How do you organize your gaming collection?

[JoeGKushner]

First, by game system.

Next, by format (hardcover vs softcover)

Next, by company.

Works out pretty well but probably not as effiecient as it could be.

 

[Samothdm]

I used to have them organized by topic, such as Class Books, Spells & Magic Books, Monster Books, Campaign Settings, etc.

Then I found that didn't work:
* Does Bastion's Spells & Magic go in the "Spells & Magic" section, or in the Class Books since it has a lot of PrCs for spellcasters?
* Does Magic of Rokugan go in the Spells & Magic Section, the Class Book Section (since it's mainly about Shugenja), or the Campaign Setting section?

It just didn't work.

Now I organize by Company, and try to put them roughly in the order that they came out so I'll know roughly where to look for them in their section.

I mix my 3.0 and 3.5 stuff together - I use them interchangeably so separating them doesn't work.

Hardbacks for 3.0/3.5 take up about 2.5 shelves. My smaller 1E and 2E hardback collection takes up a shelf.

Soft-cover 3.0/3.5 books are in little wooden/bamboo magazine holders and take up two shelves.

Older 1E/2E soft-cover books and modules are in plastic magazine holders and are in the closet because they don't fit on the shelf.

Older box-set RPGs like the Basic Set, Gamma World, Top Secret, and Boot Hill are in my grandma's old suitcase on top of a book shelf in a different room.

All of my Warhammer Stuff is in my closet in my old room at my parents' house.

PDF files are organized in the computer and CD back-up by publisher, with a folder for each product in which I put the PDF itself as well as any notes that I've made for adventures and web-enhancements, etc.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

wait, you were actually serious there, weren't you?

Oh, yes.

You'd think that I was really neat and organized, but you should see the rest of my apartment (where I'm hunted by dust bunnies all the way up to dust velociraptors!). The books are the neatest thing in here. However, I get weirded out by my friends' filing systems, which are, effectively, by system and whatever space is available.

Thanks to everybody who responded!

Brad

 

[haiiro]

Neat thread.

My D&D shelves look like this (from left to right):

- Core books and supplements -- PHB, DMG, PsiHB, other general rules
- Player-oriented books -- splats, CW, CD, etc.
- Forgotten Realms, including 2e material

Next shelf over:

- Monster books (loads of them!)
- DM-oriented books and campaign tools (Dungeon Craft, Book of Challenges)
- Secondary sources -- usefull books that aren't the best of the best (Spells & Spellcraft, for example)
- Adventures

One shelf down:

- Campaign setting stuff I don't use (Scarred Lands, et al)
- 3.0 core books (the main 3)
- So-so and mediocre material (Arms & Armor, Deities & Demigods...)

So far, it's worked for me. I've changed things around as certain sections -- like FR and monster books -- have overflowed their original spots.

 

[Kesh]

Most of my RPG books got lost in the mail, so what's left is in a cardboard box.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

My shelves are organized like this:

WotC 3.0/3.5 hardbacks, A-Z
WotC 3.0 classbooks etc
WotC adventures
d20 stuff A-Z by publisher
Campaign settings (Greyhawk, FR, Planescape etc) -- all editions, 3.x first
Other RPGs A-Z

Cheers


Richard

 

[was]

The ones at the top are simply the ones I read last.

 

[drnuncheon]

Wow. That's a lot of people that organize by company. I used to, too (makes it look all nice) but the wife complained she never could find anything.

So I reorganized it all: Player Books, DM Books (including rules variants), Monster Books, non D&D D20, Generic Setting Books, Specific Settings, and Adventures.

...and she still asks me where things are.

J
we need a Dewey Decimal for D&D

 

[shady]

1. How sad is this thread?
2. Organise?

OK, most pre 3E AD&D stuff (including Dragons) is in crates
1 shelf has post 3E Dungeon/Dragon mags
+ Green Ronin
+ Modern
+ Cthulhu D20
+ FantasyFlight gamelets (I thought they logically sat with Dungeon)
+ some one offs (Tomes of Horrors x2, Grim Tales, Monsternomicon)

1 shelf has 3E WotC, Scarred Lands, Malhavoc

2 shelves have 2E Planescape + Megatraveller (anything large format traveller)

1 shelf has Rolemaster + Runequest 2E and 3E + Chaosium Cthulhu

1 shelf has various boxed games + superhero RPGs (+ for some reason Elminsters Ecologies) and 2 Kalamar books.

1 shelf has FantasyFlight Legends and Lairs stuff, more traveller, 2300AD, traveller and spacemaster boxed stuff, and umm, Ringword RPG and (peers) Space Opera.

1 shelf full of magazines (Different Worlds, Space Gamer, all kinds of stuff)

1 shelf GURPS + Space1889

1 shelf WW WoD

1 small format shelf Classic Traveller

Floor is covered in Games Workshop boxed games and White Dwarfs (Dwarves?)

Cabinet full of mage knight 1 (haven't really gone for 2.0)

Lots of miniatures wandering round my keyboard, mainly old citadel stuff waiting for painting but occasional wounded mage knight model that I can't bring myself to throw away

Large format traveller stuff (eg Azhanti High Lightning, Fifth Frontier War) + CCGs + WotC D&D minis sit on top of the shelves.

Paintboard full of miniatures in garage

 

[shady]

I'd add the reason I packed the pre-3E stuff away is that I have most of what I want (plus the Dragons) in PDF form now anyhow. It's the way to go.