Create the Perfect Space for Your Special Collection in 3 Steps

The Netherlands is a nation of collectors. Sixty per cent of Dutch people aged 18 and over collect something, and 34% of them make at least two purchases a month for their collection. Think of superheroes, Disney figurines, radios, dolls, stamps and other action figures. Twenty per cent of collectors say they do not actually have enough space for their collection.

Are you also an enthusiastic collector and would you like to know how to create more space for your special collection? And how to display it beautifully? We explain how to do this in three steps.

1. Decide Where You Would Like to Display Your Collection

Collecting items often begins early in life. Who remembers the collecting crazes from the school playground, such as marbles, Flippos, football stickers and other toys?

Later, these collections may turn into Star Wars action figures, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, Smurfs and Disney figurines. Many people also collect stamps, coins and Swarovski ornaments, not to mention everyday items such as records, books and radios.

Your Collection Becomes More Valuable Over Time

Your collection can have five different types of value:

Financial value: A collection can quickly become expensive. American collector Michael Thomasson estimated the value of his video game collection at up to $800,000, which was approximately €584,000 at the time. Time is also an investment. You may visit collectors’ fairs, search websites such as Catawiki and attend auctions.

Emotional value: Your collection may bring back memories from the past, such as the dolls you used to play with alongside your sisters or the marble competitions from your childhood.

Social value: Searching for and collecting items together can be great fun and bring people closer together.

Status: Plenty of people may admire or even envy your special collection.

Enjoyment: You may simply enjoy relaxing while repairing old radios or organizing your stamp collection.

Your collection can therefore be valuable in many different ways. Because it means so much to you, you naturally want to enjoy it as much as possible. Decide where you would like to keep your collection at home. Would you like to proudly display it in your living room, or would you prefer to dedicate an entire room to it?

2. Create Space for Your Special Collection

The second step is to create enough room for your collection. Some collections do not take up much space, such as stamps, coins or football stickers. Action figures, books, radios and dolls, however, require considerably more room.

Look at it this way: you can make your display as large as you like. You could clear a small corner of a room or dedicate an entire room to your collection. To make space, start by organizing the other belongings in the room.

Tip: Take a close look at the items you rarely use. You only touch around 80% of the belongings in your cupboards once a year. Think of seasonal items, photo albums and tools. This means that you barely use four out of every five cupboards in your home.

It may be better to store these items elsewhere, such as in a secure and climate-controlled storage unit at ALLSAFE Mini Storage. This allows you to create space for your collection without outgrowing your home.

3. Find Inspiration for an Eye-Catching Display

You have now created enough space for your collection, so it is time to start decorating. Below are a few examples of attractive collections. Use them as inspiration to display your own collection beautifully.

1. A collection of vintage radios: Displayed neatly on narrow shelves.
2. A collection of McDonald’s figurines: Cabinets filled with colourful collectibles.
3. A real man cave: An entire room filled with beer cans.
4. A beautiful shell collection: Cleverly organized inside drawers.
5. A Star Wars action figure collection: Horizontal shelving units are perfect for displaying action figures in an attractive and organized way.