GHQ Models Forums

I just sorted and cataloged my WW2 Soviets. I'm in the midst of a clean up and decided to really organize and catalog everything, and start to fill in some blanks (just ordered a bunch more Soviet odds and ends like trucks).

My Soviets are about 50% home grown / 50% second hand. As a result with each vehicle type I have a mix of manufacturers, paint colors, and paint styles. Plus, I have all sorts of excess/shortages. I'm going to sort it all out and buy/sell and get the collection in shape.

Son on a scale of 1 to 10 (a 1 being everything I own is mixed up in this sack and a 10 being I give each model it's own serial number and RFID locator chip) I'd say my collection is about a 4, and I'm shooting for an 8.

So how organized would you say your collection is?

My NATO collection is organized by TOE at battalion-level, in trays. Vehicles areI painted by era - OG, USAREUR, and MERDC camo for H-series and before, medium green for transition to DIV86/J-series TOE - that includes M60A3, early M1, and M2, then full J-series NATO brown/green/black from M1A1 on. No desert sand - too easy and monotonous. My units are about to go through rebuild/refurbish - repainting, repair and replace broken parts, etc.

The NATO contingent includes a reinforced UK armoured infantry battalion (2 tank squadrons and armoured infantry company), and a small Franco-German brigade.

The vehicles are lined up in each tray as if in a motor pool, by company, platoon, section, which helps me identify shortages. I can't get the trays anymore, so will soon start building trays - standard size, with simulated concrete a la motor pool. When I get the ping pong table, I may add post scenery - barracks, etc. It depends on how ambitious I am and how long I live.

It's been a long time since I bought much for my Russians. I have a MRR division and a reinforced independent tank battalion, in total, in regimental trays.

Keeping them organized by unit TOE helps me keep inventory and identify and prioritize what I need to buy. Like all those M88s.. and keeping the lines straight relieves my OCD!.

What kinds of trays do you use? Size, material?

As they get added to a unit I also put them in trays. My wife loves wood work projects so I had her create a tray/box with a plexi-glass lid that can be slid out. Typically each tray for NATO holds a brigade. For the Soviets it is two regiments.

My trays are plastic with clear tops, about the size of a sheet of paper. They are big enough for the combat vehicles of a battalion, although I did fit an M2 J-series battalion into one, complete with both tracks and wheeled vehicles (full TOE). I haven't seen them for ages. I think I got them at Hobby Lobby. I plan on building my own from wood, when I get some room to work. I haven't seen anything recently that would work well except for the ones mentioned on this site, and that is not what I'm looking for.

I had some wooden rays back in the day that slid into a large wooden box. Each ray was roughly battalion sized units with line companies and HHC. Unfortunately I have this habit o building a collection up and then getting bored and getting rid of it. I recently started my collection over and I'm working on a US armored brigade. Fr storage I use the tank transporters from Gamecraft Miniatures (Allen Rockwell). I love those things!