Do you re-box?

[Whiterook]

This has been a bugaboo question for me. I have some games that have issued expansions, some of which came only in large zip-lock-type bags, that are sometimes a tad annoying in locating components....a bag full of small cardboard playing pieces can make game setup a laborious task.

Have any of the gamers onsite ever found it necessary, or appealing, to find alternate storage solutions?

For example: I have one WWII game that utilizes a lot of terrain tiles, issued in a core game and several expansions. There is something in my Picean nature that rebels from stuffing all these terrain tiles in a Plano storage box.

Another example: I have a specific series of games that utilize small square cardboard-chit playing pieces. Placing these in marked beading storage craft boxes with a protective sleeve, make it ideal for quick playing component retrieval, and transport to gaming venues.

[MAGNA]

Originally Posted by Whiterook

This has been a bugaboo question for me. I have some games that have issued expansions, some of which came only in large zip-lock-type bags, that are sometimes a tad annoying in locating components....a bag full of small cardboard playing pieces can make game setup a laborious task.

Have any of the gamers onsite ever found it necessary, or appealing, to find alternate storage solutions?

For example: I have one WWII game that utilizes a lot of terrain tiles, issued in a core game and several expansions. There is something in my Picean nature that rebels from stuffing all these terrain tiles in a Plano storage box.

Another example: I have a specific series of games that utilize small square cardboard-chit playing pieces. Placing these in marked beading storage craft boxes with a protective sleeve, make it ideal for quick playing component retrieval, and transport to gaming venues.

It is a real problem sometimes isn't it ? Once the counters and whatever are punched out it can be a real problem to get everything back into the box. My friend uses ice cube trays for a lot of his stuff. One tray usually holds one set of units or whatever for one player and can be put in the bottom of the box with boards and other materials on top. That seems to work quite well in conjunction with resealable bags.

[Whiterook]

Now that's clever, Magna! I would have never thought of ice cube trays! The rounded corners on most style cube trays make it ideal to scoop those little suckers out, I would imagine. The only downsides I could see are: no cover, so the pieces may fly out; and depending on how how many components came in the box, the lid may sit up kinda high....though a lot of games have plenty of room inside as well. What I really like about the idea is, it makes a handy pool of pieces during game play! Thanks for sharing that!!!

Now I take it from your response, you've had similar difficulties with how to store all those counters (little square cardboard chit playing pieces, for those scratching their heads at what counters are...usually about a 1/2" square). Have you ever purchased any counter trays? I have a few from my Avalon Hill days, and a few I bought off of EBay (the latter being far inferior!), and they make a nice storage solution...and playing aid during setup and play. On a couple of my games (Avalon Hill's Squad Leader and Avalanche Press' Paratrooper, to be exact) Ive even labeled the counter type on the lid to each bay, to help in a quick find. I've seen a storage tray sold at Avalanche Press, in which the lid is hinged onto the base...nice, but a bit pricey at $3, and the shipping bounces your shipping to a rediculous amount.

[50th]

I also have delt with this question. I like to put everything back in its original boxes, because I believe that to keep them together is better. You see I almost never throw the original box away because if you need to sell the item later, it sells better in original boxes. I have a vinyl bag that the game, and all expansions except air pack (I don't have it yet anyway) fits into along with a notebook with scenarios and help sheets. Other games with small parts work better with plano boxes, but even though it takes longer to get the stuff out of original boxes (and put it back), I like original boxes. Maybe that makes me old fashioned, or maybe it just makes me a pack rat.

[MAGNA]

Counter trays are great things but a bit hard for me to get here.

I agree with 50th that it just doesn't feel right to get rid of the box so I keep mine too (where's the cheese gone..... nothing worse than being a starving pack rat).

The comment about the ice cube trays being great during game play is the best attribute of these for sure. A couple of spares for use during games when you need extra space is highly recommended too. They are handy for markers and the like for miniatures games too.

[Whiterook]

Yeah, I so agree guys! I have never discarded a game box...I have a few that are horribly tattered from 3 decades of use and moving, but even these I keep. As a matter of fact, even my Avalon Hill collection are kept in their original boxes.

Where I have made the switch to reboxing is with my Panzer Grenadier games...and counters-laden games that were issued in ziplock bags, or packaged loose (counter of sheets delivered in a paper mailer).

[KG_Panzerschreck]

Originally Posted by Whiterook

This has been a bugaboo question for me. I have some games that have issued expansions, some of which came only in large zip-lock-type bags, that are sometimes a tad annoying in locating components....a bag full of small cardboard playing pieces can make game setup a laborious task.

Have any of the gamers onsite ever found it necessary, or appealing, to find alternate storage solutions?

For example: I have one WWII game that utilizes a lot of terrain tiles, issued in a core game and several expansions. There is something in my Picean nature that rebels from stuffing all these terrain tiles in a Plano storage box.

Another example: I have a specific series of games that utilize small square cardboard-chit playing pieces. Placing these in marked beading storage craft boxes with a protective sleeve, make it ideal for quick playing component retrieval, and transport to gaming venues.

Im assuming your talking about in your 1st example Memior'44 and in your 2nd Squad Leader.

So with that assumption in mind ill say that in a game or series of games like Memior'44 ill keep the original pieces in the original boxes.

But with the Squad Leader series and its plethora of pieces, you have to combine them to make any sense out of them IMHO. I never got into ASL, i just stuck with the original 4 games. So i stuck all my pieces in ziplock bags. For example each country would have individual bags for inf., armor/vehicles, leaders, support weapons ect., and then each countries group of bags would then be placed in a larger ziplock bag to hold that whole country. For me, that system worked nicely. I carried the rules, scenarios, cards, boards and bags in large briefcase and left the boxes behind. It was a good system.