In Part 1 of Moving your Transformers Collection we looked at packing your Transformer collection safely in order to get it ready to move to its new home. In part two we are going to look at the moving itself. What method you use will depend on whether you are moving yourself or having movers do it for you.
If Hiring Movers
- Ensure you mark all pertinent boxes with FRAGILE. Even in plastic crates if something of sufficient weight is put on top the lid can break. Don’t think that most 30 year old G1 toys can take the strain of the weight of a couch sitting on them – not even Brawn. Also have marked on the outside of the box which particular Transformers are in there in order for easier sorting when they reach their destination.
- Make sure all the boxes are taped up at the top to prevent lids coming off or cardboard boxes opening when being lugged by removalists.
- Word up your removalists about your collection. Most movers are younger blokes so are well aware what Transformers are. I worded up mine when moving from Melbourne to Swan Hill and unbidden they did a visual sweep of the truck before leaving after unpacking. Because of this I ended up not losing one of my Leader-Class Movie Brawl’s shoulder cannons that had managed to fall out of a crate. I was very grateful for this unasked for courtesy.
If Moving Yourself
- This is where I am for the current move. Moving a thousand kilometers with a whole hobby farm to pack up on top of my 3000+ TF item collection means we are using a 40 foot shipping container which we pack ourselves. As such you need to know how to stack your TF boxes. I use the following method:
- Furniture and heavy boxes (such as full of books) make up the bottom half of the layers
- Strong Transformer Crates (such as plastic ones) make up the first upper layer
- Weaker Transformer boxes (such as cardboard ones) make up the second upper layer
- Light items that cannot damage anything underneath make up the top layer
- Make sure all Transformer crates and boxes are secure. Your ratchet straps will be more useful affixing large pieces of furniture to the wall so this can be achieved by simply wedging the boxes tight enough against each other that movement is all but impossible but at the same time they are not crushing each other.
- When unpacking at the other end, do several visual sweeps of the truck or shipping container to see if any items have fallen out.
Keep a Record of your Collection
If you have a large enough collection, you might not notice until it’s too late that somehow a rare and tiny Arms Micron or Decepticon Cassette got left behind. To try and remedy this do a thorough check at both ends that all your pieces are present and correct. However if even this is too time consuming at least have a complete list of your action figures so that you can make an insurance claim. I do this in two ways:
- 1: A typed list. How you do this is up to you. I’d recommend an Excel Spreadsheet, though I personally just have a bloated Microsoft Word file, since when I started my cataloging many, many figures years and years ago I didn’t know how to use that program and it’s a bit late in the game to swap over.
- 2: An online visual record. Having a typed list is all well and good, but what happens if your computer goes missing during the move, or the whole truck crashes and burns? How will you make an insurance claim then? By having a visual record kept online somewhere, it not only helps to remind you what is in your collection, but prove to an insurance company what you had should anything go wrong. I use Photobucket and also have extensive albums on Facebook for this purpose.
By following the advice given in part one regarding sorting and packing along with the advice imparted above regarding the actual move, you stand a damn good chance of getting all your Autobuddies and Deceptipals to their destination without a single bot getting lost or damaged. It may never be a stress-free experience (moving never is) but at least you won’t lie awake at night wondering if Springer’s Sword is lying on a roadside somewhere. Good luck!
Got any extra advice to add to that above? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
