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Best way to store cartridges


jstefans

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Just wondering how others keep their Atari cartridges organized. The only way I've ever used is to keep them in shoe boxes. But after you get a couple hundred cartridges, you have to have quite a few boxes to hold all the carts!

 

Anyone have any unique ideas?

 

.

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I've posted this before, but I always love an excuse to post again. I use the large under the bed Rubbermaid boxes. And also bag each cart seperately in little bags I got from www.plasticbagmart.com which seem to fit perfectly. I just put boxed games on book shelves.

 

Here is a picture of my collection http://www.atari2600.net/aspDisplayPicture.../LooseAtari.jpg

 

Here are my personal tips or cart storage http://www.atari2600.net/aspGameStorage.asp

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I use double rowed trading card boxes for most loose carts. I take the divider out for 2600, 7800, Coleco and other like-sized carts (two rows fit perfectly!) and leave it in for Intellisvision, Atari 8-bit, and other small ones.

 

The advantage here over shoe boxes is that they are sturdy and meant to defend trading cards from moisture, so the carts are well protected. They also stack well and a simple sticker on the end can describe the contents. They look nice stacked up that way and are not as expensive as the Rubbermaid.

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Thanks for your ideas! I'm not sure if the plastic bags would be good for me since I tend to play several of them every day? But the plastic containers and trading card boxes are definitely better than my flimsy shoe boxes!

 

The one thing that gets really annoying with the shoe boxes is that I like to have everything organized and even some of the bigger manufacturer's cartridges in alphabetical order. And if you get a new cartridge then all the others have to move to allow space for the new cartridge. That gets kind of annoying after a while!

 

Fortunately (actually unfortunately) I don't come across as many new cartridges to add to my collection as I used to!

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Yea, I had a problem with wanting to play my bagged carts as well. I still open them up on occasion, but now thanks to the Sean Kelly 256 Game Multi-Cart, I don't have to get into my real collection very often. Also, I have lots of dupes laying around for trade and sale, and I tend to play them...

 

Later,

Joel D. Park

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As for the problem of constantly shifting games, the solution for me is to have a 'new acquisitions' box.

 

Once you get into the 2-300 cart areas (like me) the 'new acquisitions' is where you can put the most recent items until you've built up a whole bunch to sort in. (In fact I'm due to redo mine now. Got about twelve carts waiting.) That way you don't so it too often, yet there is still a system of organization.

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There's nothing wrong with leaving your carts on visible display, either.

 

I keep mine on a series of bookshelves that line a wall in my home. Bunches of boxed games (ordered alphabetically by manufacturer, of course) look pretty cool - kind of like books. Loose carts stack nicely in rows on the shelves, or better yet - in the 14 game modular cart holders (which seem to pop up fairly often here and there - check eBay - they're usually cheap). They, as well as the similar 4-cart version, mount nicely to the wall.

 

That's just what I do - mainly because I'd rather look an entire wall of games stacked up instead of a wall of cardboard boxes.

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I agree with you there... all my cartridges are stacked in a shelf that is built into the headboard of my bed. I also have various other games for various other systems stacked in other nooks and crannies around my room. Where's the fun in collecting if you can't admire your collection once in a while? (At least, without pulling out a bunch of boxes).

 

As for duplicate games, I keep them in a little box amungst joysticks and other junk. The box is one cartridge away from being full though, so I'll have to look into something else soon.

 

--Zero

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If you guys want to see how I store my cartridges, take a look here:

 

Storage Tips - Loose Carts

 

There are other related sections on how to store manuals, overlays, etc. It's been some time since I've touched these pages and they're due for an update (for one thing I have a better digital camera now!) I'm always looking for other ideas, especially if you have pictures to back them up.

 

..Al

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HI yep im thinking about the plastic bags. maybe be a good thing for me. so far on my selves i got 513 atari games. for the 4 lynx games i got im using gameboy plastic holders .but i dont know the best way to handle my collection the rubberaid unthe bed idea has been somethign i thoughtup a few months back and i plan on doing that but is it better to store them that way or on shelves. i hardly play with them any more more for looks and special occations ill play them also ill test out a new game i get in. but if i did what you poeple do getting the sean kelly 256 in 1. my collecting habits are so fined tuned to geting every cart ever varaation id have to order 2 one for the collection and 1 to use and then ask how many label varations he has and get 1 of each. . its the only true way i see to collect. any ideas on this . jaguar and 5200 games are a pain with bags id thign and so woudl the xe's xl 8 bits

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HI yep im thinking about the plastic bags. maybe be a good thing for me. so far on my selves i got 513 atari games. for the 4 lynx games i got im using gameboy plastic holders .but i dont know the best way to handle my collection the rubberaid unthe bed idea has been somethign i thoughtup a few months back and i plan on doing that but is it better to store them that way or on shelves. i hardly play with them any more more for looks and special occations ill play them also ill test out a new game i get in. but if i did what you poeple do getting the sean kelly 256 in 1. my collecting habits are so fined tuned to geting every cart ever varaation id have to order 2 one for the collection and 1 to use and then ask how many label varations he has and get 1 of each. . its the only true way i see to collect. any ideas on this . jaguar and 5200 games are a pain with bags id thign and so woudl the xe's xl 8 bits sorry to repost but the first got messed up

