Solution for displaying a large MOC collection?

[cricket]

I'm preparing to move back into my house in the next few weeks.  It burnt down in the spring of last year and we've been rebuilding since.  Thankfully the majority of my pony collection escaped the flames and the benefit of building a new house is that we got to design it and include a pony room for me!  I have a very large collection.  A complete loose G1 US and UK collection and a large amount of MOCs which are my true passion.  My collection has been in totes for the last 6 years and it's amazing how much it's grown in that time!  I really want to display the majority of my MOCs but I'm stumped, both from a space standpoint and a safety standpoint.  In my last pony room I had a large peg board with metal rods on it.  I stacked the MOCs on the rods so they were standing upright.  It was so awesome to flip through them like they were in store aisles again!  I'm concerned about that long term though.  I don't want gravity to eventually separate the pony from the card. 

Those of you with large MOC collections on display what is your solution?  Pics would be awesome if you have them!

Thanks!
~Cricket

[Shy Violet]

What about picture frame shelves from Ikea? You won't be able to have them several ponies deep but they would sit in the shelf instead of hanging. I don't have a MOC collection but these are what I mean

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Personally I would use the pegs if I had that many MOC's but I see the concern for long term. Hopefully some others have better ideas

[Loa]

For MOC's I think it depends on if you want to have them behind glass?

[lunar_scythe]

The only way to completly prevent gravity from affecting  them would be to either lay them flat, or put them on shelves with some kind of support holding up the front of the bubble...maybe a small pvc pipe along the front edge of the shelf?

[Taffeta]

Storage of MIP is a problem for me too, but I don't have the space options you will have, so I am very jealous. Right now I have two of my MOCs hanging on the wall by my bed, but the rest are all in the cupboard in such a way that hopefully puts less stress on the bubbles and cards.
I would suggest shelving or cabinets of some kind. I think  you're right about bubbles drying out and ponies being separated as a long term risk of hanging them. I think lunarscythe's idea is the best one for long term protection. It does depend on how many is 'a lot'...because that will impact on how much space you can allocate for this.

[PurdyPony]

I lost space for mine a LOOOOONG time ago. Now way I could ever display them unless I had at least 2 free rooms in a house. . . but that is a dream I have  . . . (sigh) maybe someday . . .. Right now I have them all stored away in tubs split between my apartment and my moms house . . pilled everywhere . . lol

[Kazzellin]

Hmm... I see the problem. Well, I think the best thing to do is to display the ones on hanging cards flat, then. To save space, your best bet would be to make a set of drawers specifically for them - kind of like those cabinets people buy for storing scrapbook paper and similar, but you will probablly need to either have it custom made, or make it yourself (not as daunting as it sounds; I tend to make my own display cabinets and such, but my sister tells me I'm weird that way).

I would measure the one whose bubble sticks up the most and use that as a base line. Add about an inch for space above (and to accomodate a thicker pony who you might not have yet), and there is your depth for inside the drawers. To save on costs, you can make the drawers run along some slats of wood instead of buying rolling drawer glides. I wouldn't go wider than three, maybe four feet, though; weight might be an issue and warp the shelving boards. Also, use contact paper or cork to line the drawers, since stain might soak into the backcards (which you probably already know). You'll need to decide how many cards wide you want each drawer, and whether you want the next card in each column to overlap the one in front of it (so all you see it the pony in it's bubble, not the rest of the card). Have at least a little bit of a lip on the front of the drawers so ponies can't just slide off, but personally I would have the front be a complete drawers to keep light exposure down a bit - don't want those bubbles yellowing (they do gradually yellow with sunlight exposure, don't they?).

Good luck! Let me know if you need/want design help.

Side note: You have the entire G1 line? Speaking as someone who's working on it, I'm totes jelly.

[MoonstoneFluff]

I just want to throw in on my jealousy of your complete G1 collection!  I'm working on mine too but it's something of an uphill battle.

For storage...  I agree that gravity is going to be an issue for long term storage.  I used to work in a small collectibles shop and anything over about 20 years old we either had the punch out or j-hook tear or the glue separate the bubble from the card.  Laying flat or resting at an angle leaning back with something in front and behind the card are probably your best options.  Either is going to be a space hog though.

