How do you sort your collection? (1 Viewer)

[Doug:Li]

I have a collection of DVD's , that fits 3 six foot tall bookshelfs full, single layer on each shelf, with some titles piled on top of the shelves and other DVD's. Im trying to figure out the best way to sort them and I need some ideas. I had them aphebetical, with Directors broken out in to sets and alphabetized by the directors last name within the collection. I am toying with breaking them out now by genre.I should have plenty to represent the major categories. Also I have just moved so currently so right now they are all out of order on the shelves waiting for some kind of order. So its open to anything...

Any ideas?

 

[Jean D]

I have mine numerical/alphabetical.

(i.e. 12 monkeys, AI, Animatrix, etc)

 

[Thomas T]

Why make it more difficult than necessary for yourself? My entire collection is alphabeticized from A to Z so it's a no brainer when I need to locate a disc.

If I read your post correctly, you're looking for ways to sub divide the collection according to genres (horror, film noir, westerns, sci fi) or film personnel, directors, actors etc.

Well, it is YOUR collection.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Sort?! What is this thing you call "sort"?

 

[Doug:Li]

heh
I suppose i could just leave them as they are...

Eventually i would learn what is where...

 

[Adam_R]

However my wife wants it done.

LOL.

j/k

We have about 300 or so DVDs and we organize them by genre.

The reason is that we usually feel like watching a "type" of movie, so we'll look through the sci-fi section or the comedy section depending on mood. We even try and break it down inside those genres and put similar movies together. Like the American Pie movies are along side of Road Trip and so on. If it was A-Z, I think we'd have a hard time choosing a movie to watch.

We used to have it all a-z, but I really prefer the genre sorting.

 

[Lynda-Marie]

I make sure that favorites are the easiest for me to just grab when I want them. All the rest are sorted into series [Lethal Weapon 1-4, Terminator 1-3, etc.] and placed randomly, wherever I have the space for them. I try to sort by genre, but sometimes that is just too much work. Basically, I'm lazy.

 

[Chad R]

On the shelf, they are alphabetical. But, I have a list which is sorted by genre so that browsing is easiest for me and guests. I also keep my collection out of sight, in cases with doors, so they do not 'ugly' up the room.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

I've basically got all anime LaserDiscs, so my sorting is alphabetical by English title, with numericals at the end. Related series are grouped together with the first one in alphabetical order, and U.S. singles are separated from U.S. boxsets are separated from imports. All these are on Container Store four-sort racks made for storing dinner plates. Then the non-anime discs and the rotted ones which I'm keeping to remind me I need a replacement and the "for-sale" discs and the spare sleeves are in the slots of an additional rack. Maybe not germane to your situation, though.

 

[Paul Padilla]

Ooohhhhh...I remember what that is now. That's the thing I do occasionally knowing full well that the wife always puts things back in the very first, most easily accessible space available.

Whenever they are actually sorted, I go by genre. It depends on how you consider picking out a title.

Right brain, "I want to watch stuff blow up."

Left brain, "I think The Red Violin would be enchanting this evening."

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I try to organize mine by genre and in each genre I try to alphabetize them. I say try because mine are a bit of a jumble right now.

 

[Rhoq]

Alphabetical by title

In the case of sequels, my DVDs are in chronological order, following the first film of the series.

If the title is numerical, I still arrange it alphabetically (like '28 Days Later' is with the Ts)

Of course it's a huge pain in the ass having to move everything over and reorganizing the collection everytime I make a new purchase - but as you guys already know, it's a labor of love.

 

[PatW]

I use to have mine alphabetical by title. I got bored one
day and re-arranged mine by genre. I actually prefer it
that way. If I'm in the mood for an epic or romantic comedy
I know where to go. I just find it easier to choose where
before I could never decide. I do have a list that's arranged alphabetically and if I have friends over and they
don't choose to look through my collection, than they can
scan through the list and pick out what they want to see.

 

[DavidBC]

One of my big pet peeves (aside from the phrase "pet peeve") is separating numerical from alphabetical titles. 2001 goes with the T's, I tell you! I don't know why, it just does. For me, everything is alphabetical, because any other way creates too many conflicts in my obsessive head (is Alien horror or sci-fi? Chronoligically, which movie opened first in 1936? By director, who the hell directed That's Entertainment, Part 2? By actor, do Tracy & Hepburn movies go with Tracy or Hepburn?) You get my point...

 

[Adam Sexton]

My titles are not alphabetical but they are sorted by directors and series. I also keep my music dvds in one spot.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I just use my own "inner logic".

Some DVDs obviously (to me) go into sections of their own, such as Disney animation, the Criterion Collection (in spine number order) and TV material. Then I just figure that a few genres (film noir, war movies) and directors (Hitchcock, Fassbinder) are so big in my collection that they deserve sections of their own. Most of what's left I just lump together in a section called various classics (and most of them are) and order them in more or less chronological or otherwise logical order.

A couple of years ago, when I had about a hundred DVDs, I'd get the impression from some people that when a collection reaches a certain size one would have to go alphabetical. Now it's more like 400 and my system still works - for me.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's your collection.

 

[DonRoeber]

Alphabetical. Anything else and my wife yells at me

She was pretty freaked out when I had them sorted by studio

I've also got "the stack" which is a big pile of DVDs that need to be sorted into the shelves. I've got about 600 dvds total now, so that takes some time, which only causes "the stack" to grow.

 

[Mark Lucas]

Alphabetically, although chronologically would be better. Followed by type of case. The snapper cases and digipacks have their own section. Music dvds have their own section.

 

[MarkHastings]

I do it by studio (all the spines look the same this way) What about odd ball genres that cover MANY areas? I just watched "Cherish", it's a Drama/Comedy/Thriller movie. Where would that go??

 

[Kevin M]

Aside from Criterion & some of the more odd shaped ones (Wicker man) I sort them by year of release.