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HI yep im thinking about the plastic bags. maybe be a good thing for me. so far on my selves i got 513 atari games. for the 4 lynx games i got im using gameboy plastic holders .but i dont know the best way to handle my collection the rubberaid unthe bed idea has been somethign i thoughtup a few months back and i plan on doing that but is it better to store them that way or on shelves. i hardly play with them any more more for looks and special occations ill play them also ill test out a new game i get in. but if i did what you poeple do getting the sean kelly 256 in 1. my collecting habits are so fined tuned to geting every cart ever varaation id have to order 2 one for the collection and 1 to use and then ask how many label varations he has and get 1 of each. . its the only true way i see to collect. any ideas on this . jaguar and 5200 games are a pain with bags id thign and so woudl the xe's xl 8 bits sorry to repost but the first got messed up

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For boxed games I just put them on a book shelf, and for 2600 boxes (which I have too many of) I keep them in drawers.

 

As for the loose games, I keep them on shelves made from CD holders. I found that if you turned them sideways they fit 18 carts in each gap (there are 6 or so gaps in a unit). So now I have them stacked floor to ceiling against a wall and when I want to play a game I just go over to my Wall o; Atari ™ and pull it out (they're in serial number order BTW).

 

That works for 2600 sized games, Intellivision games are mostly boxed but my loose ones are in a nifty little holder I found at a flea market. My 400/800 games are stored in Tupperware silverware holders (they fit nicely). Astrocade games fit in Cassette holders, and loose 5200 games (I don't have many) sit on the shelf next to the boxed ones.

 

Most of my other oddball systems games are boxed so they sit on my shelf. I haven't found a good way to store Arcadia games yet (because they come in two different sizes) or Jag games (they're in tupperware boxes for now). My lynx games I just store loose in the carry case (in one of the compartments).

 

I haven't found a really good way of storying my loose EPROM boards. Right now they're stored in bags made from paper and shipping tape (it works well), but I want something hard to put them in. I haven't found a plastic case that they fit in yet (any ideas?).

 

Tempest

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quote:

Originally posted by Tempest:

I haven't found a good way to store Arcadia games yet (because they come in two different sizes) or Jag games (they're in tupperware boxes for now).


 

I've found that Jaguar games fit well in some cassette tape holders. Obviously, the "handle" on the top makes them too big for the case lid (if any) to close, and the bulge on the back screws things up too... but if you can find a tape case that doesn't have complete divisions between tapes, it should work.

 

--Zero

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quote
Albert: Does Office Max still carry the Iris units you bought? I can't seem to find it on their website. How deep are the drawers? I found a 6-shelf Iris unit at Staples/Business Depot, but I don't think it will be deep enough.

 

I bought several more of these units from OfficeMax a few months ago (in California) and now have about 12 of these suckers. I practically have a whole wall of them, five wide by two high (and then two more in another room). I don't have a tape measure handy, but they'll hold 70 2600 carts (18 deep by 4 wide, minus 2 in the center two columns because of the way the drawers are contoured). They also fit 5200 carts perfectly and work very well for Intellivision, Atari 8-bit, C64, Vic-20 and Odyssey 2 carts. I swear these things were made for carts.

 

There's a much smaller 6 drawer Iris unit that many places sell and it's not nearly as useful. The drawers are much smaller and not tall enough to hold 2600 carts standing up. The units I have typically cost $60, while the smaller ones are $20 or $30. If OfficeMax is no longer carrying them I hope I never need more in the future! Right now I'm storing many of my dupe carts in these drawers, so I still have room for my collection as I can always move my dupes elsewhere as my collection grows.

 

I guess by the time I fill up these drawers it'll be time to have some custom shelving built.

 

..Al

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I went to Staples/Business Depot (I don't think there are Office Max stores in Canada), and all they had were the smaller 6-drawer ones.. they looked too small and too shallow to be of any use (well, they might store SMS and Atari 400/800 carts okay).

 

I think I'm going to have to build some custom shelving too.. my NES collection takes up entirely too much room, and I've only got about 300 or so carts.

 

Mike

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quote:

Originally posted by Tempest:

I haven't found a really good way of storying my loose EPROM boards. Right now they're stored in bags made from paper and shipping tape (it works well), but I want something hard to put them in. I haven't found a plastic case that they fit in yet (any ideas?).

 

With something as delicate as an EPROM, I'd personally think about keeping them each in one of those electrostatic-proof bags (ya' know - the heavy ones that protect from static electricity. I'm sure you can get them at any major electronics store). Light-sesnitivity is an issue, too, so it probably wouldn't hurt to get some type of opaque box to store them all in as well. Would one board fit in one of those 3" floppy 10-pack cases? I see them at thrifts quite often.

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I have suggestions to all who plan on collecting Manuals as well. i have found taht baseball card places that sell plastic 3 ring sheets that hold 2 5 1/4 pictures will work good with most manuals the only ones i see it wont work with is EPYX cause they have to be so oversized . but at 12.50 by me for 100 is a little on the steep side but is well worth it however i havent come up with anythign for boxes. this is to go side and side with your carts 3 ring binders with little sheild things are the best. im working on the boxes ., hard to do witho otu the easy way flatting them out which is a nono. ill be back

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Or, here's a great idea if you can find one: the "Game Centers" that Atari was selling in their catalogs about 20 years ago. Most people on ebay won't sell you one unless you're interested in buying a console, too. If anyone knows where I can buy one of those game centers that would be very helpful.

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