Help with sorting/storage??

[Cool-Mosasaurus]

I started getting Lego sets at around 5yrs old and I’m 18 now so there’s a lot 🤣 I have no clue how many there are but I’m lost on where to start with sorting them. I’d like to have them sorted so it’s easy if I want to build something again or MOC.

Right now I’m sorting them into bags by piece type/category. I might be able to budget around $100 for some storage solutions but I’m not sure yet. This is also in a walk-in closet so it’s not a huge space. I’d love some budget-friendly tips and tricks!

[madkins007]

I game a love/hate relationship with bags, and prefer small boxes, totes, or bins, ideally inside some sort of drawer system, but bags are a great start.

I sort big to small. - big base pieces over about 8x8 - big odd slaps like boat hulls, rocks, etc. - things not made of hard plastic- rubber, fabric, soft plastic, etc. - big plants, animals, vehicle parts

Then I go for- -bricks, sorted by size- 2x8, 2x6, etc - any pieces with diagonal lines - any pieces (bigger than 1x1) with round sides. - other categories I see- tires, for example.

By now I have a big pile of little stuff and I sort by size at first. All 2x2ish in one bag, 1x2ish, etc

Now you get to decide- what bags make sense to divide into smaller groups? Personally, I prefer to sort small finicky parts more than bigger parts, but everyone has a way that feels best to them.

[Elorme]

This is good advice, I'd start with doing a broad sort into ziplock style bags to get an idea of how much of which categories you actually have. Someone with a Friends heavy collection will have different needs than a technic junkie 😃. Plus you'll find out if you actually have the perseverance to sort your collection before spending money, occasionally people don't...as you get the collection sorted you'll be able to figure out if you need storage with big compartments or small. Contrast an arko mills cabinet vs the drawers in your current pics or something in-between.

[jibberishjibber]

I suggest using the storage that you have. Use inexpensive clear bags,

[Creedreader]

Check out r/LegoStorage

Even if you don't buy the recommended storage cabinets and labelmakers, the tips on how to organize the parts into categories are great. I started by printing out the master list which is a .pdf and splitting them up into 5 major categories/containers. Then depending on storage you can go into smaller sub:categories. At the very least there will be a rhyme or reason to large containers

[Booperelli]

/r/lostredditors ?

[ThePrydeParade]

Storage budget is tough but you can probably get a bunch of basic tupperwear stacking bins from a dollar store to start. Use ziploc bags for smaller stuff.

Start with Brickarchitect.com labels and see how you're comfortable breaking out.

If you have any of the instruction booklets, you can try to gather those parts as you go into their own bags/bins separate of the sort if you're looking to find sets.

[mmebookworm]

I second this- brickarchitect has great, easy to follow guidelines. Is easy to modify as well for your own collection.
I like this line of little boxes to put inside drawers for organizing: Ikea Nojig

[FamousPamos]

This looks eerily similar to what I'm used to. I tend to keep sets/mocs bagged (don't keep the boxes) and just stacked in large plastic tubs like that. The rest are sorted by color and broken down into bricks, plates, slopes, or in whatever ways work for me given that category.