Some years ago I picked up an IKEA display cabinet in a charity shop, and have been very pleased with it. I got it for a reasonable price, and some time later learned that it is their DETOLF model, which is a "Best Seller" and is still available brand new for a very reasonable £65. Here's what it looks like:
I use it to house my 7 Years War collection of wargames armies, which are quite attractive figures but the collection has now outgrown the four shelves in the unit. It can house about 300 foot figures but as you can see the big drawback with this unit is that there's a lot of empty space and for years I've been looking for a suitable method to install additional shelves. A few weeks ago a friend on facebook gave me the heads up on a firm in Northern Ireland who produce custom made supports and Perspex shelves for this very unit. So I got some!
The original shelf for two Regiments of Infantry (BMC AWI), two guns and two companies of Grenadiers (HaT and various conversions). The new shelf supports are a bit fiddley to attach but after acouple of goes you start to get the hang of it and I managed to add a further eight shelves in the space available.
The new layout with additional shelf, for 2nd Cuirassiers, two more Regiments of Infantry and some light troops. The figure of Old Fritz on the left is an early tin flat.
The original display of the Cuirassiers was a bit cramped. The bronze disk in the foreground is dated 1757 and is a Campaign Medal issued for the battles of Lissa (Leuthen) and Rossbach, I found it in a junk box of old coins 50 years ago when I was a teenager working a Saturday job in London's Portobello Road Market, it seemed appropriate to display it here.
The Austrian shelf (these also double as French but I need to do more flags) Three Regiments of Infantry (HaT Prussian infantry), two companies of Grenadiers (Italieri) a unit of Pandours (various conversions) and two guns (BMC)
On the left are the Russian contingent (BMC AWI) and on the right the Army of Brunswick (Marx infantry and HaT cavalry)
New layout with additional shelves.
And finally a closer look at the Russian Infantry and Artillery.
A darned sight better than being tucked into boxes in a cupboard! (and they are well worth seeing!)
ReplyDeleteHow hard is it to get someone out from the rear ranks without emptying the shelf? Do they slide out at all? (Not that I'm likely to buy one - just curious) Even on my dusty open shelves I've found it convenient to put a unit shaped piece of thick card or thin wood underneath so I can slide them out easily to get at whoever is behind them.
Who gets the next cabinet? .....
They're mostly all on movement trays so they come out easily enough but it tends to be the case that when one comes out for a game they all come out. Thanks for the tip on using a piece of card to slide them out, I hadn't thought about just getting the odd one or two units out.
DeleteA marvelous collection Brian and a wonderful storage/display solution!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brad, it saves a lot of dusting!
DeleteBrian, nice post, I enjoy seeing how others store/display their collections. Yesterday, the neighbour's cat, that sleeps here four out of five nights, scattered several dozen cavalry on a cabinet shelf, I just hope she won her wargame. I really do need some better storage systems.
ReplyDeleteMichael
No storage system survives first contact with the cat!
DeleteIt was great to see the collection and read a little about it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed building it, it's the only time I've ever stuck at a toy soldier project.
DeleteLovely figures! Thanks for the details Brian, I will visit the IKEA website and look for the DETOLF cabinet.
ReplyDeletethey're great value!
DeleteFabulous display Brian. I recognise a few of the figures from games - veterans all!
ReplyDelete