If a person with only 1 fault - a Star Wars collection - is a deal breaker, good luck finding that perfect person.

The Billy bookcase with doors and lights is a good idea. I wouldn't display the boxed items, t-shirt, cards, etc., only the 3 dimensional items.

An alternative to Billy is IKEA's Magiker. The birch finish with the silver-edged glass doors is nicely tailored and modern, and the 15" deep cabinets absorb a lot of collection.

What I see as the aesthetic problem is that a lot of those Star Wars figures are in their original packaging, which doesn't make for much of a visual display unless the packages are lined up so that they're a visual repeat. If the purpose of packaging is to keep the figures in pristine "original packaging" condition, those really should not be displayed, lest light or contact damage the packages. So it would be a win for everyone if those figures were carefully boxed in a dark closet.

You'll also be happier with a room-wide color scheme that picks up whatever you consider to be the least obnoxious repeating colors in the collection. If it were me, I'd be thinking Asian with blacks, reds, and touches of green; also, highly collectible vintage green Haeger and McCoy pottery used by mid-century florists is roughly the color of Yoda's head.

oh man. that's all i can say.

(shakes head in sympathy) May the force be with you.

I think the Ikea suggestions are good - it's inexpensive and clean looking. What I'm wondering is just how many of the Ikea pieces you'd need to accomodate the 'very large' collection. Would he be willing to compromise AT ALL? Like maybe you could put up two nice display cases and he could fill them with whatever he chose, but the rest would have to go into storage (maybe he could rotate the displayed pieces every couple of months or something, so they all get face time)? I understand that the collection is important to him, but what's important to you (little clutter, neat house, etc) should also be factored in, it's called compromise.

We don't have Star Wars...but my fiance does have several hockey bobble heads...they live on top of the tv in the livingroom. We also have an antique china cabinet hutch (the tv lives on top of that) and in the hutch, behind glass doors are more of his "artifacts".

Can you incorporate the items into a bookshelf/glass cabinet system? Crate & Barrel has one called Rojo that might fit the bill.

If you can afford it and it fits your decor, consider a formal china or curio cabinet. They are beautiful pieces of furniture and usually come with buit-in lighting. If you can't afford one new, they are frequently for sale on Craigslist and Ebay for pretty nice prices. It could certainly make for quite a contrast, 18th century style federal china cabinet with Star Wars memorabilia inside.

I feel your pain intensely. It's like a large plastic sculpture of "Leatherface" (from Texas Chainsaw, if I'm not mistaken) is staring at me from above my television set. Oh wait, it is!

Because I have what some might call an overly large book collection, I could not in good conscience begrudge my man his toys. So we put them around the apartment in little scenarios: Leatherface looms threateningly over Drunky Crow who is backed up against a Terminator doll on top of the TV, while Spiderman fights off Stewie on a kitchen shelf.

Since your boyfriend is even dorkier than mine, I see that he keeps a lot of his dolls in their wrappers (must remain mint!) that won't work for everything. Maybe try hanging them in a line across a bathroom wall? I don't know what to tell you about the display case. Yikes.

It helps if you can embrace a little kitsch. My apartment already looked like Pee Wee's Whorehouse, so it wasn't SO horrible an adjustment.

Maybe also suggesting that he rotate the display of some of his favorite items....so there isn't so much all the time. The rest could be packed away in a kitten free zone...Lending his collection a museum quality aura.

Some of the smaller items could be grouped together in a shadow box, or collector's box--with a glass front and then displayed on the wall or a coffee table.

But that's a lot of Yoda to try and decorate with. May the force be with you.

I would try and sell him on the idea of closed, non-glass cabinet doors. The cabinet can be lit when the doors open. And the impact would be more striking - people will be more surprised when they can't see what's inside.

I might gently state at this point that a Star Wars collection of this size may accompany some other faults ;-). Of course it is difficult to make this kind of assessment without knowing the person's age - if he was, say, 45 I would definitely call it a dealbreaker!

That being said, I know a couple of collector types and they have taken a bunch of different approaches:

-Sequester everything in a second bedroom, which admittedly does not sound like an option here.

-Mount things in packages directly on the wall in a grid, so they kind of blur together into a single object. This works best with packages that are all the same size, some friends of mine who were rabid eBay collectors of has-been celebrity dolls (e.g., the entire 90210 cast!) successfully did this.

-If you have high ceilings, creating a kind of mobile overhead can be kind of interesting, but a little of something like this goes a long way.

