cylinders and 2x2 round bricks, and miscellaneous weapon parts, i.e. rods, clips, my surprising amount of spare katanas, that sort of thing, respectively.

 

The rest of my parts either fall into the broad categories of plates and tiles, large moulded pieces, Technic and constraction, bricks, transparent pieces, wheels, vegetation and smaller custom constructions like grated bins. It could definitely use some more aggressive categorisation, but it's good for the most part.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Turnipmensch

[Junior Shark]

I'm still stuck in a Ziploc bag phase. And lots of PaB cups. I have a massive collection, but being in college and whatnot it's cheaper to buy Ziploc bags than neat storing systems like above. One day. I have a couple massive tubs that I throw the bags into.

 

You have a great idea with tackle boxes. I use my old tackle boxes to bring Lego on the road with me when I'm travelling. I also use them for ad hoc sorting/storage trays when MOCing.

[The 1st Shadow]

I have one of those three-tiered sliding drawer things. I sort parts only by color family. But someday I'd like to upgrade to something like Shadow suggested. It'd be a lot easier to find parts.

I got the idea from a friend of mine who used to live right around the corner from me. Back then, I didn't have a lot of loose parts that needed organizing, but now, it's looking like a really handy option.

I'm still stuck in a Ziploc bag phase. And lots of PaB cups. I have a massive collection, but being in college and whatnot it's cheaper to buy Ziploc bags than neat storing systems like above. One day. I have a couple massive tubs that I throw the bags into.

 

Actually, I found a decent one at Home Depot not too long ago for $20. I didn't buy it at the time, but next time I'm down that way, I plan to pick one up.

[Ta-metru_defender]

Scattered about in my desk drawer because I was just keeping a couple pieces and then somehow it grew.

[Kopekemaster]

Incredibly organized. Painstakingly organized.

Something I've found handy for keeping pieces in are plastic takeout Chinese food containers. They're about 4.5"x7" and maybe 2" deep, which seems to be a pretty good size, and they stack well.

I also have some "bead organizers" or whatever that I use to keep some of my smaller pieces in. This kind of thing.

 

I store pieces in all sorts of containers and cases and stuff, but those are probably the more notable examples.

[You just lost the game]

I never really do anything with my spare lego pieces, so I usually drop them into my giant bin of forgotten dreams.

Edited May 16, 2016 by You just lost the game

[Taria Pakari]

I have one of those three-tiered sliding drawer things. I sort parts only by color family.

 

Yeah, I've got a five-tiered sliding drawer myself, and they're sorted by colour family with the fifth drawer being for minifigs and minifig accessories.

 

My black/grey/white drawer is almost full though. I might need a separate one just for them. :v

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Well, recently bought another Plano 4-by-rack tackle system for storing Lego. Doesn't work as well as it did for my Zome parts, but a tremendous improvement.

 

If I remember correctly, I've got parts divided up as follows:

Small compartment in lid: common small technic parts(axle-2, pin-2 and pin-3, pin-axle, bushings, small gears.

Tray 1: Technic connectors, half thickness and bent technic beams.

Tray 2: CCBS bones and technic beams.

Tray 3: CCBS Shells and Armor(Still need to sort contents.

Tray 4: CCBS/Technic weapons and accessories.

Top compartment: 6 of my 8 Throwbot containers holding other pieces(the remaining 2 are in the top compartment of my Zome Tackle Box since all either won't fit and the lid be able to latch.

Pieces contained in the throwbot containers include:

Container 1: CCBS heads and Masks.

Container 2: Axles, Throwbot Wings and torsos.

Container 3: Throwbot throwing arms.

Container 4: System parts(I don't have many) including technic brick beams.

Container 5: Throwbot legs and ankle/hip joints.

Container 6: Gears

Container 7: CCBS Torsos

 

Can't remember if the last container is Throwbot heads or if I threw them in with something else and it contains something different.

 

Might run into problems in the not so distant future though. I only recently got back into Lego, and while all I've got so far is:

The 8 Original Throwbots

-The 2015 Toa

-The Elemental Creatures

-a few other Bionicle G2 sets

-An old Mindstorms Resource kit(NXT rather than EVO because Lego's online store is screen reader hostile and the EVO resource kit was going for nearly twice the price on Amazon at the time).

 

I'm already nearing capacity of my newly purchased tackle box.

[Hukster]

I just put them in a few boxes I have. Not really sorted. Sort of lazy to do that.

[JAG18]

My Bionicle parts are in a cardboard box in my closet not organized in any way; my spare LEGO parts all fit in a blue LEGO Duplo container like this, again, organized in no way.

[Great Being Velika]

I sold almost all my system stuff except for a few minifigs, and I have only bought some rare old Star Wars sets since then. I used to store my system parts in a big box separate from by boxes with Bionicle parts, though.

[Leoxandar Arktanus]

I literally throw them into whatever storage bin is handy. I do somewhat sort them by the theme they came from. ex. a bin of castle and space parts, a bin of Ninjago parts...

[legomaster0032]

i store my spare parts in bins

Edited July 11, 2016 by legomaster0032

[Sumiki]

I've got a few of the small bins The 1st Shadow posted but the majority are in bags in drawers or large clear bins separated by color.
 
I've also got a lot of bins for "assorted" so you know the sad state of my organization.

[squidmaster]

i just keep the good pieces in a bag and every thing else goes into one big bin

[Toa Turing]

Since I'm going off to college, I had to leave the vast majority of my (and my brother's) Lego collection behind. We store our lego parts sorted roughly by category in about a dozen plastic bins and drawers. I did take along my collection of 2001-2003 sets and parts, and so far they all fit in a single plastic bin, waiting to be reassembled and displayed when I get my dorm.

[Valendale]

I have several of the stack-on containers pointed out earlier for my system part. Bionicle and Technic wise, some of it is in a three-tiered chest of drawers, while the rest stays in bins a closet where I shove things I don't want to have to look at. All of these bin have broken piece, and who knows what other junk in there too. They're starting to smell pretty bad as well... Maybe one day I'll find a solution for all those parts, but currently, I just have to search for what I want and wash it off.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Valendale