Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Collections can be exciting and fun and, in moderation, displays of collected items can provide a nice decor for your home. However, collections can easily get out of hand and could end up making your house look like a charity shop. If this is the case, it might be time to consider putting some of your stuff away. Storing your collectibles is an important part of organising your collection and keeping it safe. We have compiled some tips and tricks for the best way to store your memorabilia.
Depending on what you collect, you may be able to incorporate collectibles with your decor by displaying items on walls or shelves. To avoid exhibiting the entire collection at once, put some items into storage and then rotate them every few months to ensure your walls don’t look too cluttered.
For items which are not being displayed it is important to store them correctly so they do not get damaged by water, mould, temperature extremes and insects. Buy archival quality containers for items which are extremely old or valuable. There are special containers for pretty much everything from old stamps and maps to vintage books. For photos and albums, ensure you put archival quality paper between photographs to prevent them from sticking together and seal them in an airtight plastic bag to prevent any moisture getting in.
For fragile ornaments and mementos use the same-size boxes for easy stacking. Wrap each item separately with clean paper (top tip: do not use newspaper as the print can transfer). Pack items firmly next to each other, but not too tightly. Reinforce the bottom and top of the boxes with extra tape. Fill empty spots in the box with packing chips. Mark boxes as fragile and label all boxes and containers for easy reference. We sell a wide range of boxes and packing supplies in store and online, go to Boxes Etc to find out more.
Before packing anything away, create an inventory for all of your stuff so you know what is in each container and box. Whether your collection is purely sentimental or very valuable, you may want to consider keeping it protected in a secure environment.
At Big Yellow Self Storage we provide 24 hour digital CCTV and every self storage room has its own alarm for your own peace of mind. We also have coded electronic gates, perimeter security fencing, smoke detectors and fire alarms to protect your belongings. Visit our Quote and reserve online page to find out how you can benefit from self storage.
Tags: Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, collectibles, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage solution, tips and tricks
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Friday, October 8th, 2010
Did You Know that a collection of McDonald’s memorabilia was sold for a whopping £8,130 last year? The 5,000 items from the fast food chain consisted of toys, posters and Happy Meal boxes and made the owner Luke Underwood a small fortune. Luke was only 11 when the collection was sold in March 2009. The young entrepreneur from South Clifton, Nottinghamshire persuaded his dad to buy the memorabilia dating from 1990-2000 for him for just £250 in 2005. Luke sold it 4 years later after running out of space in his home to store the thousands of McDonald’s promotional items.
The collection was thought to be the largest of its kind in the UK and included the only known complete set of the 101 Dalmatians promotional toys, in their original bags. The auction, held by Unique Auctions in March 2009, attracted buyers from across the world. Items were then split up and sold in around 300 lots, fetching Luke a tidy sum. Successful bidders came from as far as America and Germany. Luke was not keen to sell the items but his family could no longer store the massive collection. Boxes full of McDonald’s bits and pieces were taking up all the space in their loft, living room, hall and landing.
Big Yellow Self Storage cannot guarantee your collections will fetch you as much cash as Lukes’s but we do provide 24 hour digital CCTV and individually alarmed storage rooms for any valuable stuff you may have. You can rent a self storage room for as little as a week, month, year or as long as you want. Visit our Quote and Reserve Page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, byss, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, Did you know?, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, UK storage
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Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Making use of the space under your bed is a great storage solution, it’s also an area which is often forgotten about. The area can be used for items that aren’t used regularly such as out of season clothes, shoes and bedding. Whether you have drawers or a raised bed, a little creativity and a few simple storage solutions can transform an empty area into an indispensible storage space.
One of the best storage solutions for underneath the bed is vacuum storage bags as they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
They can be filled with sweaters, clothes and any other soft items, then by using a vacuum cleaner you can easily suck the air from the bags which reduces them to a compact storable size. The deflated bags can then stored underneath the bed and even stacked together to maximise the space you have available.
There are always more traditional storage containers such as clear plastic bins that can be used to store bulk items. They come in different sizes depending on the space you have available to use and can easily slide from beneath your bed.
For all of your storage needs including storage boxes and vacuum storage bags visit us in store or order online at our online box shop.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, byss, clean, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Stroage, storage, storage solution, student, student storage, tips and tricks, UK storage, wine storage
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Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Making tough decisions about what clothes to keep can be the hardest part of de-cluttering your wardrobe and many people are afraid that they might throw out something they’ll want in the future. As a result wardrobes can become your own personal indoor storage sheds which house all the old, off season and mismatched things you can’t bear to throw away. Indecision is what causes clutter to build-up and often leads people to hoarding clothes that they would no longer wear, but keep just in case.