-Again if you have high ceilings, place a very high, thin shelf less than a foot from the ceiling that runs around the entire room and line everything up on it. This will be pretty cat-proof and will take up less space and mindshare than a huge piece of furniture.

If you are stuck with buying a case of some sort or another, having doors will actually deemphasize the collection and reduce the cluttered feeling. DON'T get a display-type case with clear glass sides and don't use lights if you prefer to minimize visibility of the collection. Good luck. . .

You could try something *whimsical* like grouping the packaged toys on the walls like art? Also, instead of the display-case look, you could try something like DWR's Cubits with the clear doors used as a room divider, or even some clear-lucite storage end tables or coffee tables with the Star Wars stuff inside.

What about shelves? My husband also has a Star Wars collection (not as big as your boyfriend's it seems) and I thought something like this might work - http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=toy&w=66468199%40N00
I'd of course prefer this somewhere where it wouldn't be the first thing everyone sees (like an office), but it sounds like that's not an option for you.

Sorry, I don't remember where I found the photo.

Rub some more catnip on the collection! That will thin it out!

I think the Billy is the way to go. However, he should rotate the boxed items, if any, and try to keep some of them out of the light to avoid fading.

How about trying to frame the room with a perimeter of very high shelves near the ceiling and keeping the collection displayed there. Or even just along the length of one wall up near the ceiling (maybe the wall above the couch so it's behind you when watching a movie or entertaining). They'd be out of reach for the kitties, still on display for the boyfriend, and yet not constantly right in front of your face for those days when being eye to eye with a big plastic yoda just won't do. Good luck :O)

Oops... missed the part about the cat. Shelves won't work. Nevermind.

Perhaps with the shelving unit you could so gome glass doors, some solid doors, and maybe curate a rotating display of items. As in "January is Yoda Month!".

Also, try to keep it near the office, which I might assume isn't in the center of the room or a focal point.

spread them out throughout the loft. if you have open cabinets in the kitchen, create a little scenerio with some of the figures there. then have a couple on the counter, in the corner. and that really big yoda, have him by your entry way.

i think grouping them around your loft will make it seem less, well, intrusive than displaying them alllll in one area.

COMPROMISE is the word of the day here.

You're willing to compromise and let your boyfriend keep his Star Wars collection in your living area. Good. BUT the ENTIRE collection? Where's the compromise on his part? I suggest some TRUE compromise here. You agree to let him keep SOME of his collection displayed. Get a smaller display case, or even two, where he can keep part of the collection. Store away the rest and rotate the items in the case(s).

I love that what is pictured is only the Yoda stuff. And I'm glad my husband doesn't read AT, as I've only just recently managed to cloister all the Star Wars crap into the guest bedroom. If he caught on that, as Wende in Phoenix stated, "vintage green Haeger and McCoy pottery used by mid-century florists is roughly the color of Yoda's head," it would mysteriously reappear in the living room, I'm sure.

I have no good advice Amanda, except to embrace the whimsy and compromise willingly.

I agree with Daily Nuance--there are a lot of good decorating suggestions above, but they all require some compromise on Mr. Yoda's part, and if the real issue is that he is not willing to compromise at all, then you have more of a relationship issue than an aesthetic one. And it's not b/c of the dorkiness factor (I, for one, think dorkiness is beautiful and should be embraced)--it's the refusal to compromise on what is, objectively speaking, a compromiseable issue. (As opposed to a noncompromisable issue, like if you were asking him to stop speaking to his mother or something.)

I would love to hear from the boyfriend here. :)

For the cats: has anyone ever tried putting double-sided tape on the edges of shelves, etc. that you don't want the cat on? Supposedly they hate the feeling of the tape on their feet and will avoid it. After the cat is trained, you can remove the tape.

This would allow the use of open shelves...

this sorta makes me sick to my stomach and i am sorry for you. HOWEVER, i agree with the above comment saying that those pieces in the original packaging should be carefully stored away from heat and light. and out of sight. i understand the desire to keep the original packaging, but original packaging is also tacky looking and an eyesore.

as for the rest of it, OUT of its original packaging, i would actually set up a fake 3-d panorama diorama scene of the different sets from the movie and place the figures in it. it will be time consuming and will look cheese, but oh boy would it be funny as hell.maybe put it on a long shelf at about eye level so that when you stand up, you're about face to face with the star wars action. and he can even pick up the pieces and move them around like he were, well, a kid playing star wars.

oh wait, they're all yoda. well, make a swamp scene and place all the yodas all over it. it would still be funny as hell.

