Q: I'm so glad for all the collections help, but so far I've had trouble applying it to my specific collection issue: action figures. My husband has tons of them. They vary wildly in color and style, and also a bit in size but are generally pretty small. Most of his can stand up on their own, luckily, but a lot of action figures can't. These aren't the kind that are still in boxes. Please tell me you have some ideas or will be addressing something similar soon, because right now they're all over the house, and in this state they aren't a collection, they're just clutter. Thanks.
Sent by Elizabeth
Editor: One of my favorite displays of a collection on Apartment Therapy is Amy's PEZ collection from the recent House Tour Amy's Apartment: Collections of Color. By using color as an organizing criteria, the massive collection looks thoughtout and intentional — the opposite of clutter! Be sure to check out all the tips in this post, too: Displaying Childhood Collections in a Grown-Up Home . Who has display ideas for action figures?
MORE TOY COLLECTIONS
• Displaying Childhood Collections in a Grown-Up Home
• Karl's Massive Superman Collection
• Collections: Bigboy Cheng's Vinyl Toy Displayasaurus Rex!
• How To: Display Small Vinyl Toys
Flickr Finds: Artdsgnr's Toy Collection
• Amy's Apartment: Collections of Color
My other half has a huge, always-growing collection of GI Joe... (he works with kids for a living... the big boy himself!)
He has them strategically set up on two shelves: one for GI & one for Cobra Command (don't ask how I know).
He has made use of surrounding plants and clearwire & toothpicks to make it a fun, whimsical display. It sounds kitschy I know, but it really works in our eclectic pad. The collection display is discreet but also a cool find for the rooming eye.
view summerlove's profile
Make sure you have insurance, and then stage a conveniently located fire. I didn't say that...
view home body's profile
I love how they're displayed in the photo above. My dream is to have a huge rec room with random shelves, each displaying a 'scene' between various action figures and toys.
view LittleEdie's profile
Small shelves or clear glass display cases. Have him pick out a few and put the rest away in storage. He can rotate what's on display and you won't have action figures taking up an entire room of your place.
view slowdown's profile
A long, continuous shelf about a foot from the ceiling that wraps around an informal room that isn't a main room, like the home office or spare bedroom. Maybe along a hallway or entry...
But, then again, Holy dust collectors, Batman!
view fledgling's profile
The guy who designed the colorful housewares "creatures" for Alessi had several white shelves against a white wall with his creations displayed - an idea worth stealing.
But also edit, edit, edit - display only the best. Pick a theme. Rotate the collection.
view Taureg's profile
I've never used these, so I have no idea what the quality is, but the price is certainly right:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/collections/display/cubesCases?productId=10022883
view Will Whiskey's profile
For the non-comic book geeks out there, top from left:
Shazam
Martian Manhunter
Red Tornado
Zatanna
Plastic Man
Wonder Girl
Kid Flash
Starfire
Cyborg
Raven
Star Sapphire
Captain Cold
Captain Boomerang
Cheetah
Darkseid
view t8's profile
If you could find the glass cylinders with the rounded tops and wood bases, you could have a VERY cool display in which each figure is 'trapped' beneath a specimen glass in the vein of Victorian science displays. A neat juxtaposition. And if there are any you can 'pin' like a butterfly...
view tredeger's profile