I did a video with The Geeky Panda about an issue that affects many of us. Put simply, a lot of otaku are in a perpetual state of having little to no shelf space for new figures, models, Blu-Rays/DVDs, manga, books, and videogames.
The problem gets even worse when you factor in people who have multiple hobbies that require space for displaying or storing things. All the stuff we accumulate and collect can quickly add up to full shelves and require us to get creative with where we put new figures and whatnot.
And of course we’re still getting new figures, because the solution is never “buy less stuff.” It’s always “buy more shelves, bookcases, and storage boxes.” It’s the hidden cost of collecting. At a certain point, money must be spent on maintaining the collection, in addition to adding to it.
It becomes more work, too. More shelves mean more surfaces to dust and keep clean. And, naturally, that means removing what’s on the shelf. Dusting an entire room full of figures, disc and game boxes, and so on can easily take hours.
Shelves are really only one part of the equation, though. Collectors of posable anime figures (Figma, AGP, etc.) and model kit builders know the struggle of wondering where to put all the extra parts. Model kit builders know the additional struggle of having a stack of boxes from completed kits that still have parts in them. Airsofters know the struggle of having to store not only their guns, but their BBs, magazines, accessories, and gear.
When anime girls start to spill out onto your desk, you know you’re running out of shelf space.
When the Astray Red Frame is standing on your Ethernet switch, with a chibi Asuka sitting on the edge, you know you’re running out of shelf space.
When you start kitbashing your Gundam models together because it’ll free up room for more Gundam models, you know you’re running out of shelf space.
All that said, it’s a silly issue, a first-world problem. It’s something to laugh about, moreso than to portray as a legitimate problem. We all find ways to deal with space shortages, whether that’s to rearrange things, store some of our collection elsewhere, or even the unthinkable option of buying less stuff.
How do you deal with the shelf space issue? Any tips or solutions to share? Post a comment!