How to organise and display your figurine collection
By Léna, co-founder & Art Director at swap-iit
⏱️ Reading time: ≈ 5 mins
A lovely collection deserves a lovely spot to show it off. 💫 But between dust, sunlight and a lack of space, displaying your figures properly can quickly become a headache. Here are my top tips as an art director (and a collector who’s not at all objective) to show off your collection without damaging it.
Contents
- Display cabinet or open shelf?
- My own way: letting them live in the flat
- Dust – what a nuisance
- The sun, your silent enemy
- Staging the scene (my art director side coming out)
- Pamper your rare pieces
- Take a photo of your collection
- FAQ: organising and displaying your collection
Display cabinet or open shelf?
THE big debate. An open shelf looks nice, you can rearrange it endlessly and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg… but your figures gather dust. A closed display cabinet (like the famous glass-fronted one that all collectors have in our collective imagination) protects your items and gives a ‘little museum’ feel… but it takes up space and costs more. The clever compromise: a display cabinet for your precious and fragile items, and an open shelf for everything you love to fiddle with and rearrange.
My own way: letting them live in the flat
Right, a personal confession: I do neither. 😅 I don’t really like locking my figurines away in a display cabinet. I prefer to scatter them all over my flat: on a shelf, on a windowsill, next to my books, on the hall table, one lying around near the plant… I love coming across them as I wander through a room, as if they were living there, freely, as part of my décor. A bit like my Smiski playing hide-and-seek. 💚
It’s definitely less ‘tidy’ than a neat display cabinet, I’ll grant you that. But for me, a collection is a living thing; it should be part of the home, not hidden away behind glass. It’s up to you to decide what suits you best: there’s no right answer, just yours.
Dust – what a nuisance
Right, the only slight snag when displaying them out in the open (hello, me): dust. It loves settling on matt-finish figurines and soft toys (Labubu soft toys are a real magnet for it). The solution: a quick brush with a soft brush or a clean make-up brush every now and then, and that’s it. Honestly, a quick dust every so often is a thousand times better than a big clean once every six months when you’ve forgotten what the original colour was. 😬
The sun, your silent enemy
That’s the pitfall that loads of people only realise too late: direct sunlight causes the figures to yellow and fade over time, especially light colours and vinyl. So avoid placing your collection right in front of a south-facing window (yes, I’m the first to admit it – I’ve had to move a couple of my figures that were starting to get a tan 🫠). Indirect light is ideal. And if you want to light them up nicely, go for LEDs: they don’t get hot and they don’t give off harsh UV rays.
Showcasing
I just can’t help myself here. 😄 Showcasing a collection is a bit like creating a shop window:
- Play with the heights (small stands, risers, a pile of books…) so that the figures in the background aren’t hidden.
- Group by theme or colour: by series, by brand, by colour palette. The eye loves consistency.
- Leave some breathing space. I know, the urge to cram EVERYTHING in is real, but a bit of empty space really shows each piece off to its best advantage.
Pamper your rare pieces
When it comes to your chases, secrets and grails, though, that’s when I get sensible. 😅 I keep those out of direct sunlight, away from places where they might fall (goodbye, disasters), and if you want to preserve their value for a future swap, keep them in good condition: ‘mint’ condition, that counts for a great deal when it comes to swapping. And if you keep the boxes, store them flat and in a dry place.
Take a photo of your collection
One last little tip: once your figure display looks great, take a photo of it! Perfect for sharing on TikTok or Instagram, keeping track of your growing collection… and soon, showcasing your display on swap-iit. 💛
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FAQ: organising and displaying your collection
How can you protect your figurines from dust?
A quick dusting every so often with a soft brush or a can of compressed air, and a closed display cabinet for your most precious items. It’s better to carry out frequent, light maintenance than a thorough clean every now and then.
Does the sun damage the figurines?
Yes: direct sunlight can cause the figures to yellow and fade over time, especially light-coloured ones. Opt for indirect light and avoid placing them directly in front of a window that gets a lot of sun.
Should I keep the box the figures came in?
For certain items (limited editions, older series), a box in good condition can add value. If you keep them, store them flat, in a dry place and away from light.