How do you organize your collection?

[Abby is Q]

DVDs and blu-rays are split up (obviously). I have too many DVDs, so I split them up as:

-Horror
-Asian
-Comedy
-Action/Thriller
-Sci-fi/Fantasy/Comic Book
-War/Westerns
-Drama
-Foreign
-Miscellaneous (mostly music DVDs)

Then I have all my blu-rays in one long line across my wall. I have a small enough blu-ray collection that I can keep it as its own category. In fact, I have less blu-rays than I do horror dvds. Once I reach closer to the number of DVDs I have (which will take some time), I'll break it down to genres as well.

Every section is alphabetized except for small exceptions (for example, Freddy's Dead is next to the other 7 nightmare movies).

Box sets I have all over the place. Some I use as a bookends for some shelves, but several I've had to stack on my deeper bookshelves to make room for new movies. My collection is pretty much a mess right now because I'm reaching capacity.

[civiclx]

I had to rearrange my BR section a bit to make sure they fit properly so I had to switch the order up a bit. DVD is as follows:
R1 American normal
Criterion American
R1 American Special/Limited Editions
R1 Foreign Language Film
R1 TV Shows/Miniseries
R1 Documentaries
R1 Music
Imported DVDs

Blu Rays would normally be the same but because of the space issue as mentioned above, it's;
RA Special Limited/Edition
RA TV Shows
RA American normal
Criterions
RA Foreign Language Film
RA Documentaries
Imported Blu Rays

[Jonny Powers]

I've got my Blus and Dvds separate and within each they are sorted as follows:
Spaghetti Westerns
Eurocrime/Poliziotteschi
Macaroni Combat
General Collection
Box Sets & Collections
Within each section they are sorted numerically then alphabetically by the first title. Exceptions are made for continuing series'.

[rbg08]

I keep my family Blu-rays in a separate location from my personal Blu-rays. Both are organized by studio first, then by release date or series. I also separate the slip-less titles that aren't part of a series to the end of my collection (usually older titles), again organized by studio. This keeps my collection looking the cleanest, as slipcovers from the same studio tend to be similar, for the most-part.

My larger sets are kept in my home theater media cabinet behind the glass doors for display. I also keep a few duplicate titles there of 3D family movies that were released overseas or separately from the 2D version with different extras (Frozen, Big Hero 6, Toy Story trilogy, etc.).

My DVD's fit behind my family Blu-ray's as those shelves are deeper. My DVD collection has dwindled over time as I've sold titles I've replaced with Blu-ray combos.

[Verisimilitude1984]

You can't beat the simplicity of alphabetical order

[bkfountain]

Originally Posted by Verisimilitude1984

You can't beat the simplicity of alphabetical order

i recently did that when i got a bigger shelf. The only exceptions pulled out on their own were disney/pixar, marvel, 007, and godzilla films. I just want those together. Everything else alphabetical.

[Dylan34]

By genre. That and I keep all my box sets together.

[Coenskubrick]

The default is usually alphabetical, but I find that such a pointless way to organize movies when it comes to finding things. My organization technique is a little complicated, but it works pretty well for me so far.

I have groupings of movies with differnt priorities.

Movies by the same director I group together, except groups that are part of a cohesive series, eg. Pixar movies, Disney animated films, The Mission Impossible series (if I had it).

When I only have 1 movie by a director, I may do the same grouping for a significant writer or prominent actor eg. Charlie Kaufman. If 2 groupings are convenient enough to crossover I will put the crossover movies in the middle of the 2 groups. Eg. Being John Malkovich and Adaptation sit between my Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze section, thus residing in both.

If none of these groupings fit (or they do but are all one genre) they go into groupings by genre. As I get more films, these genres become more specific. Eg. the action and western genres used to be grouped together but are now seperate.

In all of these groupings, the films run in order of production year. The order of the groups is just based on what is convenient for fitting in the shelf.


I know, I'm insane. But maybe some people here are more insane? Love to hear how you organize.