Keeping all your clothing may seems to be the easiest option but if you can replace the thought of “I’ll get into this someday” with, “I’ll get new things when I lose weight” as an extra incentive and you’ll be on the right path.
Here’s some top tips on how to tackle the mountain in your wardrobe:
1. Start at the top of your wardrobe, pick a shelf and take out all of the items. Be hard on yourself because if you haven’t worn an item of clothing in over a year, it’s unlikely that you ever will in the future. If other items don’t fit you can give them away, donate to charity or keep in a self storage room.
2. When your wardrobe is empty, clean the shelves, walls and the floor to freshen up the area before you put sorted clothes back in. Once you have done that, start organising your clothes by everyday items, colour and by the length. If there are items that you wear more frequently than others you can place them in an area where it’s easily accessible for you.
3. For every new item of clothing that you add to your wardrobe, be sure to remove an old item so it won’t take up valuable space. It will also ensure that your wardrobe doesn’t get re-cluttered and stays manageable.
You can even maximise your wardrobe space by keeping your out of season items elsewhere and rotating them. We have wardrobe boxes that help to make storing clothes easy. To find out how you can benefit from storing your clothing in our self storage rooms at any of our stores, visit our Quote and Reserve Online page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, byss, clean, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, furniture storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Stroage, storage, storage solution, student storage, UK storage, wardrobe, wine storage
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Friday, June 4th, 2010
As you prepare to move house, there’s inevitably going to be a lot of clothing, possessions and gadgets that you don’t need any more. While the most important things that you can’t quite part with – or simply don’t quite need to be a part of your new home immediately – can go into self storage, the sites below will help you get rid of the things you no longer want and make some money in the process!
eBay - the original and biggest auction site, sell anything here from cars to computers on your own terms.
Gumtree – started in March 2000 as a local London classified ads and community site, it is designed to connect people who are either planning to move, or had just arrived in the city, and needed help getting started with accommodation, employment and meeting new people. Now a much more comprehensive offering, it covers 60 countries and allows you to find or advertise everything from a nanny for your kids to a bargain for the living room.
Amazon – Amazon.co.uk includes a feature in which you can enter your own goods into its seller’s marketplace. This means that you can add your books, clothes or toys to its main directory, and while buyers are scrolling through the products, they can choose your item if the price is right.
Tags: amazon, auction, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, ebay, furniture storage, gumtree, online, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, selling, sites, storage, storage solution, student storage, UK storage
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Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
If you’ve just bought a new house, you might be worried about moving some of your most prized possessions. Not even insurance will restore those broken ornaments, chipped paintings and other valuables, so you may need to find a better alternative in securing them.
One of the options is to use self storage to put your mind at ease and take a lot of the stress out of moving. It’s not only a place to keep valuable items until you find a place for them in your new home, but can also act as a stopgap if you need to carry out building work.
More and more, people are doing their own DIY, particularly with the economic climate as shaky as it is now. It might even be the case that you’re renovating your existing place in preparation to sell. Either way, renting a self storage unit will allow you to place any number of belongings in a safe place, while you carry out the work you need to. Once you are happy with the state of your home, you can then move the safely stored goods to wherever they need to go.
Whether you require a small closet space to store a few things or you need a bigger area to keep the entire inventory of house, an office or business archives – self storage can help. To find out how you can benefit from self storage, visit our Quote and reserve online page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, byss, collectibles, furniture storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage solution
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Monday, May 24th, 2010
Spring is coming to an end, and summer is just around the corner. At this time of year, many people have spent weeks cleaning the house, de-cluttering, storing away stuff for safe keeping – and are feeling that air of change. If you’re planning to sell your home, the sites below will provide advice and gets things moving from your own front room.
Tepilo – Sarah Beeny’s smarter way to buy, sell or let a property. Though some people will always prefer to use an estate agent, for those that like to take control of the sale/rental of a property, this site simplifies and explains the whole process – which is often perceived as something more complicated than it really is.
Globrix - In 2008, Globrix.com launched as a joint venture with News International, the media company behind The Times, The Sun and The News of the World. Since then, Globrix.com has quickly grown to become an award winning property search engine, listing more UK properties to buy or rent than any other property site.