Cat or no cat, you positively do not want open shelves for the majority of the collection. Cased shelves do visually tone down the impact of a collection (how would I know this?)... and doors massively reduce the need to dust.

Your boyfriend will need to croon over his collection item-by-item at least a couple of times a year -- and your ideal display solution limits the need for dusting to his voluntary crooning sessions. Otherwise, unless he's also a neatnik, you (as the person with decorating notions) will get stuck with dusting the Yodas. You'll resent doing it; he'll resent how you don't put them back exactly right. One set of Billy doors costs less than an hour of couples therapy.

Ok, it looks like I'll have to give you the decorating nerd's perspective here. I too have a large collection of action figures and collectibles, which at one time I wanted to display. If you're in NYC, think the display cases in Forbidden Planet. I found a couple of very nice Ikea cases that would work decently, and are not as clunky/heavy as a bookcase:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10011055

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30115603

As you can see, the space may be limited for the entire collection, so I would also encourage as one other person suggested - ask him to pick out some really choice collectibles and display those, and rotate on a regular basis. Much the same way people rotate their artwork in their homes, he can do the same.

For example, I have a replica "Thermal Detonator" from Return of the Jedi, as well as a replica "Golden Idol" from the opening scene of Indiana Jones I. I like these because they are unique items that aren't "toys" per se, and proudly display them.

Although I have to admit, I retired all my "action figure" toys to a duffle bag. No matter how much I like them, it screams "boy who doesn't want to grow up" to everyone else. Maybe if I was in my 20s it would be ok. In my mid-30s, not so much.

Jon_B, as someone who has two curious cats (raised from stray 7-week-old kittens) I can attest that the tape thing doesn't work. Getting double-sided tape off of wood is also virtually impossible, and it can sitck to their paw pads and cut them. Spray bottles work, but I'm guessing that spraying the Yodas by accident would rule out that option.

Barrister bookshelves are a fine idea, but keep in mind that the older ones usually weren't made with adjustable shelves. Law books tend to be printed with relatively uniform dimensions. It might limit what objects could be displayed.

My husdand collects models of Universal film monsters, and we also have cats. Our solution was three (yes three) billy bookcases with glass doors.
I call it the "wall o' monsters"

I used to have a collection of some 300 odd (some very odd) plastic action figures, each one holding a sword of some kind. Sabers were fine; light sabers were not. I kept them tightly arranged on three shelves in a corner where I thought it wouldn't compete with my other stuff, which, frankly, I thought more compelling. Visitors invariably preferred looking at the action figures to, say, my collection of white McCoy pottery. People like collections they can understand.

Some time ago, there was a picture posted here of a guy who had a gazillion Indonesian puppets mounted floor to ceiling on one wall. That's what I'd do with a collection like this. If he has the "life size" Yoda -- which once scared me at Forbidden Planet -- well, that's what bases of occasional tables are made of.

i think going very modern and not fighting the fun of the collection could be cool. don't know if this is achievable, but if you could set up a kinda cube-based display system, it could look very kitschy in a neat mod way.

like this west elm system in white, but with an added glass door?
http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODp008&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNSTO&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNSTO

or stacking up those staples cubes in white, and, again, also affixing a protective facade?

that's all i can think of right now... but i think if the items were arranged artistically, rather than just as a trophy case, it could be a nice feature.

How about rotating out the collection and displaying a subset just like in a museum- in glass fronted shadow boxes with little placards describing each one ("Yoda Figurine, Polyvinyl Chloride, Kenner, 1986") mounted on the wall next to it. I actually think that could be pretty cool, but it only works if you can edit the collection that's on display at any one time. Maybe you can compromise and he gets 10-25 pieces, rotated every three months or so. If you have a good sized wall you could do a 5 x 5 grid and light it with some cool museum style track lighting. And if he wants to keep you around, he needs to be willing to compromise a bit too.

Regarding Boomer's comment about the Barrister shelves, once, back in the day, Steelcase made similar shelves out of metal, and it was subsequently copied by everyone at the time. My favorite bar uses one to keep glasses and liquor in.

Here's a current craigslist sale for a steel one on the Lower East Side...

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/356392248.html

kvh

my s.o. has a significant chuck norris collection. it stays in storage. it's either me or chuck.

