How do you sort/classify your Minimates?

[NorthRaider]

(Started out in this thread)

So how do you sort your Minimates?

By your favorites? By order of acquisition? By release date?

I guess sorting them by universe (Marvel, DC, BSG, Star Trek, Ghostbusters...) would be a given, but then how do you sort out the very large universes like Marvel? By team? By character? By era?

As you can see from the above link, I use something of the "civilian identity" system for my Marvel Minimates. Needless to say it results in some amusing metaphysical quandaries. Now I know how Ivan and Lurch felt when they put together the Database and the Definitive lists, which is why I use a completely different system altogether to sort my Battlestar Galactica minimates

Edited November 13, 2009 by NorthRaider

[TBT!]

(Started out in this thread)

So how do you sort your Minimates?

By your favorites? By order of acquisition? By release date?

I guess sorting them by universe (Marvel, DC, BSG, Star Trek, Ghostbusters...) would be a given, but then how do you sort out the very large universes like Marvel? By team? By character? By era?

As you can see from the above link, I use something of the "civilian identity" system for my Marvel Minimates. Needless to say it results in some amusing metaphysical quandaries. Now I know how Ivan and Lurch felt when they put together the Database and the Definitive lists, which is why I use a completely different system altogether to sort my Battlestar Galactica minimates

I rank them by taste, the saltiest minimates at one end of the scale and the sugary ones at the other... Ivan will back up this method as it's far more interactive than the dull just by color of their underoos thing most people use! I recommend a mixture of lemon juice and mearcat tears to cleanse the pallette between minimate licks!

Ok... Seriously, by line/universe then wave...

T.

[Dio]

(Started out in this thread)

So how do you sort your Minimates?

By your favorites? By order of acquisition? By release date?

I guess sorting them by universe (Marvel, DC, BSG, Star Trek, Ghostbusters...) would be a given, but then how do you sort out the very large universes like Marvel? By team? By character? By era?

As you can see from the above link, I use something of the "civilian identity" system for my Marvel Minimates. Needless to say it results in some amusing metaphysical quandaries. Now I know how Ivan and Lurch felt when they put together the Database and the Definitive lists, which is why I use a completely different system altogether to sort my Battlestar Galactica minimates

I rank them by taste, the saltiest minimates at one end of the scale and the sugary ones at the other... Ivan will back up this method as it's far more interactive than the dull just by color of their underoos thing most people use! I recommend a mixture of lemon juice and mearcat tears to cleanse the pallette between minimate licks!

Ok... Seriously, by line/universe then wave...

T.

So who's the salty-sweet one in the middle?

I'm moving, so I don't really have them sorted. I just put each one in their own baggie and put them in boxes.

[NorthRaider]

I rank them by taste, the saltiest minimates at one end of the scale and the sugary ones at the other... Ivan will back up this method as it's far more interactive than the dull just by color of their underoos thing most people use! I recommend a mixture of lemon juice and mearcat tears to cleanse the pallette between minimate licks!

BTW it's spelled either "bearcat" or "meerkat", though I'm kinda partial to a little weasel crap kopi luwak as a palate cleanser myself. It's a whole 'nother entirely when licking C3 minimate capes, usually I just go straight to the hospital

Ok... Seriously, by line/universe then wave...

At first that's how I sorted my mates too, but then I realized I wasn't really aiming for completism and that sometimes I found it more convenient if certain minimates were grouped together by their own teams/mini-groupings already (Poor Gambit and Rogue, two lovers separated by an unfortunate mutant ability and 16 full waves...) It was when I started being overwhelmed by the multiple-variations-of-one-character dilemma that I started adopting the civilian identity system too.

[vbpanizzi]

Top Shelf Movies/TV-sorted by license then random within that space

Middle Shelf DC/Promo/GB&T2(ran out of room on top)

DC - By most associated title i.e. Batman, Superman, Teen Titans

Promo - Prettiest in front then who cares they all look the same

GB&T2 - Random by there assorted titles

Bottom Shelf MARVEL

A total cluster smurf. I put similar characters near each other but not exclusively. All the Iron Man movie mates are on the back row but then the other Iron Man mates are kinda all over. This repeats fairly commonly. Ms. Marvel is next to Simon who's next to Raft Sentry. Why? because I picked up the mate a placed it there. As has been discussed in the past I also purposely misaligned all my slip over masks and the eyes.

[Rad]

Similar to VBPannizi

Top shelf: Movie/TV grouped by Movie/Show

Next Shelf: Marvel by team/affiliation though older versions of 'mates get relegated to the shelf ends.

Next Shelf: Marvel by team/affiliation with a big block of Marvel Movie 'mates at one end.

Bottom Shelf: TV/Movie again but with DC in the centre sorted by team/affiliation with the JLA and JSA members toward the front.

We. Are. All. So. Sad!