Rightmove – Rightmove.co.uk is the UK’s number one property website, aiming to be the place for UK home movers to find details of all properties available to buy or rent. It’s a more convenient and effective way for people to find their next home, including: up-to-date property information, available for free, accessible 24 hours a day to anyone with web access and far more complete in terms of number of properties and depth of detail.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, buying, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, Globrix, letting, lettings, personal storage, renting, rightmove, self storage, self storage blog, selling, storage, storage solution, student storage, tepilo, UK storage, wine storage
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Friday, May 21st, 2010
One of the most precious of childhood toys is the stuffed animal. It holds endless memories, attends countless tea parties and accompanies many kids everywhere they go. As such, when it’s time to put them away, a lot of attention needs to be paid to getting it right – whether it’s a short term or long term option.
First up – do you want to put them on display, or away for safe keeping? If it’s the former, you can use shelves to display the toys, bearing in mind that they’ll accumulate dust – so a boxed self storage room with doors might be a good option. Or, buy an easy to open toy box, though it’s important to consider safety when selecting furniture for a child’s room. Be sure that features such as height and weight are taken into consideration. You could also use a mesh laundry bag to keep toys off of the floor, or put smaller toys into the pockets of a shoe hanger for easy and visible storage.
If they’re being stored away from sight or in a self storage room, you can put unused stuffed animals in plastic bins with secure lids for easy storage in the attic or garage. If you purchase bins of the same size and shape, multiple bins may be stacked more efficiently and take up less space. Wrap antique bears or toys in acid-free tissue paper and store them in archival or acid-free boxes when not on display. Be careful not to over-stuff the boxes as this can matt or crush the fur.
You can find all manner of packing supplies at Big Yellow Self Storage to help keep your items in top condition when storing from plastic boxes to tissue paper. Visit our Box Shop online to view the range.
Have a handy tip to ensure precious keepsakes stand the test of time? Let us know your suggestions in the comments area below.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, childhood memories, children, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage, storage solution, toys, UK storage, wine storage
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Did you know that the magpie – like all crows – does not have a musical voice and instead uses shiny objects stored in its nest to attract a mate? As with so many aspects of evolution – its reputation for stealing things is actually a feature of selection within its species.
Magpies collect and display objects with reflective surfaces in an attempt to find a partner, as the bird with the most objects of highest quality gets the strongest mate.
The birds will reputedly steal jewellery, silver and metals, earning them the name ‘The Thieving Magpie’. Rossini wrote an opera of this name (La Gazza Ladra). It concerns a French servant-girl who is accused of theft. She is tried, found guilty and executed. Later, the true culprit is revealed: a magpie. In remorse, the town organises an annual ‘Mass of the Magpies’ to pray for her soul. The title The Thieving Magpie was later used by progressive rock band Marillion for one of their albums.
We don’t condone stealing at Big Yellow Self Storage. If you’d like to store your valuables for safe keeping we provide 24 hour digital CCTV and every self storage room has its own alarm for you own peace of mind. We also have coded electronic gates, perimeter security fencing, smoke detectors and fire alarms to protect your things. All corridors are well lit, and all floors have an emergency phone just in case you need us. Visit our Quote and reserve online page to find out how you can benefit from self storage.
Do you think our friend the magpie has a bad reputation? Or is it a symbol of something else? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, clutter, collectibles, crows, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, magpie, music storage, personal storage, secure storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage, storage solution, student storage, UK storage, wine storage
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
At this time of year, we’re all busy sorting through boxes of clothes and books, papers and knick-knacks, trying to work out where on earth they came from. Though much of it ends up at the charity shop or in the paper shredder, you’ll sometimes find a few gems among the mess. In a way, it’s the same for the world wide web – there’s a lot of rubbish, but a lot of fun too. It’s precisely this sentiment that’s inspired the launch of the blogs below, all of which celebrate that one man’s garbage is another man’s gold!
FFFFOUND is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user’s tastes and interests for an inspirational image-based bookmarking experience.
Passive Aggressive Notes – a collection semi-threatening signs, notes and messages.
Postsecret – an anonymous collection of secrets on a 4×6 inch postcard. Some postcards are art some are just brutally honest, but all are shown on this online gallery that updates every Sunday.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, furniture storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage, storage solution, student storage, UK storage, wine storage
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