Another Re-Org in the Geek Cave Part 2

Last weekend was the first really nice weather we've had this spring in my area.  So naturally, I spent a full day in the Geek Cave reorganizing things!

It went well.  I didn't get things completely moved around, but I did get the majority of what I wanted done, done.

As you can see, the G4s and G3s have switched locations, which I think works pretty well (until the next giant G4 castle, anyway).  All the convention exclusives are better placed now.

I organized the G3s generally by theme (food ponies, celestial ponies, tropical ponies, etc).  The G4 ponies don't have a dedicated display space now (i.e., groups of ponies displayed together in rows), but they are so small and their playsets so large that it works better to display them interacting in the playsets.

What didn't get done is the reorg of the plushies that live in the closet (non-pony stuff needs to come out of the cave), and clean up of the display area.  I've also decided to reorganize my G4 accessories.  Rather than keeping them in sets (as I do for the other gens) I'm going to store them in themes (food, clothes, etc).  There are so many recolours and reuses of accessories for that gen, I just feel it works better that way).  I will have photos of all the ponies with the accessories they came with, if I ever need to sort them out by set again later (and I'm behind on that project, too).

In any case, the majority of the work in the Cave has been done, so now the focus shifts to MLP Fair prep!

Elf

Another Re-Org in the Geek Cave

A collector's work is never done, especially where making display space is involved.

For awhile now, I've been toying with the idea of switching the G3 and G4 displays in the Cave.  The G4s are currently in the closet, while the G3s are on shelves to the right.  So far, this has worked well, as the G4s don't take up a lot of space.

That is, until another giant castle showed up.

Giant Castle.  One inch too tall for the closet space

I love the castle, I think it's one of the prettiest playsets Hasbro has done in awhile.  But that sucker is HUGE!  In fact, it's so huge, it's too tall to fit in the closet.  So Canterlot has forced my hand, and if I ever want to have a different playset on my display table, I've got to make the G3-G4 switch now.  And I think it makes sense to move the G3s into a more confined space, since that line is complete and I only have a few more pieces I want to add (only ponies, not playsets, thankfully)

I've spent the last couple of months getting ready for this.  I finished cleaning all my G3s so I won't have to keep track of who's left to do when I'm shifting them.  I've cleared a path so I can relocate everything with the least amount of angst.  And I've blocked off time on the first long weekend of summer to get this done (who says I don't know how to have a good time on a long weekend?)

Also, I really want to get this done before the Fair.  The Fair is where I do 90% of my collection shopping for the year.  Naturally, this means that there is going to be a large influx of new ponies and accessories in July.  Rather than trying to deal with both new and old collection pieces, I want to get the existing collection sorted out ahead of time.  It means more of a crunch before the Fair, but I think it will be well worth the work afterward.

Updates will be forthcoming in the next blog post.  Until then, here are the "before" pictures.

G3s live here

The blending of G3 and G4

G4s in the closet, with Canterlot in the foreground

Wish me luck,

Elf

Fair Prep 2016

We're less than two months out from this year's MLP Fair, and I've been in prep mode since January.  I've been needing to do a clean out of the collection, and I'm hoping to do that this year (while also adding new pieces, of course).  I've also been picking up ponies second hand as I come across them, and I've got quite a few to release back into the collector community.  (I think Roomy likes the second hand hunt even more than I do!)  Here's a sneak peek at *some* of what I'm bringing this year...

What do you call that many Pinkie Pies?  Is it a Party of Pinkies?

G1s!  They've got strips of paper towel around their necks to keep their hair from going crazy

About a third of the G3s I'm bringing - apparently orange ponies were popular with kids in this Gen

In the meantime, I've been doing almost nothing in the way of customizing.  I'll have some older customs with me again this year, and I do have another set I'm working on currently, but I haven't started on a contest entry yet (let alone come up with an idea for one).  So we'll see how that goes.

I've got one more large pony-related project to undertake before the Fair, too, but more on that next time.

Elf