[Hucksta G]

Alphabetical for me as I find it is the easiest way to find things. My DVDs are mixed in with my Blus and my steelbooks are mixed in, too My Bond and Evil Dead sets are the only ones that sit separate from the collection, they have their own shelves in between everything else.

[au_Spider]

Alphabetical for me, but I do seperate out the 3D movies and have these in Alphabetical also. Having over 2,000 Blu-Rays it's the easiest way to find what I want quickly.

[boredandlazy]

Alphabetical, but I do make exceptions to group movies. For example I put the Dark Knight after Batman Begins etc.
I also have a separate shelf for TV series and movies.
Wherever possible I also remove all slipcovers or container boxes as they just take up space. I store those in a box in my cupboards.
I also keep DVD's separate on the movie shelf.

[g12345567]

Any order for Movies but usually separate areas for movies, TV shows, box sets, music, animated and documentary. With TV and Movies shows usually being sorted in season/series/date order eg Bond, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Simpsons, Futurama etc.

[ThisKid]

Here is how I sort it out...

In my drawer any blu-ray with a normal case, slipcover or steelbook case goes in there. All releases are sorted out into which studio releases them, and the name of studio goes alphabetically (e.g. Anchor Bay, Arrow, Disney etc.). In those studio releases, they then get sorted out into what type of case they are. So then it goes Arrow Steelbook, Arrow Slipcover and then Arrow Standard. In those individual group of cases, they then get sorted out alphabetically by the title, unless there is a spine number detailing what film it is in that collection range (e.g. Eureka MOC)

On the top shelf in my wardrobe, any Digibook, Digipack or Criterion releases goes up there. The releases are then again sorted out into what studio released them, and the titles are also sorted alphabetically, no matter what style of a case it is. The Criterions are sorted out by the spine number, no matter what.

And on my other shelf which my TV and blu-ray player rests on, there is the Lawrence of Arabia Limited Edition. The only reason why it is there is because it can't fit into the other shelf.

And the DVDs? Same thing with the blu-rays.

[donthitpause]

Shelf 1 - By Distributor name & spine number for 88 Films, Arrow, Blue Underground, Eureka
Shelf 1 far end - Random slipcase blu's by width/ height.
Shelf 2 - Cinema Cult by title length.
Shelf 2 - Steels by Alpha.
Shelf 3 - Umbrella by spine number.
Shelf 3 -6 - Alpha/numeric for whatever is left over.
Shelf 6 far end - Music/ Concerts
Shelf 8 - Box sets by height.
Shelf 8 - TV series
Shelf 10 - Oversize crap by themselves by width & height.

Smut hidden on the top shelf in the spare room cupboard just behind the Black Sabbath vinyl collection...

[Coenskubrick]

I never group by distributor. The only ones I can think I might do by distributor are Arrow and Eureka ones because they look distinct and are in numbered collections but sometimes they fit into other categories which I think are more important, like Lifeboat, which I don't plan to seperate from my Hitchcock collection.

[darry]

By country of origin. In no particular order after that.

[Rodney-2187]

I used to organize everything alphabetically regardless if it was a DVD or Blu-ray or whatever, then I saw a few photos on here of how awesome it looked when you separate them. Now I have all of the DVDs in order alphabetically on the bottom shelves and all of the Blu-rays alphabetically on the top shelves. I also have a smaller shelf where I put just the Criterion Blu-rays but they are in order of spine number. Just below those are the steelbooks in alphabetical order. It looks so much better. My OCD has leveled up. Thanks Blu-ray.com!

Wondering if I should sort out just the ones with slip covers. Hmmm.....

[Chris60119]

alphabetically

[Ray Jackson]

Color coordination is the only civilized way of organizing one's blu-ray collection.

...only savages think otherwise.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by gates70

By lead actor, but it's challenging.

that would be enormously challenging---

so many movies where you'd have to ask "who is the lead actor?"

Butch Cassidy-- Newman or Redford?

48 Hrs.--- Nolte or Murphy?


etc etc