Moving your collection tips

[schweaty]

This will be my first big move with my collection.  If anyone has any good info to pass along, please let me know.  I should add that everything will be packed and shipped by a moving company.

I'm most concerned about my boxed stuff.  I'm not a cardboard whore, but at the same time, I have a couple really nice boxes I don't want pummeled to death by some ham-handed movers.  If I do the damage, that's one thing, I can live with that.  I want to set the moving company up for success and minimize my frustration.

[galam]

Oh man. I would really consider packing the good stuff yourself. And if possible, dont have movers take it. You keep it in your possesion the whole way. I know that might be impossible, but try and find a way if you can. At the very least, pack it yourself. Movers dont give a shit. Its all about being quick to them.

Just saw in another thread...you might want to insure it.

[DragonmasterDan]

This will be my first big move with my collection.  If anyone has any good info to pass along, please let me know.  I should add that everything will be packed and shipped by a moving company.

I'm most concerned about my boxed stuff.  I'm not a cardboard whore, but at the same time, I have a couple really nice boxes I don't want pummeled to death by some ham-handed movers.  If I do the damage, that's one thing, I can live with that.  I want to set the moving company up for success and minimize my frustration.

I don't know how much stuff you have.

I moved about a year ago, but moved most of my personal possessions myself. Here are some recommendations.

Here's the key thing. for your important possessions pack them yourself.
Inventory what you're putting in a box. Then put a sheet at the top of the box listing the contents, this makes it much easier to know what's in a particular box than having to dig through the contents. So if you put 30 games in a box, list all 30 and put that on top of the box, it will make it much easier to unpack and set up.

[schweaty]

I don't know how much stuff you have.

I moved about a year ago, but moved most of my personal possessions myself. Here are some recommendations.

Here's the key thing. for your important possessions pack them yourself.
Inventory what you're putting in a box. Then put a sheet at the top of the box listing the contents, this makes it much easier to know what's in a particular box than having to dig through the contents. So if you put 30 games in a box, list all 30 and put that on top of the box, it will make it much easier to unpack and set up.

just to make matters worse, i'm actually moving from overseas back to the states.  i can't hand carry much of anything.  i'm considering packing all the good stuff into a hard-sided footlocker and shipping  it separately.  at the very least i will probably pack all the boxed stuff myself into other boxes and try to convince the movers to pack the boxes.

[Black Tiger]

I pack everything myself and rent a truck. I don't trust strangers with my non-valuables. I recently moved and just bought a bunch of clear plastic bins for games. Some of the lower priority and sturdier stuff went into cardboard boxes. I didn't give games with collectible value any special treatment, I just packed everything the same and kept libraries together as much as I could. I honestly can't tell you where Magical Chase is, but it should be in one of several stacks of loose HuCards hidden throughout my game room. It's still around after 5 moves in 20 years.

[roflmao]

Last time I moved, I packed all my gaming stuff into big, plastic tubs with the tops that snap on. They're a lot more expensive than cardboard boxes, but much stronger, stackable, more resistant to the elements, and you can kind of see what's inside. If I were you, I'd pack all gaming stuff myself.

I purchased CLZ Game Collector so I could inventory my game collection and print out a list of what went into each container. I kept a master list with me and kept a copy of the contents inside of each container. http://www.collectorz.com/game/

[cr8zykuban0]

''Inventory what you're putting in a box. Then put a sheet at the top of the box listing the contents, this makes it much easier to know what's in a particular box than having to dig through the contents.''

couldn't have said it better myself. this is what i did when i loved from my moms house to the house i purchased over 4 years ago.  just properly package your games, bubble wrap any fragile items you have, and you will be good to go

[esteban]

this is what i did when i loved from my moms house

i loved from your mom's house, too.

i loved long time!

I'm still loved his mom

[ClodBuster]

Only lovers left alive.

[schweaty]

thanks for the tips, guys.  i think i will end up packing it all myself in plastic tubs and praying...

[esteban]

thanks for the tips, guys.  i think i will end up packing it all myself in plastic tubs and praying...

The tops of the plastic bins can easily pop-off (even the ones that "click" to latch), so I would use two quick passes of packing tape around the "circumference" of each bin (length-wise and width-wise) to ensure everything stays intact. BEFORE SEALING LID, be sure to FILL IN ANY GAPS with bubble wrap or the equivalent. Basically, you want to prevent any SHIFTING/SETTLING of items in the bin (shifting can lead to damage...imagine an item shifting and a third item WEDGING into the newly-formed gap...this pressure can crush/crack).

I moved several times, including 3 times across the country, and I learned quickly that filling in gaps/securing lids with tape were easy fixes

GOOOD LUCK

I imagine your stuff will be shipped via freight (boat)? Are you leaving Germany for U.S.?

YES I AM NOSY

PRO TIP: If you are worried about high humidity, I'd throw some dessicants into each bin (those little packets).   

[Mathius]

I actually shrink wrapped my Tower of Turbo with the games still inside for my move. It was crazy but it worked beautifully.

[schweaty]

I imagine your stuff will be shipped via freight (boat)? Are you leaving Germany for U.S.?

PRO TIP: If you are worried about high humidity, I'd throw some dessicants into each bin (those little packets).

Yes, my time in Germany is at an end.  Back to the big PX.  and, Yes, I am very concerned about heat and humidity.  The desiccants are a good call.

[xelement5x]

Yeah, I can't imagine international shipping a lot of stuff, even moving locally is an insane amount of work.  I hope you don't have a lot of US Saturn/Sega CD stuff, those cases are so friggin easy to break.

[gekioh]

I would consider packing and moving anything of any substantial value game wise your self. I would never trust a moving company to do it for me, but than lots of my collection is CIB I suppose if it weren't I'd be less afraid of the idea. When I moved 7-8 years ago I wrapped every 6-8 games in some kinda wrap (paper, towels, bubble wrap etc etc) depending on what it was and did small boxes of no more than like 30-50 games per box so it wouldnt be to heavy to lift. Luckily I was just moving like 6 blocks down so didn't have far to go, but my factory stock tv from the store display xbox console kiosk did sustain some minor damage to my not securing it good enough.