[Kamsm8]

Seeing as I only have one shelf, mine organized a bit different:

Far Left End: On my two C3 playsets, I have my DC and Street Fighter minimates.

Next Group Going Right: X-Men, followed by their Villains

Next Group Going Right: Avengers and Villains

Next Group Going Right: Spider-Man and Villains

Next Group Going Right: Misc. Marvel

Next Group: Ultimates

Next Group: Moviemates, going from Wolverine to Iron Man to Hulk to Spider-Man

Next Group: Terminator minimates

Next Group: my 6 Ghostbuster minimates

Final group on far right: LotR minimates

[Danny]

My classification system is: if there's enough space they go in my big Minimates tub, if not, they go in a cardboard box that I have to hand.

No, I don't display them.

[Mirymate]

Don't display them either... combination of space and small children.

Universe- movie/comics- hero/villain- Primary team- secret id.

Had to work that Primary into the team catagory, as Wolverine goes with X-Men, Dr. Strange and Hulk with Defenders, despite their membership in the Avengers.

(Don't get me started on Wolverine being shoe horned onto the Avengers, it's a long, long rant and not even my wife wants to hear it.)

So basically it's a couple of tubs with baggies full of baggies with baggies.

[luke314pi]

I arrange them by team mostly, but it does get a little random at times. My shelves have the mates displayed 4-deep. I put my favorite ones in the front, and my least favorite ones in the back.

[buttheadsmate]

If I told you ,you wouldn't believe me. I want to tell you but I can't ....I just can't .

[NorthRaider]

If I told you ,you wouldn't believe me. I want to tell you but I can't ....I just can't .

I'm guessing this involves separating the Minimates from the Palz, the Kubricks, the Mez-Itz, the Cosbabies, the Imen, the Nanomen, the coloreds, the whites, the delicates, the birds, the bees, and the giant mutant dragonflies first.

[buttheadsmate]

You are not helping at all 'Raider

[karamazov80]

On my display shelf, out in front are the "big" teams (JLA, X-Men, Avengers, Teen Titans, Fantastic Four, JSA, Legion of Doom), who are organized by 1) importance to the team and then 2) my favorite figures. Behind them figures are loosely posed with relevant friends/foes/lines (so, Bullseye is posed next to Daredevil; various Movie-Mates hang out next to each other), but it quickly becomes a jumbled mess, because simultaneous to all of this, I'm trying to make a colorful, diverse display of my favorite figures, that is aesthetically pleasing when I view them. Toward this end, sometimes relevance goes out the window (for instance, because of their vibrant colors, a strategically placed Sinestro or Iron Fist can really make an area of the display pop).

I have no sense of style or fashion. In fact, I probably spend less than 2 hours shopping for clothes or organizing the set-up in the house in a year. However, I have spent a great deal of time and effort trying to make the best Minimate display that I can, and frankly, I think it has been worth the effort. Just about every day I look at my Minimate display and it makes me smile.

I can't display all of them, however, so I have a huge box full of Minimates. Within that box are a series of gallon-sized bags. Within some of those bags are smaller, sandwich-sized bags, and within those bags are typically the small, 2-3 inch long bags in which individual Minimates inside.

The gallon bags are sorted by "universe" (i.e. Marvel/DC), the sandwich bags inside contain teams, or, in the case of Spiderman/Batman, an individual character and his friends/foes who do not reside on notable teams.

I have a separate gallon-sized bag for Movie-Mates and 3 inchers.

No, I don't display them.

That's possibly the most depressing thing I've read in weeks

If I told you ,you wouldn't believe me. I want to tell you but I can't ....I just can't .

I may regret saying so, but I'm always interested in hearing more about how you attempt to organize your humble collection.

Edited November 13, 2009 by karamazov80

[HRGMann]

I used to buy the plastic boxes at Home Depot with the dividers, keeping them all separated. Now, they're all in plastic tubs, all mixed up. Makes it more fun when the family pulls them out for play. It's always great to grab a handful, and see who you get on your "team".

[gambitron]

My DC has 3 small shelves, the bottom is allt he Batman related stuff, top shelf is Superman, Flash, Green Lanter, and Wonder Woman related stuff and the middle shelf is everything else. My Marvel stuff is sorted by group like all X-men on one shelf, Avengers on another, Daredevil, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, and then everything else. All the other stuff is just with their respective groups like SF, 24, LOTR etc.

[buttheadsmate]

If I told you ,you wouldn't believe me. I want to tell you but I can't ....I just can't .

I may regret saying so, but I'm always interested in hearing more about how you attempt to organize your humble collection.

One day all will be revealed & heads will shake with disbelief,awe & sympathy for a once rational person who has descended into the depths of complete plastic-madness.