You say in your post that getting rid of the collection is a deal breaker for you boyfriend. I understand that, but displaying this collection in your living room isnt the only alternative to that – the stuff can be put away in a closet.

Im sorry, but it's not a case of your decorating tastes versus his. Im sure he's old enough to understand that there are generally accepted ways that adults decorate their homes. Within these accepted boundries, there can be a compromise between your taste and his. This, however, is WAY outside the boundries (unless you really dont mind the stuff).

It seems awfully selfish to me that someone would insist on displaying this stuff in a living room.

its seems like less of a star wars collection and more of a Yoda collection which could prove more difficult to incorporate into any decor...

i've seen some people make a shelf a few inches from the ceiling all around the room. then, he could still see it, but it wouldn't be in the way. i think the thing you wanna stay away from is the kitche display feeling. just make it fun. maybe paint the area behind the high shelf a popping color.

Try to make an art piece.
Wallpaper seems to be in.
First, try creating a small Yoda repeat design on your computer . You can play onplacement, repeat, and a scale that would contrast the size of the collectibles.
You can then have your design copied on a printer for large scale copies.
The wallpaper then can be hung on a large homosote board. You have a backround for the collectibles that can either be pinned or velcroed to the board.
If your guy really wants to protect the piece, a step further can be taken by having this toy board enclosed in a custom-made plexglass frame.

Cheers!

This seems like a great opportunity for some high culture meets low culture decorating. I second the suggestions for a traditional china cabinet, but I'd get an old one that wasn't particularly expensive and then repaint it - maybe shiny white or shiny black or shiny yellow! - something that will pop and make it more modern. The mix of that and the Star Wars collection could be pretty awesome.

So not a dealbreaker!

I have friends who have done exactly what mariegael suggests above and it has worked out well for them. This may offer the perfect avenue to compromise: the shelves just below ceiling level can only hold so many collectibles without sacrificing visibility and stability.

Also, as JohnH suggested, consider an older, scroll-y china cabinet, and then paint it to match your own taste. I've seen many of those dark wood monsters mouldering away in antique stores, but with the right coat of paint they could be the best things in their adoptive rooms.

Best wishes.

Dear Boyfriend of co-dependent girl,

Dude.

You. Are. My. Hero.

What else can you make her do by threatening to leave?

If he's got a Star Wars collection, he likely also reads Tolkien, goes to Conventions, plays endless video games, has bad facial hair and back acne and plays Dungeons and Dragons. It's a slippery slope. I say show him the door.

If you lived in a house where he could have a dedicated room, fine, but in a loft, he has to compromise, too. You guys need to get some kind of display section going, and he needs to rotate these.

In a small space, both people have to compromise, and it would be more the fact that my partner was unwilling to compromise at all that would be the dealbreaker for me.

Clearly the cat is the real problem. Best to get rid of it. ;-)

Seriously, I'd favor the old glass china cabinet repainted a suitable color to fit a funky modern decor.

THis post makes no sense. Guys with Star Wars collections and guys with girlfriends are two mutually exclusive societal groups.

I don't think I could live with it. It would be a deal breaker for me if we couldn't compromise on it. That would mean he could keep it, so long the majority of pieces were stored, and the rest were rotated into some sort of display that wasn't some cluttered visual torture. The dusting alone would kill me!

Not to repeat what everyone else has already said here, but the best option is probably to store the majority of pieces out of site, while keeping a smaller part of the collection on display. Sounds like your boyfriend wants the collection to be prominent, but tucking everything behind glass doors seems the easiest way to do just the opposite.

We collect silkscreen concert posters that are made for bands we love. While we could technically fit them all on our walls, it would look like an eyesore and visually overwhelming. There would be so much going on that you wouldn't be able to enjoy each piece like you would if it wasn't competing with the dozen others for your attention.

Plus rotating things a bit keeps our apartment feeling fresh. We don't have the luxury of moving furniture in our small space, but changing linens, pillows, and posters out the space always stays interesting.

I'd convince him that to preserve the original quality of packaging and the colour of the toys, that the collection be stored in museum-like acid free storage boxes. You wouldn't want anything fading from sun exposure would you?

I'm sure your significant other also yearns for that limited edition life-sized bronze statue, but currently settles for the life-sized cardboard cutout. Oh yes, I feel your pain.

