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Display Choices, a Rapidly Growing G.I. Joe Collection, and Dwindling Space

When the collection keeps growing but the walls aren’t moving, sometimes the only solution is to declare it a problem for your future self!

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios | SerpentorsLair.com

One thing nearly all collectors have in common is the finite amount of space available for their collections.

Regardless of what you collect, most people have a limited amount of space to work with. It’s like a black cloud hanging overhead or a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

And for those of us who collect G.I. Joe Classified Series figures, vehicles, HasLabs, and custom displays, that ticking gets a little louder with every new release!

A Growing Collection and a Shrinking World

If you’re familiar with me, you know I’ve amassed quite a collection in just shy of two years.

I have a 600-square-foot shop out back that I use for my business, along with a 150-square-foot studio in the basement. That studio just got a little bigger with the addition of a permanent area dedicated to photography.

I also have a wife who enjoys crafting and has a Cricut, and my daughters are pack rats just like their dad. So, despite having a considerable amount of space on the property, it’s starting to feel pretty small!

In fact, I haven’t even opened my VAMP Mark II yet because I’m worried it’s going to end up jammed into some random corner.

Now, with that being said, I definitely have room to add more shelves in certain areas, which would allow me to store and display more of my collection in the current studio.

However, something else you’d know if you’re familiar with me is that time is hard to come by. I simply don’t have the time to build the shelves I’m talking about.

Even so, I have a finite amount of space, and I can certainly empathize with anyone struggling to decide which items to purchase based on the room they have available.

When the HasLabs Start Taking Over

I know the Snow C.A.T., Hasbro’s most recent G.I. Joe HasLab project, has pushed many collectors well past that line of demarcation and firmly into the “out of room” category.

It’s one thing to find room for a six-inch action figure. It’s something entirely different when you’ve got an enormous military vehicle that practically demands its own section of the display.

But that’s part of the appeal, isn’t it?

These vehicles are spectacular, and once you’ve imagined how incredible they’ll look surrounded by your favorite figures, it’s hard to say no.

As my brother Jeremy Kimberlin once said to me while we were discussing what to do with certain items as space dwindles:

“That’s a future me problem.”

— Jeremy Kimberlin

I absolutely love that saying, and I feel like a lot of us operate under that philosophy every time a new vehicle or large collectible crosses our paths.

So, let me ask you, the reader:

How many items have you passed on over the past few months simply because you’re running out of space?

The Thunder Machine: A Future Me Problem!

Personally, I wasn’t going to get the Thunder Machine because I knew I’d end up having to build an entire Dreadnoks display around it.

I was concerned about just how much space the whole setup would take.

And that’s no small consideration. Hasbro’s new Classified Series Thunder Machine measures approximately 21.3 inches long without the thruster flame effect. That’s a serious chunk of shelf space!

But then, for the first time, I was able to say, with my whole chest, those wonderful words of wisdom from Jeremy:

“THAT’S A FUTURE ME PROBLEM!”

I ordered the Thunder Machine, and when it arrives, if I seriously feel the need, I can always sell it to a member of the community.

But I won’t.

Because I never do.

The VAMP Mark II was falling into that same category.

When I heard that my brother Cobrad Haeuser had missed out on the VAMP Mark II, I actually considered selling him my new VAMP, only to immediately change my mind once I saw the box.

It happens every time!

I buy like I’m going to the chair, with very little thought about where everything is actually going to go.

I’ve reached a point where practically everything has become a future me problem!

My Display Philosophy: Controlled Chaos!

I also have a very “controlled chaos” approach to displaying my collection, as you can see in the background of my podcasts.

It’s basically a mishmash of HasLabs, cool stuff from Mo’s Mind Custom Design and Sys3DArsenal, and whatever else happens to catch my eye.

Recently, I’ve even started just popping the newest figures onto the shelves wherever they’ll fit, simply because I want to have them out on display.

And while I occasionally look at everything and wonder how in the world I’m going to fit the next release into the room, there’s something really satisfying about being surrounded by the figures and vehicles I love.

Every shelf tells a little piece of the story of my collection.

Sometimes it’s organized. Sometimes it’s a little chaotic. But it’s mine, and that’s what matters.

Dioramas, Military Formations, and Massive Displays

One of the coolest things about being part of this community is seeing how other collectors choose to display their collections.

Some people create elaborate, fully realized scenes to showcase specific groups of figures. Others arrange their collections according to color schemes, teams, or figure waves.

And then there are collectors like my brother Country Gentleman, who simply lines everyone up shoulder to shoulder, creating a massive show of force with his collection!

As much as I love those elaborate shelf dioramas that bring specific figures and environments to life, I really dig the way my boy Country does it, too.

There’s something really impressive about collectors who take the time to build an entire environment around their figures.

Buildings, streets, military installations, jungle landscapes, and custom backgrounds can turn a shelf of action figures into something that looks like a scene straight out of the G.I. Joe universe.

On the other hand, there’s a particular kind of beauty in seeing hundreds of figures assembled together like an enormous army.

Neither approach is wrong. That’s one of the best things about collecting: everybody gets to make the hobby their own.

What Will My Studio Ultimately Look Like?

Probably a bunch of crazy dioramas displaying different groups of figures!

Night Force, Slaughter’s Marauders, Python Patrol, the entrance to Cobra Island, and all kinds of other awesome setups like that!

The possibilities are endless.

Unfortunately, the space isn’t!

As my collection continues to grow, my wants and needs for storage and display continue to change.

I’ve learned to just go with the flow rather than become too attached to any particular arrangement.

After all, every day and every new figure presents another opportunity to reconfigure the collection.

And sometimes, figuring out how to make it all fit is half the fun!

And remember, the next time a giant G.I. Joe vehicle catches your eye and you start wondering where you’re going to put it…

“That’s a future me problem!”

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios

G.I. Joe and related characters, vehicles, and trademarks are the property of Hasbro. Product photographs are credited to their respective sources and are included for editorial illustration. Collector-created photography remains the property of its respective creator.