[Rheul]

I have three wall mounted display cases. Each case is divided into 25 cells. Each cell holds between two and four Minimates. Case 1 has X-Men, some loners like DD, Spidey, Punisher, Ghost Rider, Balde etc... and some bad guys.The second case has Avengers, Defenders, Champions The FF and so on. What I try to do to save space is to position a character who has been on more than one team between the teams hes been on. For instance, Angel goes between The Champions and The Defenders that way I only need to display him once. My third case has DC Grouped by team using the same method as the Marvels. Some characters like Hulk, Spidey and Iron Man get displayed multiple times because:

A) Hulk Rules!

Iron Man Armors are different enough to deserve being displayed more than once

C) I bought one of those three tiered Container Store cases and needed to put something in it and the Spidey's fit nicely.

Lastly, my movie, TV, vehicles and Marvel Zombie mates are occupying a shelf in my large glass display case. I use a cupboard organizer to achieve a tiered effect so you can see everybody. Their days are numbered though because they will get evicted eventually for something that will look better in that space. I think mates (all action figures actually) look sloppy when displayed in a crowd.

We. Are. All. So. Sad!

Agreed.

Edited November 13, 2009 by Rheul

[Chazwinski]

Left to Right:

Star Trek & Spirit

DC Villains

X-Men & their Villains

Fantastic Four

Avengers

Various Marvel & DC Characters

Teen Titans

Justice League & Justice Society

Marvel Villains & Silence of the Lambs, Terminator, BSG

Lone Wolves like Daredevil & Blade with Misc. minimates like Witchblade.

Edited November 13, 2009 by Chazwinski

[Danny]

No, I don't display them.

That's possibly the most depressing thing I've read in weeks

Why does it depress you? I haven't had a Minimates display since I moved house a few years ago. I have my Transformers Animated collection displayed, and now my Streetz city.

[TBT!]

No, I don't display them.

That's possibly the most depressing thing I've read in weeks

Why does it depress you? I haven't had a Minimates display since I moved house a few years ago. I have my Transformers Animated collection displayed, and now my Streetz city.

And it gets even more depressing! Is that suppposed to make him feel better?

T.

[groundhog7s]

I've thought about just randomly displaying mine whenever I actually get to display them (hopefully it'll be soon). To me, there's something about the over-whelming amount of random Minimates I think would be cool.

[karamazov80]

And it gets even more depressing! Is that suppposed to make him feel better?

T.

Obviously, I love having my Minimates out on display, so the idea that they are trapped in a box or tub somewhere makes me sad. But, we all collect in different ways for different reasons.

[maxcarnage]

i keep the mates i really like on display (my wife will only allow me one shelf). they are divided by universe; marvel then star trek, BSG, movies, and finally DC at the end.

the rest of my mates are then kept in soup containers sorted by teamish... for example i keep all x-men in one box BUT there are so many wolverine character (not to mention wolverines) that they have there own box. but i keep the villains in the box too (i will get to why later). i also keep all the civilian looking mates (the skin jobs, bttf) in a box, where mates that are more gangster/ thug (the sprite, 24) like are in a separate box. so to keep track of who is in which box i cut the logos from the minimate box. in this way i am being green friendly AND staying organized!

this way helps a lot for figures on the go. example; let say i am on the way out the door but i want to grab some mates for the road. BAM! grab the spiderman box, inside i have spiderman and all his bad guys + some allies (black cat and silver sable) same with the avengers not only will I have Thor and capt but also red skull and ultron! (of course i will have to add the hulk and ironman as they have there own box where they live)

[Ivan]

In the collection thread I posted what I had at the time. Separated by universe; Marvel was organized by wave while the other 'verses were psuedo-random but evenly distributed (i.e. none of the Marty McFlys standing next to each other.) A couple bumps to the racks (with expected results) and the huge influx of figures in the last year has made this setup untenable.

The taste method worked for a while, but I regrettably lost most of my taste receptors after eating an expired Pop-Tart. I'm no longer able to discern the fine savory (almost musky?) flavor of Stealth Iron Man from the delicate fruity taste of Elrond. The once too-sweet Man-Bat now tastes like the common cheesy Chun-Li. I've tried to teach my dog these fine arts but he doesn't seem to have the palate.

I've been pondering new setups.

• Alphabetical would have significant upfront costs but the OCD part of me would be immensely satisfied with the result.
• Grouping by the number of letters (and spaces) in the name sounds intriguing. Lo would be alone at the top, while "Enchantment Under the Sea" Lorraine Baines would bring up the rear.
• Perhaps by weight? Wave 2 Spidey would be hanging out with the promos. It would be fun to relocate a figure if I lost an accessory in the carpet.

In actuality I think I'm going to go with the truly random method. Place one of each figure in a box, mix it up, then blindly draw them out and place on the shelf. Adding new waves will require a minor reorganization, but nothing too taxing. On the plus side, it will make cleaning up easier after a spontaneous mass narcoleptic event.