So long as he only wants to display one of each item, I think you have a salvagable relationship; if he wants to display the one he bought to check out all those neat features, the one he kept in the box for himself, and the one he kept in the box to possibly sell at a later date, it might be time to seek professional help.

Putting everything in a cabinet (or several cabinets) will minimize the overall visual impact of the collection, like putting a picture in a frame--cabinets create boundaries. In fact, I would recommend several cabinets, so you can spread them around the space and minimize the impact even more. A touch of Yoda here, a touch there, and no one place becomes YODA HERE. Because as nice as it seems to have Yoda confined to one corner, as soon as he's there, you'll find your eye wandering there over and over again because it's just so much green.

As a budgety person, I use several of the IKEA Deltorf (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10011055) for the nicer pieces and cycle items through. Billy works well for displaying items in packaging, but its larger size and heavier lines can start to create that "wall o' crap" look you're trying to avoid. Especially if your loft-ish apt has high cielings, try to find half-height cabinets and pull the eye away from them by putting focus-grabbing art higher up on the walls.

In my experience, the more glass, the classier even Yoda will look. Wood shelves will look juvenile, like a little boy's room. Glass displays will say to visitors "hey, I know it's a little wierd, but some day this will be in a museum and then we'll be rich." It shifts the balance from crazy, towards eccentric. ;)

Spend a chunk of the money you were planning to spend on the cabinet on good tuck-away storage. If a piece not on display has a safe place to rest, where it can be easily found and brought out again to show a visitor, you might find it's easier to convince your SO to put it away. I use file boxes (with cardboard wine glass inserts for small items) and label the outside of the box with the exact contents.

Also consider framing the posters and t-shirts. Thumb-tack holes lower the value of an item--and hey, if you've got to live with it anyway, it might as well be worth something. As long as you don't mat them, poster frames are pretty cheap. For t-shirts, choose the kind of frame where the back of the shirt folds around to form a square, not the kind where the whole shirt is laid out on the glass. The simple shape will reduce the item's weight on the eye.

If you have the IMAX poster ("Size matters not, except on an IMAX screen"), you can pull a lovely red/orange and even a coordinating blue from it. I use the red/orange in my curtains, throw pillows, and rug, and try to bunch houseplants opposite to the display cases, so the focus is distributed between bunches of greenery. I really wish I could send pictures, but I just moved and everything is still in boxes.

Sorry for this monster of a comment, but I remember being very overwhelmed by this same problem when my SO and I first moved in together. The soap (I think I see it in that pic, actually) was the last straw for me. When he hung that on a thumb tack above the bathroom toilet, we sat down and had a talk. Our solution, too, was to purchase quality display surfaces, and it really, really helped. We couldn't afford enough shelf-space to keep everything out, so some of it had to go in boxes, but even though there was less on display, having it neatly arranged and lit made my SO feel like his collection, and himself, was being treasured. Coming to terms with Yoda was a giant step forward in our relationship.

Give it five or six years, and you might even find yourself growing fond of the little bugger.

Ok, speaking as someone with a lot of collections, there is a solution.

When I started dating my wife... 12 years ago in High School, I had my baseball card collection, star wars collection, sports memorabilia collection, and Wheaties box collection proudly displayed. It looked as if a comic book and baseball card convention exploded on my room. That didn't even include my GI Joe, He-Man, Transformers, Micro Machines, or Thundercats collection. And unbelievably enough, it also did not include my 100% complete every character made WWF Wrestling collection from 1988 including such starts as Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Junk Yard Dog, and who could forget Macho Man Randy Savage being crushed by Big John Studd in the middle of my scale WWF Authentic wrestling ring!!!

I still have all of this crap, and I am so proud of all of this crap, and it is almost ALL in storage.

You see, I realized something that many other people need to realize, including the boyfriend from this post. There is a time and place for everything, and no matter how proud you are that you purchased every possible iteration of a fictional all knowing muppet, the middle of the living room in a gym style display case is not the best place to declare your pride.

Moderation is your friend. Pick the one or two things that you like the best out of the collection. The things that are most rare, and you cherish the most. Put those on a small shelf away from the cat in an out of the way place of the house. Perhaps a crown molding ledge or floating shelf.

Change up your collection when you want to. If used with moderation you can always have new things out every month, keeping your collection fresh for visitors.

Integrate your collection with the rest of the room or house. It shouldn't jump out at you as a focal point, it should be an accent that accompanies the rest of the room. Good points were made above to have an antique bookcase, perhaps with a single shelf, or 1/2 shelf dedicated to the Yoda Shrine.