[maycrestmom]

I think there was a collector who took pegboard and got those metal posts and actually did her look up like a store = I mean the cards have that j-slot for that purpose.  Think she might have been over at the tradepost but I thought it was a wonderful solution to do the whole wall and that way she could organize too as in stack the set together on the post... I'll see if can find an image and hope what I wrote makes sense


guess the other idea is to make MOC pony "wallpaper"


https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjixP-RpObTAhXERyYKHWsqD3IQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlptp.net%2Findex.php%3Fthreads%2Fpony-room-very-pic-heavy-brace-yourself.22459%2F&psig=AFQjCNE9epHAgYOvd5gHQjVN-MrYX-ULXg&ust=1494538484783070

[kakenterprise]

I personally like maycrestmom idea.  I've started putting my MOC Nintendo figures stacked along the wall and it looks like and it frees up space.

[cricket]

I love all of the ideas guys!  Maycrestmom, I would LOVE to do the wallpaper thing and I definitely have the MOCs to do it (well over 300) but I'm so worried about the gravity aspect!!!  I LOVE seeing all of those MOCs hanging up though.  If there were no concerns I would display them like that in a heart beat. 

The other issue is that I have complete sets of MOCs.  Some of my completed sets are the 1st set of twinkle eye ponies, the first and second set of do soft ponies, taf, sundae best etc.  I would love to find a way to display them all together.  Sadly I think space will be the ultimate decider and there just isn't THAT much of it.  Oh well, I suspect this "problem" will be part of the fun as well too.  Maybe I'll rotate who's on display so everyone gets  chance.

I actually think there are quite a few of us with completed US collections.....those of us who have been around for awhile anyway.  1999 for me!  Part of it too is what you consider complete.  I don't need every variant of every pony ever made.  One is enough for me.  Now I'm focusing on mint upgrades of the ponies in my collection so that has been fun.  Complete for me includes petites, plushes, mommy charms and dream beauties.  Some were hard to track down but it was so much fun!  I can't wit to finally have it all out on display!   

[Duenia]

The only way to completly prevent gravity from affecting  them would be to either lay them flat, or put them on shelves with some kind of support holding up the front of the bubble...maybe a small pvc pipe along the front edge of the shelf?

No idea if it would actually work... but piggybacking off of this. Since space is an issue rather than shelving with the pvc pip, what about attaching the PVC pipe to the wall to maximize space? Could act as a thin shelf with just enough room in the back so the cardboard at the bottom can be slipped behind without bending. Maybe even use the J hook on each card just as a bit of extra reinforcement for each to keep a bit of pressure off the bubble?

[Taffeta]

I also think the word complete is subjective, since a collection is complete when its owner decides it is. There aren't set rules, so everyone's collection is as awesome as anyone else's

My loose G1 collection for mainstream UK/Europe/US ponies would be complete if not for the fact I'm still looking for baby Sugarcake after almost 20 years. She's the only one left. We all have our own unique challenges, but that's what makes grails I guess...but I also like weird minor variations (not so much extreme Nirvana) so I don't think I'll ever call my loose collection 'complete'.

300 MIP though. I have occasionally had mad spurts where I've bought MIP that were cheap and available and ended up with more than I could store, but I have never had more than 100 at any one time (I have about that now I think) and I am seriously envious of your MOC SS as that is the absolute prettiest way to get them (I think I have three or four of them, but I can only imagine what it looks like when there's a whole set of them.

I made peace with the fact that space and money means I probably need to prioritise which MIP I get and keep now, but I admit, the mental image of 300 mip lining all the walls is something that will take some getting past...

If you do do something crazy like that, PLEASE take photos so we can all drool at them too

[cricket]

I will definitely take pics when they are displayed and I COMPLETELY agree with you about SS ponies.  They are so pristine on their cards.  The 2nd set is my favorite.  I had Bangles and Taffy MOC for years and then came across MOC Crumpet and Angel at one of the pony fairs.  I found Hippity Hop the next year and then a random post here just before Thanksgiving two years ago scored me Twilight.  I still have a hard time believing I was able to complete that set. 

I go back and forth on what is complete for me with collecting as well.  Technically I consider my US collection complete but there are always things I'm looking for, either new additions or upgrades.  Not surprisingly Sugarcake was the last and the hardest for me to track down too.  She is a tricky one!