Counter storage options

[SeaLion]

How exactly do you choose to store you counters? If you are using plano containers how do you mark and organize them? I have seen pictures of some of the euro players using boxes with little pullout drawers.

 

[da priest]

How exactly do you choose to store you counters?

Velly carefully... :devil:

If you are using plano containers how do you mark and organize them?

There is a storage download somewhere on the web that gives you Plano labels and an idea of how to do it. Where is it? Anybody? Bueller?

I have seen pictures of some of the euro players using boxes with little pullout drawers.

Well THEY have been known to use the Abomination, so don't do what they do. Beside, those hardware boxes are a bit$h to carry on a plane or even in your car trunk or boot in England. :kotz:

Me, I use generic plastic boxes with fixed dividers, no migration of counters and no messing with glue to fix the dividers like the Plano geeks. :dead:

 

[Nate Stapf]

I just keep my entire set in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.

 

[Priest]

I believe that Tom Repetti's site Tumoland has the Plano box labels. There is a link to Toms site in the links page.

 

[Dr Zaius]

We have some in our own ASL files section as well. http://www.warfarehq.com/archives/forumdisplay.php?f=24

I'm not sure exactly how people are using these though. Obviously, they don't print out to be the same size as a plano case, so they may need to be cut and pasted somehow.

 

[Priest]

I just keep my entire set in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[Dr Zaius]

I just keep my entire set in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.

Yeah, but what kind of lables do you use for that? :devil:

 

[alanp]

I use the same system: "ASL" magic-markered across top and bottom (just in case it tips over) of the bucket!

 

[Nat Mallet]

Here's Tom Repetti's system that Priest mentioned earlier.

http://www.mindspring.com/~tqr/misc/storage.html

It's pretty much what I use, with a few modifications.

Nat

 

[Jazz]

I just keep my entire set in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.

Actually, I think it was Bob Bendis (I think?) who literally dumped all his counters into a garbage bag.

+ Easy to Carry
+ Putting a scenario away is a cinch
- Setting a scenario up could be time consuming

He has regularly been in the running for the Grofaz at ASLOK, so who am I to say it's a bad system?

Jazz

 

[Nat Mallet]

Actually, I think it was Bob Bendis (I think?) who literally dumped all his counters into a garbage bag.
...
- Setting a scenario up could be time consuming

Hoo boy. I have close to 20 Plano boxes to store my counters, and I still have a hard time finding what I need. And I don't have all of the modules yet.

I can't imagine going through a garbage bag to find the right counters.

Nat

[Edit: I need to proof read my posts a bit more.]

 

[Jazz]

Hoo boy. I have close to 20 Plano boxes to store my counters, and I still have time finding what I need. And I don't have all of the module yet.

I can't imagine going through a garbage bag to find the right counters.

Nat

It's only one garbage bag....

 

[KG_Kharkov]

I use Planos. I put all infantry for one country in one box and all AFVs and Guns in another. I organize infantry from top to bottom by best to worst (elite to conscripts) and then have half squads to the right of them. Leaders, SWs, snipers go in the other rows.

I organize the AFVs and Guns by gun size and type in a general fashion -- so I might have a well with all different versions of the Panther and another with different versions of the Stug.

Plano is easy b/c if you travel and you know you'll just be playing east front, you just grab your Germans and Russians and go.

I then keep a separate plano with the most commonly used markers like Prep Fire, DF, Pin, etc.

One last thing -- I don't punch everything (heresy for some) -- usually I just punch all the infantry and commonly used AFVs and guns but not all of the toys necessarily -- it makes finding the toys easier. I just keep a box or two with unpunched sheets.


Enough geek talk from me for today!

 

[Dr Zaius]

I'm using Plano as well. The only thing I don't like about them is that the dividers suck. They don't lock into place very well and I have discovered that Superglue is a waste of time. It doesn't hold and it discolors the palstic too.

I'm always amazed at people who claim to get their entire collection in 8 planos. I don't see how you can do it if you own all the modules. Having guns/vehciles in one and infantry in another for each nationaly takes up 8 boxes just for the four primary combatants. And that's not even counting the info markers and stuff!

 

[Priest]

So far it looks like Legion has the storage idea that takes up the less space.

 

[Dr Zaius]

Here's another option: http://www.fwgc.net/jim/asl/jim/cos.html

And another: http://www.godsavethesouth.com/asl

 

[da priest]

I'm using Plano as well. The only thing I don't like about them is that the dividers suck. They don't lock into place very well and I have discovered that Superglue is a waste of time. It doesn't hold and it discolors the palstic too.

Hmmm--just had a memory flash!! :hush:

Sam B. mentioned(I think) that he uses a small sodering(sp) iron to "weld" the little dividers in place, just a touch at the corners, I seem to recall.

 

[Jazz]

I'm always amazed at people who claim to get their entire collection in 8 planos. I don't see how you can do it if you own all the modules. Having guns/vehciles in one and infantry in another for each nationaly takes up 8 boxes just for the four primary combatants. And that's not even counting the info markers and stuff!

Boy, you must not travel that much or that far with your ASL stuff... I will struggle to get a full set into 6 just so I don't have to lug all those damn planos around an airport...I never quite make 6 with info counters and usually end up with 8, but I still try. Wilson always gives me crap for having too many Planos in my travel kit, and then he has the gall to tell me my counter organization is clumsy...

Most nationalities get infantry and guns/vehicles into one plano. My Japanese take 1/2 a Plano that they share with the Chinese (they don't have many vehicle scenarios and each have one bin for AFVs, one for non-armored vehicles, etc...). Similar squads and HS in one bin. All your AT guns in one bin, Art in another, etc.... If you have any one bin that just has 4-5 counters in it (as you will I think if you are using more that 8 Planos), find another bin that you can consolodate with. Leave no bin less than 3/4 full. Learn to live with taking a bit longer setting up and be ready to help a opponent find counters. I probably expend way too much emotional energy in deciding how to consolodate my counters...

It's worth the ability and ease of travel.

- Use the plano model 3701(I think?). More bins. Flatter (i.e. less space taken up).

Jazz

 

[Nat Mallet]

The only thing I don't like about them is that the dividers suck. They don't lock into place very well and I have discovered that Superglue is a waste of time. It doesn't hold and it discolors the palstic too.

"Suck" is putting it mildly. The fact that they don't fit well and the incredibly slick plastic used makes it hard to keep them down.

If you're a bit patient, LePage makes a special plastic glue that works reasonably well. The only problem is that it's a very goopy glue, similar to Testors model glue, so if you're not careful, you can make a mess.

What da Priest has mentioned seem like a good idea, as long as you don't over do it.

Of course, you could always go all the way and do the following:

http://www.desperationmorale.com/museum/aslmuseum-counters.html

Nat

 

[Dr Zaius]

I certainly don't want wooden boxes. It would take six men and a boy just to lift my counters!

I don't like having mine mixed together too much. I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist for that. I even had my Panzer Leader counters in three different planos back in the day. Now that's anal . . .

I like having the vehicles and guns in one and the infantry in another for the Americans, Germans, Russians and Brits. The smaller nations go in one plano each. I want to get a copy of BV with the new Finns as I like to be able to separate them from the Germans.