Take it from me, I have a life sized full head to toe wearable Stormtrooper body armor outfit and 4 authentic Luke, Darth, Obi Wan, and Darth Maul lightsaber replicas... THEY ARE ALL IN BOXES IN THE BASEMENT.

Selected items (Millenium Falcon replica, X wing replica, Imperial Star Destroyer replica) can be worked into the decor, even if your style is not at all modern. After all, hanging model aircraft is a traditional way to display them. Doing the same for model space ships also works. Small action figures can work in any enclosed display.

If he's unwilling to pick and choose which items are best to display, that would be a deal breaker for me. He has an awesome collection and he doesn't care enough about it to protect it. Eww. What a turnoff for me as a geek.

We have a small collection of scooter-related toys and memorbilia (like dealer badges and cans of spray paint!) that we keep in an IKEA cabinet similar to the Detolf (I can't find it on the site but it comes in white, birch and maybe black with silver legs.)

The cabinet fits nicely in a corner of our dining room.

Sigh.

My husband is a brilliant photographer, writer and poet. He's educated, handsome and sociable.

He is also a competitive skateboarder and lover of "toys". We've compromised and he tucks action figures and toys in various spaces - kind of a surprise... hey, I need a water glass.. oh look, there's a miniature Hulk Hogan hiding in there! The ones he wants to keep in the packages are stored away in the closet.

Our guests get a kick out of finding random things tucked about and we still sleep in the same bed. All's well, I suppose.

PS - Is the larger Yoda wearing a hat and shades a la Blues Brothers?

How timely. I'm having similar decorating negotiations myself as my boyfriend and I are moving in together. He has a large, LARGE collection of super hero action figures. Yes, really. Luckily, he's willing to keep most of them in storage. Those on display will mostly be contained in the office, in their packages. That still pains me a little, but really, putting them all in storage wouldn't be fair. It's his stuff, he likes it, and our home has to make both of us happy.

And yeah, most of us (on this site especially) may not appreciate or want a Star Wars or super hero collection on display in our homes, but a deal breaker? Cmon.

There seems to be a bit of a double standard in the collection arena, no? Most women seem to have collections, many quite tacky: Longaberger baskets, beanie babies, Boyd's bears, dolls, bird stuff, animal collections, etc. but we're mostly ok with that. When a man has a collection, we automatically assume it should be confined to a little-used, never-seen corner of the house, or trashed.

Good luck Amanda. I hope we see an update!

I agree a LOT with Santanaf. There is a time for all. Although I do not oppose the idea of having a guest room decorated with a shelf containing a specific collection, given the collection is not that large, and given the couple has a guest room.

Hmm, we are getting one side of the story, and the audience assumes the girlfriend is the only one doing the compromising. Interesting.

But thin the collection you must.

(Don't toss anything, just display it in shifts)

Btw, when you say "our cat" is it really, or was it yours originally? Just curious.

There seems to be some misunderstanding about what the dealbraker in this scenario really is:

1)Amanda says that her boyfriend would consider it a dealbraker to live *without* the collection.

2)The survey asks a different question: Do you consider it a dealbraker to live *with* the collection.

I wouldn't live with action figures on my own, but I'm sure I could reach a compromise for the right person. Here's an example of a couple who already dealt with this:

My friend Andrew has an insanely huge Pez collection. This was hard, but not impossible for his girlfriend, (also a good friend), Heather. They lived in a tiny Brooklyn Apt. They got married and he built a beautiful case for the zillion Pez. He also build cabinets for her. He started teaching and built more cases for his books. She also has a lot of books and some amazing art. They just had a baby and now, out of necessity, most of the Pez are stored away, except for a few. Perhaps it is a rotating collection. They want their apt. to look a certain way, but there are other things going on, and they're both flexible, in love, and happy.

I do disagree about the "integrate the collection throughout" though.

Yoda is friggin' awesome! To the boyfriend, if she listens to the advice of someone like Jyo Jyo ("generally accepted ways that adults decorate their homes"), run, don't walk, and get the heck out of there while you can.

Luckily, the boyfriend is very willing to compromise to let the apartment reflect both of our tastes. I actually don't have a problem with the Star Wars collection in principle but more with how he currently displays it -- All cluttered and crowded onto a few shelves which are never ever dusted. I think he and I have agreed to limit it to one medium sized cabinet/case and then a few smaller pieces spread throughout the apartment. The Ikea option is definitely something we will look into. And the one high shelf idea might work around a part of the room that has higher ceilings. Thanks for all the great suggestions.

