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THE CREATIVE GAMER - Game Bit Storage Obsession (aka Are You OCD Like Me?) - Part 2/3

-matt s.
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Eugene
Oregon
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/blog/22
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(This is the 2nd installment in my 3-part posting of my Game Bit Storage Obsession)

Ok, I'm back. And I'm still obsessed. Are you ready for some more? Good!

CARD STOCK CARD BOXES
Acquired from: www.amazon.com (card stock), printed from www.boardgamegeek.com, www.createforless.com (paper punches), Michael's paper craft section (scissors)
Another game I made card stock boxes for is the Catan Card Game. This game has a variety of expansions and they all fit in one box but sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between the decks when you just use Hugo's Amazing tape to hold each deck separate.

There are several files on BGG (here is one example) that you can print out to card stock, cut out, fold, and glue together to make nice custom-sized card boxes. If you take your time to ensure clean cuts, score the lines and fold carefully, they come out very nice. I even used a 1/2" paper punch to cut a clean half-circle finger hold to make opening to box easier. It actually looks fairly professional when complete!


All card boxes and components in the box.


A total of 9 boxes are needed for all of the expansions.

I will say cutting out the boxes can be a bit tedious. If you try it, I suggest you invest in a nice set of SHARP scissors that are designed to cut paper. I found a nice set that has a large pair of scissors for doing the bigger cuts and a small pair for doing the smaller detailed cuts. Ultimately, it was well worth the time. BTW, be sure to let the glue dry COMPLETELY before inserting the cards into the boxes if you make them.

JEWELRY MAKING / BEAD STORAGE SYSTEMS
Acquired from: Michael's bead section, www.wargamedepot.com (counter trays)
Many of the boxes I'm showing in this thread have come from the bead section of Michael's where I've found all sorts of interesting storage options. Between the 40% and 50% coupons that are often available and the sale prices that frequently come through, you can usually get pretty good deals on them, too.

Here's another type of storage box I found:


Plastic storage box with 24 separate round bead boxes inside.

Each small box has a screw-on lid. When I bought this I wasn't sure what I might use it for, but I had a coupon AND it was on sale, so I figured I'd pick up a couple. If anything, I could use it for an art project of some sort.

Well, for Christmas I signed up for the Secret Santa gift exchange. My Santa was PARTICULARLY awesome in that he sent me both Civilization in UNPUNCHED condition similar to one I had in my youth (and which I still haven't had the heart to punch yet) and a used copy of Samurai (an older Avalon Hill war game) which I knew nothing about.

Samurai was used and had a ton of chits all mixed together. I sorted them out into baggies and labelled the baggies. I know there are also war game counter trays but I didn't have any at the time. Later, I remembered I had this box and decided to try it out. It seemed a little strange, but why not?

Here's the filled container inside the box:


Bead containers holding Samurai chits.

Read more....

(3 part series will include Plano boxes, hand-made boxes, thrifted boxes and more!)
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6 Comments
Subscribe sub options Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:30 pm
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Darrell Hanning
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I bought one of those sets of round bead containers, too, thinking as you did.

But I have yet to find a game (that actally comes out for play) that will work with them. I, too, own AH's Samurai, but it hasn't been played in probably twenty years, so I wouldn't waste a plastic container system on it.
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  • Edited Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:55 pm
  • Posted Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:55 pm
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-matt s.
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I think it was on sale cheap and I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for either. I've yet to play Samurai but hopefully eventually I will - I'm not much into war games but I have some friends that are that will likely be willing to play. I don't consider it a waste as it wasn't doing anything anyways. If I determine it will be better used elsewhere then I'm likely to switch it out again.

But I agree that, in general, if you don't play a game much it's not really worth upgrading the storage in any way. I just happened to have something on hand that worked for the time being on that game.
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  • Edited Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:20 pm
  • Posted Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:06 pm
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Sean Westberg
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I tend to print home-made dirty tuck-boxes. They don't look pretty, but they're very functional, and for the cost (I have a B&W laser printer, so I pay for card stock basically) it's hard to say no.

