Whatever the size of your collection, display and storage solutions can be quite costly! We must admire those people who buy a couple of figures, stop there and only need a shelf. However, for most Vinylmation collectors the reality is that you need a larger solution that can be added to as your collection continues to grow.
We’ll be offering some ideas here – from display solutions that cost nothing, right up to where to buy the Protech premium Vinylmation display cases.
Let’s start with the protech cases.
These acrylic cases certainly look the part and have the added advantage of having been designed specifically to fit Vinylmations. The cases are available in different formats and prices – here’s a rough guide.
Case to hold 24-40 vinylmations: $84.95
Case to hold 48 vinylmations: $109.95
Case to hold 54-72 vinylmations: $114.99
These prices might initially seem steep, but you should consider the great look of the cases and the fact that there’s no guesswork involved (you know your vinyls will fit). Also, if you are buying a case that holds up to 72 vinylmations, you’re paying $114.99 to house a collection that is worth at least $1000 (if you paid $12.95 per vinyl). These cases are available at Amazon, and would be money well spent!
Another popular storage solution is the curio shadow box. These come in all different shapes, sizes and finishes and are usually wall mountable. A good example is this case which holds around 72 vinylmations:
This will set you back $189.95, but is a stylish, secure display solution. It pays to shop around as some of these cabinets hold up to 100 vinylmations and many sellers offer free shipping. Check out both Amazon and eBay for the protech cases and the curio cabinets.
If you want to focus more on displaying a single series rather than your entire collection, you can get really creative and do it cheaply. You just need a deep photo frame, a colour printer and a little imagination. You can then create amazing displays like these, as designed by Andy Francis.
Deep box photo frames are widely available, from as little as £4 and up. Just make sure your Vinylmations will fit safely on the ledge. It may be worth investing in some temporary adhesive to secure them.
The next route you can take is to invest in some furniture. IKEA for example, sell this shelf unit, available in black, white and stained oak effect for £20. You can display your vinylmations as is or invest in an acrylic step to stagger them on each shelf.
There are so many options – glass shelving units, mounted shelves, tall cabinets……it pays to shop around for the best deal and it also pays to count your existing collection, think about how much it might grow by and then purchase accordingly.
Now for the cheapest – and most expensive options!
Display 12 of your most prized Vinylmations in the official Disney display case, available from the Disney store for $80.00. It may be a costly way to display just 12 vinyls, but it does look fantastic.
For the cheapest option, you need some square boxes, some glue and a push pin or two. These display cases were created for free, using gift boxes that previously housed aftershaves, bubble bath and perfume! Fix them securely together with glue, or double sided tape, use regular sellotape to reinforce them and then fix to the wall.
There are still so many options available, to suit all budgets and collection sizes.
Shelf expanders work really well and aren’t expensive. Available from £7.74 and up from The Container Store, these are a great free standing solution and can easily be moved about….slightly less permanent than being fixed to the wall.
The container store is an American company but they ship to the UK and they offer more than just these risers. You can choose from clear compartment boxes, multi level display boxes and display cubes in various shapes, sizes and materials.
One thing is for sure – Vinylmation collectors are not lacking in options. It’s just a case of deciding what’s going to be right for your collection and budget. Consider the size of your collection, how much it is likely to grow, whether you want permanently fixed or moveable storage and if you want a quick solution or something you can get more creative with.
This is by no means a complete, comprehensive guide. We realise that lots of people have come up with ingenious ideas and solutions for storing and displaying their collections and we’d love to hear from you so we can update this article and share more ideas with other collectors.
To finish off, here are a few inspired ideas that caught our eye.