- Amanda

I agree with the same size, shape containers that could be used as an installation themselves with the actual contents kind of secondary.
I bought some of these
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/cubisto-instaart-in-3d-243295.php
in Japan, They come in different sized and colors. They make small ones which are perfect for those tiny action figures, easier to dust and cat safe.

Relationships consists of a lot of sacrifice. I would say to weigh what is more important. If it's that important to him to keep his stuff up there, then I would say respect his choice (even if its not ideal to you). If the collectables are not that important to you, then you shouldn't mind it so much just because of a few, space discrepencies.

If you had something that you valued a lot, wouldn't you want you're bf to resepect the fact that you value it so much?

I would say its a petty thing to fight over. Make a dealbreaker something a little more serious than collectables and home furniture. At the end of the day just see which means more to you, your bf, or those collectables. It could actually define how serious you are about the relationship and it shows that you respect him for who he is, despite all the kwirks. You are not perfect and neither is he, but you can be perfect FOR EACH OTHER if you both sacrifce certain things because you value the other person more.

Update -- In case anyone is wondering, the case currently under consideration can be seen here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Curio-Cabinet-Hutch-Display-Case-Amish-Made_W0QQitemZ220123933919QQihZ012QQcategoryZ115756QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

- Amanda

This is what basements were made for, so tis a shame we're talking about a city apartment! I feel for you!

I think the best thing to do is compromise on BOTH sides... You have to do that all the time in a relationship anyway you and I think if the SO can accept to keep some toys in storage and rotate his collection, you can surely do your part and accept some displaying of the collection. I am a doll collector and even if I know it's kind of dorky and lame, I love my collection too much to keep it all in storage. However, I understand it can be an eyesore for most people. Good luck :)

Indeed - the Amish cabinet on eBay was surely made for Star Wars paraphernalia.

bear with me, but i actually think yoda is cool. he was based on the buddha and i wonder if there's a way to play with that in his displaying. like, on a shelf you could intersperse the yodas with buddhas, or perch him on some open lotus petals--kind of spiritual, kitschy-cool. you could think of him as a pop spiritual icon and treat him in an altar-y sort of way--whatever kind of shelving you decide on. yoda is also, obviously, green. so integrating some green and tan (his garment) into the room could also work.

I am the boyfriend.

I live in an 1100 sq ft loft type space, not your typical NYC closet apartment. I invited Amanda to live with me, and have thus far been agreeing to every change she wants to make. I have rearranged my furniture, agreed to get new furniture, agreed to paint, agreed to this, agreed to that.

I had to draw the line though, when it comes to my collection of Yodas (I have much more Star Wars stuff in storage). Arranged in mass as the old photo indicates, I like to think of it as a faux shrine (particularly considering this character was conceived as an aspect of Buddha). I have been maintaining this kitsch collection for about 15 years now, and it has much personal value.

I would hope, knowing this background, all but the most soul-less folks will grant my right to keep these most favored items out of exile and on display... without damning myself to a life of solitary acne-addled sadness.

Epilogue: Amanda and I have resolved the dispute with the purchase of a nice wooden hutch with glass doors.

Most fascinating is how I find myself assuming as many horrible things about the uptight snooties who balk at anything they perceive as sub-normal -- as they seem to be assuming about me.
Perhaps the lesson here is: when asked for an opinion on the weather, don't lecture about politics.

Only if the collection is in the closet. I could live with it then.

Amanda and Boyfriend,

You guys rule. Well done. May Yoda bless you with a sublime cohabitation and shine a light upon you as you compromise your way to happiness.

And for the record, I love the integrate buddhas and Yodas idea - there are a number of buddhas around our house, and they may need some short green companionship.

It's too bad that I just saw this thread now, since I think the problem is basically resolved. But I wanted to speak up on behalf of the "Star Wars collecting, D&D playing, super hero comic reading" people (and I say people, b/c trust me, it's not just men). So this has nothing to do with Amanda and her boyfriend at all, but more with the comments left on this subject. I really do not think that being in touch with his/her inner child is a negative characteristic in a person. In fact, I think people who pursue "dorky" hobbies despite the eye-rolling of the masses are cool non-conformists. And people who comment negatively on them have not yet to outgrow high school hive mentality. So there.

