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How do you store your samples?

How do you store your samples? 9 years ago
Hi, folks. I'm organizing my samples and decants so I can locate them. When they were a manageable number, I stored them in a tea box I'd loaded with those tiny plastic pellets to keep the samples upright. Now I need another solution because I've collected so many and want to keep them to do comparisons for sniff tests and reviews. I bought plastic trays from The Container Store but they just don't work. Then I read about using ammo boxes? Does anyone here do this? Does it work? What sizes did you get?

Anyone find other solutions?
9 years ago
ScentFan, your idea of using tiny beads to keep your samples upright is genius. I don't know if this would work for you -sounds like you have lots of samples- but I've been using cosmetic storage trays by a company called BINO. They don't look like they'd hold much but each compartment in the tray accommodates multiple decants: 6 x 1 ml. vial or 2 x 2 ml. or 3 ml. sprays. Also, each level of compartments is tiered so it's easy to see and pick up each bottle. The first photo is the rectangular tray and it has 36 compartments so it holds over 100 decants/samples.
The second photo is the curved tray which has 15 regular compartments (same size as above) and 3 large compartments. The large compartments are great for big decants and carded samples.
Finally, the tray holding all the boxed Diptyque samples has 15 large compartments so it'd work just as well holding 3 x 2ml. or 3 ml. sprays.
I pick up the storage trays as I need them from Marshall's and TJ Maxx for $4-$9. I have quite a few now... Rolling Eyes
Last edited by Greysolon on 26.02.2015, 03:57; edited 3 times in total
9 years ago
Yes, the beads are brilliant. And great pix! Thank you both for great ideas.
9 years ago
Many thanks for the pics, Greysolon. Can't take credit for the pellets idea. I read it on another forum. It really works.
9 years ago
I favour the 5ml spray decants to get a real sense for a perfume and I also use these to keep a travel-size spray of all of my full bottles. At this 5ml size they are easy enough to store upright, uniform height and not too fiddly to retrieve.

To store them, I use cardboard boxes that are the height of the decant vials. Sometimes perfume packaging boxes will serve: the 5ml glass sprays I like are a convenient height for Le Labo boxes and a cute round 'hat box' I have from the CdG Stephen Jones perfume is that height as well. Whilst the Stephen Jones box is for vintage Carons all in together, in the larger square boxes, I use cards cut to size to make dividers that keep things in neat lines. I indicate the fragrance name and house on the lid of the decant and keep them grouped by a system that makes sense to me and how I wear perfume - a combination of fragrance family/note/house.

Some smaller vials I keep in old slide boxes - do you know the ones that housed small mounted photographic transparencies? But I don't have many of these except for attars - I tend not to hang on to smaller samples. If I'm intrigued enough by a tiny sample I'll get 5mls so I can really give it a few good wearings to decide if I'd like a bottle. If I'm not intrigued I pass them on to somebody else as soon as I can.
9 years ago
Greysolon:
ScentFan, your idea of using tiny beads to keep your samples upright is genius. I don't know if this would work for you -sounds like you have lots of samples- but I've been using cosmetic storage trays by a company called BINO. They don't look like they'd hold much but each compartment in the tray accommodates multiple decants: 6 x 1 ml. vial or 2 x 2 ml. or 3 ml. sprays. Also, each level of compartments is tiered so it's easy to see and pick up each bottle. The first photo is the rectangular tray and it has 45 compartments so it holds well over 100 decants/samples.
The second photo is the curved tray which has 15 regular compartments (same size as above) and 3 large compartments. The large compartments are great for big decants and carded samples.
Finally, the tray holding all the boxed Diptyque samples has 15 large compartments so it'd work just as well holding 3 x 2ml. or 3 ml. sprays.
I pick up the storage trays as I need them from Marshall's and TJ Maxx for $4-$9. I have quite a few now… Rolling Eyes

Great idea, Greysolon.
9 years ago
Found a solution that makes it easy to put my hands on a given sample. Ammo boxes! Can't remember where I saw this idea. Turns out this particular box works for sample sizes less than the 5 ml vial--which most of mine are. Each box holds 100 and I load them in alpha order first by house then by name, using a printout of my decants collection. Voila! Now I can always put my hands on a specific sample. I bought 8 boxes and they're almost loaded.

A tip: put a piece of bubble wrap or styrofoam on top so the smaller samples don't fall out of their cubicles if the box is turned over.

This one's a "MTM 100 Round Flip-Top Rifle Ammo Box 22-25, 308 W, 243 (Clear Blue) ," $5.99 on Amazon.
Last edited by ScentFan on 02.03.2015, 02:36; edited 1 time in total
9 years ago
Wow! that is nice. I like the lid, prevents the dreaded dust.
9 years ago
ScentFan:
Found a solution that makes it easy to put my hands on a given sample. Ammo boxes! " $5.99 on Amazon.

Anybody want to buy a bunch of cometic trays? Sad

Seriously, what a great solution ScentFan! Just so I don't open myself up to spam from the NRA Wink
9 years ago
Great idea, Efemmeral!

Efemmeral:
I favour the 5ml spray decants to get a real sense for a perfume and I also use these to keep a travel-size spray of all of my full bottles. ,,,.

I don't own or know how to shoot a rifle, but you're right, guess I'm supporting the gun industry, Greysolon, with my ammo storage boxes. Laughing Had to look up cometic!

Thanks, Cincy.
9 years ago
I love the ammo box idea. What a great way to keep track of everything. I have over 300 samples though and can't think of anyway to make space for all those ammo boxes. I do need to organize my samples by house or name or something. It takes me ages to find anything when I want to review it or send it to someone.
9 years ago
They're 6" square and hold 100. You'd only need 3 of them.
Briarthorn:
I love the ammo box idea. What a great way to keep track of everything. I have over 300 samples though and can't think of anyway to make space for all those ammo boxes. I do need to organize my samples by house or name or something. It takes me ages to find anything when I want to review it or send it to someone.
9 years ago
ohh, they looked bigger in the picture. Amazon here I come!
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