Pro tip: I used to keep my game collection in a closet, but now it's a full wall in my living room
For years, I kept everything boxed up and only pulled out a game maybe once a month. After a game night in Denver where a friend had everything on display, I changed my mind. I built some simple shelves and now my 40+ games are out where people can see them. It's led to way more spontaneous plays. How do you all decide what to keep out versus what to store away?
Oh man, the dust factor is real... I keep my absolute favorites out, but anything with a dark box or a matte finish just shows every speck. My copy of Azul looks tragic after a year on the shelf. So now I only display games with glossy boxes or lighter colors... the rest go in a cabinet. It's a weird way to choose, but it works.
Hot take: Dust is the real final boss.
What about just putting the whole shelf behind glass doors? I saw someone do that with an Ikea cabinet and it looked really clean. You still get the display effect without the constant wiping down. My system is a mess, I just keep anything we play often on the open shelf. The rest are in bins sorted by player count.
Used to be firmly in the "keep it all hidden away" camp (dusted twice a year, max). But after seeing someone's copy of Parks just sitting out, I realized how much of a conversation starter an open shelf can be. Now my compromise is a mix - the bright, glossy boxes like Ticket to Ride and Cascadia stay out where people grab them, but stuff with weird shapes or dark covers (looking at you, Agricola) stays in a cabinet. Still bothers me a little bit, but the trade-off is worth it for those random Tuesday night games.