Inkjet tuck boxes actually probably are more durable than laser printer (which is amusing), since all that folding rubs some of the toner off. However, I can't bring myself to invest in that much ink when all I want is a box to store my decks of cards in.

Towards that end, I find tuck boxes are absolutely vital in certain games: Battlestar Galactica being one of them. There's like 10 decks of cards in the game, and baggies aren't a realistic option for all the decks.

Agricola is another excellent example of a game that *needs* tuckboxes. With the seven decks of cards or whatever it is, storage becomes a vital issue.

I wish games publishers would create tuck boxes for their games. I'd pay an extra dollar or two for professionally created tuckboxes made out of industry materials. Even if I had to fold/glue them it'd be worth it (especially if I could choose between sleeved and unsleeved).
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  • Posted Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:08 pm
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Jason W
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I'm really digging this series. I've made the journey from what you get in the box, to baggies, to homemade tuckboxes and Plano cases. It seems at times like a fun challenge sometimes just to figure out how to best store all the bits in a game.

The one tip I'd throw out there is for assembling tuckboxes. Instead of glue, I use little scrapbook tape squares that my wife had, since they're double-sided. Cutting them into smaller pieces as necessary, they work a lot faster and cleaner than glue, and they've really held up.
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  • Posted Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:17 am
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-matt s.
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TheFlatline wrote:
I tend to print home-made dirty tuck-boxes. They don't look pretty, but they're very functional, and for the cost (I have a B&W laser printer, so I pay for card stock basically) it's hard to say no.

Inkjet tuck boxes actually probably are more durable than laser printer (which is amusing), since all that folding rubs some of the toner off. However, I can't bring myself to invest in that much ink when all I want is a box to store my decks of cards in.

Towards that end, I find tuck boxes are absolutely vital in certain games: Battlestar Galactica being one of them. There's like 10 decks of cards in the game, and baggies aren't a realistic option for all the decks.

Agricola is another excellent example of a game that *needs* tuckboxes. With the seven decks of cards or whatever it is, storage becomes a vital issue.

I wish games publishers would create tuck boxes for their games. I'd pay an extra dollar or two for professionally created tuckboxes made out of industry materials. Even if I had to fold/glue them it'd be worth it (especially if I could choose between sleeved and unsleeved).


For me, if I'm going to take the time to make something, I figure I'm just going to make it full color and as good looking as possible, regardless of the cost of the ink. I'm too much of a perfectionist to do otherwise. But, you're right, sometimes quick and dirty is all you need and, as long as you're happy with it, it's a great solution.

With my Agricola the cards are sleeved (with colored backs to differentiate between the different types) and then I use Hugo's tape to separate between the different deck types.

I agree it would be great if publishers created tuck boxes, etc. My assumption though is that they are focusing all efforts on the game components themselves and, frankly, I'd rather they do that. Then, I can decide for myself which games warrant extras like tuckboxes, etc.

GOOD player aids are what I'd prefer publishers made myself.

Although, you have a good point if I may extend further --- consider the publishers leaving OUT the box inserts, making the boxes smaller, and then spending a little more on making nice extras like tuckboxes, player aids, etc.

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  • Posted Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:54 am
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TravelSized wrote:
I'm really digging this series. I've made the journey from what you get in the box, to baggies, to homemade tuckboxes and Plano cases. It seems at times like a fun challenge sometimes just to figure out how to best store all the bits in a game.

The one tip I'd throw out there is for assembling tuckboxes. Instead of glue, I use little scrapbook tape squares that my wife had, since they're double-sided. Cutting them into smaller pieces as necessary, they work a lot faster and cleaner than glue, and they've really held up.



Thanks Jason! Nice tip on the tuckboxes! I HAVE used glue dots before (which are similar) for some projects but I haven't always been happy with the results because of their thickness. I'll have to look for scrapbook tape to see if I like that better or not.
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  • Posted Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:57 am
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