While Candice and others have some valid points, I must speak up as well. I have been an avid reader of AT for quite some time now, but I'm also a "super hero comic reading" action figure toy collecting "dork" or geek as most of us self-identify. If we love a little whimsy in our lives it doesn't necessarily mean we don't appreciate good design. In fact there is a great deal of design as well as affection for the "inner child" that goes into each and every one of those collectibles (I know since I work for a company that produces some of them).

I'm glad Collect n Display and Amanda have come to a solution. Just don't get me started on my mother's Avon bottle collection ;-)!

Just wanted to add that I think grown women who display stuffed animals or beanie babies are WAY creepier than guys who display Star Wars stuff - so no double standards here!

I do have two small collections on display - one of glass bottles and vases (less than 20) in various colors and another of Fornasetti plates mounted on the wall in my bathroom (5 total) and hope that does not put me in the tacky category.

"generally accepted ways that adults decorate their homes"

That line had me in stitches!!! - if you're an adult you can bloody well decorate your home however you want!

I have a friend who has a wall of barbies - is she a good person? - yes - do the barbies make her less of a good person? - no

If you want the Yodas, you have the Yodas.

Amanda, if you love him enough to move in with him then you should love his collection too

People need to stop being so hung up on how others will perceive their homes and start enjoying their homes for themselves

Check out this link where Design Remix used the homeowners' still-packaged Beatles figures mounted on the wall as decor. You could easily use cheap Ikea frames instead of making them yourself. Just use a nail in the wall- the packages are usually made to hang anyways (and could be good for rotating the collection).

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_office_workspace/article/0,1793,HGTV_3378_4394425_07,00.html

How come no one has mentioned the movie "40 Year Old Virgin"? Here he is with his collection: http://www.the40yearoldvirgin.com/photos/3_800.jpg

Make him watch that and see if he wants to be like that guy?

Also tell him if he keeps this up, you'll start collecting Blythe dolls.
Here are some display options from Flicker that are pretty cool.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superjunk/156960884/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hustlerofculture/33345481/

http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/small-cool-2006-entries/33-greg-and-ems-silverlake-sanctuary-007334

What about the square shelves that Greg and Em used in their bathroom fitted with a custom glass/plexi front? That would prevent them from getting as much light as on open shelving and wouldn't be as visually heavy as a curio cabinet, etc.

Good luck!

RE: Double standard comment:

If I ever bring a Longaberger basket or a Beanie Baby into my home, or If I ever even touch one of those things you claim we women collect, please break up with me immediately. Then get me some help or shoot me.

Becky

Honestly I love it. I have a large Star Wars Collection and my new husband embraces it. We keep it on display in the bedroom now, mixed in with stacks of books and my lucite handbag collection. The whole thing looks fun, not cluttered and actually sophisticated. The shelves don't attract the kitties, I don't leave space for them. I keep my paper goods and mint in-the-package items out of the sunlight, showing the lunchboxes and other 3-D groovy stuff on three 8 foot long teak shelves shipped back from Bali, they are held up with Rakks shelving system. Its clean, adult and not too expensive. Our home is a modern loft in an old brewery, we have mid-century furniture. Somehow the SW collection fits right in! People request a look at it and smile! How can i show you a photo?

Call me crazy, but this seems VERY strange to me. I have never known a man with a collection of toys, let alone a collection that demanded to display. In any case, I think the person uptheread has it correct that the issue is less about aesthetics and more about compromise. An adult man has to be willing to compromise on this and understand why someone wouldn't want their living room looking like a toy store. We all have our quirks and have to incorporate them into our relationships. For instance, I run marathons and end up with lots of medals. There is never more than one medal displayed in my home, at a time. Usually I display the most recent one I've received in a small frame on my desk. The rest are packed away along with bibs that I sometimes like to keep. I understand folks like to collect and express who they are; but it doesn't take 100 objects to do that. Good luck.

And an adult woman has to be willing to compromise, also.

Collect_n_Display,

I think Amanda should get you some of these Star Wars flash drives:

http://hometech.apartmenttherapy.com/hometech/information-accessory/geek-fun-star-wars-flash-drives-029231

... for all your convivial working of things out with your living space. They're very cute, and are sure to become collector's items someday soon, as well.

Yoda forever. Unique displays for all time. Buddhas and cats and co-habitation for eternity.
Bodhi! Svaha!

Suggest to him that those items are so precious that they should be kept in a bank vault not in your home.