I'm looking for some counter or chit trays for my wargames and general board games, do you guys have any suggestions? I'd really like something with a lid, almost like something you'd use for fishing tackle. That way everything would be easy to get to but also upright and ready to go.
Is there a place to order, or am I better off going to Lowes and getting something generic?
I usually order them from GMT. Their 10 pack price is about as good as you'll find. And their customer service is excellent.
http://www.gmtgames.com/p-173-counter-trays-10.aspx
Tackle box. $6.50. Adjustable. Closes securely.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E39T50/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grogheads-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000E39T50
Plano model #3701 (http://www.planomolding.com/product.php?BCCID=138&PID=749), the standard of ASL players (on this side of the pond, folks on the other side of the pond prefer the RAACO storage system (http://www.tradesystems.co.uk/acatalog/raaco-storage-products.html) but it's expensive to ship them to the States)). The Plano's can be picked up at Academy or most any other sporting goods store. The 3701 is a thinner model, so less "air" in each compartment.
Some other recommendations have been these from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Darice-1157-11-13-7-Inch-8-6-Inch-1-37-Inch/dp/B001B0S2H6) These are even thinner and have grooves in the lid that would prevent counter drift, but they're about twice as much as the Plano's. Another is the Hozan case (http://www.ikaswebshop.com/hobsepaca.html). These offer removable storage bins like the RAACO, but also are expensive.
^ jinx, you owe me a soda!
Check out the craft section at your local WalMart or Hobby Lobby. They usually have boxes that people making their own jewelry use to store stuff. Also I've seen people use the the week long vitamin holders depending on the size of the chit.
Quote from: LongBlade on January 13, 2013, 07:05:11 PM
^ jinx, you owe me a soda!
Both are Plano's, true, but you referenced the 3600 series. I personally prefer the 3700 series as they are the "shallow" design. As mentioned, much less wasted space in each compartment and thus the container itself has a smaller footprint.
I tried the cheapo storage containers that are mostly used for beads and other hobby parts but found that the lids would unsnap much too easily and those containers usually have very deep compartments. They are also square cornered compartments. The Plano's have rounded corners for the compartments so it makes digging out counters much easier. They still aren't perfect however. You have to cut apart the compartment dividers and if you don't secure them in with a bead of glue, you'll have compartment wars all over the place with invading counters. Also, if the tray is knocked over, you can get counter crawl over the tops of the compartments because there is just a small bit of space between the compartment dividers and the lid - just enough for counters to squeeze through. What I do is glue a piece of the rubber shelving lining that you buy at the supermarket to the bottom of the lid (cut to fit, glued with a spray adhesive). This makes a nice, secure seal between the bottom of the lid and the tops of the compartments.
Quote from: TheCommandTent on January 13, 2013, 09:56:01 PM
Check out the craft section at your local WalMart or Hobby Lobby. They usually have boxes that people making their own jewelry use to store stuff. Also I've seen people use the the week long vitamin holders depending on the size of the chit.
Walmart has some very thin clear hard plastic jewelry, bead cases in their hobby section for about $4. They have a lid and are about as thin as the GMT trays. The cases fit easily in most bookcase size boxes. Plenty of room for your average board game's counters.
I like the bead sorters you get from Michael's. They come in a standard size, but with a variety of different divider types inside, and all cost about $2 each. One tray is good for about 150-160 5/8" counters
I've got most of my stuff in GMT trays, although they are really best suited to 1/2" counters, and most of my games now are 9/16" - 3/4". So all my WaW stuff takes up about 6 trays, and at present, WSR and Cobra fill 2 trays. The good thing about the GMT trays is they fit in most 'standard' size game boxes.
I only know of one guy in the UK who sells them, in sets of 4, but he charges the same price as buying 10 direct from GMT including the shipping.
Since I have Desert Heat and Stalin's Triumph on pre-order, I will need to think about sending off for some before long. I also have a few games full of baggies, which I dislike using, but at least they are el cheapo!
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm looking for something for my copy of Merchant of Venus now, it has several different sizes of items, I may just have to stick with baggies for it.
Quote from: GJK on January 13, 2013, 10:24:00 PM
Both are Plano's, true, but you referenced the 3600 series. I personally prefer the 3700 series as they are the "shallow" design. As mentioned, much less wasted space in each compartment and thus the container itself has a smaller footprint.
Yeah, I tend to store more minis than chits so therein lies the difference. I've probably got six cases of just D&D minis. Plenty of boardgames, but they're mostly gathering dust.
Quote from: republic on January 14, 2013, 04:37:44 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm looking for something for my copy of Merchant of Venus now, it has several different sizes of items, I may just have to stick with baggies for it.
I have used many different types of counter trays. Most often I use clear plastic bead boxes with 18 compartments. The work well, but they tend to be heavy. Right now I like to use the bead boxes for generic counters and markers, (and have them ready to use for the game) and use zip bags for unit counters. That works pretty well for GMT games like Musket & Pike, or Great Battles of History.
The Chessex model is nice because they are shallow and leave you with more room in the box. I cut the hinged top lid off to use as a stand alone sorting tray.
Chessex trays are gate for wargaming chits, but they verge on useless for most other board games. They just aren't deep enough to keep the sheer quantity of bits you'll find in other games, and they're completely useless for things like figures.