I finally completed my new storage solution and got Empires fully integrated into it, so I thought I'd share it for those looking for a new solution (and also because I'm pretty happy with it and just want to share). I've posted some of this info before, here on f.ds and on /r/dominion, but here's the whole solution, all in one place, with pictures.
Little bit of story first, so if you'd rather just see the pictures, skip to the bottom.
I used the Hobby Lobby box for a long time and really liked that type of solution. I carry my cards with me a lot of places, so the portability and protection it offered were ideal. That case wasn't designed to carry 25+ lbs of cargo, however, and I'd had it pop open a couple times and spill my cards. Even after replacing the hinges and latches with sturdier ones, I was still worried when carrying it. The Hobby Lobby box was also nearing capacity and Empires would have been the last expansion I could fit in it. It is with these things in mind that I began looking for a new, larger solution. I originally imagined a metal or plastic solution, like a briefcase or camera case, with a foam insert cut to fit the cards. I looked for something like that but couldn't find anything that matched my cost and quality requirements. During my search, however, I had come across a canvas case that I initially passed over because it wasn't a hard case.
Storage Case -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A4LJVR8/Coming back to that case, I realized that it was the perfect size (22 x 15 x 5), it was portable and, because it closes with a zipper, it was unlikely to pop open and spill everything. It did have some issues though. First, the clips on the shoulder strap and the d-rings on the case to which it connected were plastic and I wasn't sure how much weight they would take. Second, it didn't have enough structure or padding, so I worried about how well it would protect the cards.
The first problem was easily solved with the below shoulder strap and some 1 in. d-rings from the local hardware store.
Shoulder Strap -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002RI6Y8To add structure I cut a dry erase board I found at a craft store and put it in the bottom of the case. It's light and sturdy, and gives exactly the structure I need. For padding I found some 1/2 inch speaker foam to lay on bottom and put in the pocket in the lid.
My original idea to use foam to hold the cards did't work so well. After cutting out space for the cards, too much of the mass was gone so it couldn't maintain its structure. Instead, I ended up using two 3200 count, 15 x 12.5 in card storage boxes. Each has 4 rows, but after cutting one row off one of the boxes, the fit in the case perfectly.
So that's the case, but I also wanted a better way to store tokens than the plastic bags I'd been using. I saw this picture (
http://www.adamhorton.com/files/dom_open.jpg) of Adam Horton's plastic token storage containers and really liked that idea. After much searching for just the perfect thing I found the below. Teh tops screw on, so there's no chance of them popping open during transit. I added some color-coded stickers so I know what's inside and there you go.
Token Storage Tins -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FY7OGCMEach of the rows in the storage boxes have 72-74 sleeved kingdom piles and could hold a few more if needed. So given that A) I have one row completely unused, B) I could take out the randomizers (which I never use), C) I could take out 1, or even 2, of my 3 sets of base cards, and D) as much as I like my token storage it is not space-efficient and could be replaced with something smaller, well I should have room for more new expansions than Donald could ever possibly make (why, yes Donald, you may indeed consider that a challenge).
Finally, I've been using
Sumpfork's Dominion Tabbed Divider Generator (
http://domtabs.sandflea.org/) for my dividers for quite a long time. I had them professionally printed and laminated, and they've held up wonderfully.
There are a couple of obvious and expected drawbacks. It is large and, therefore, a bit cumbersome. Also, it weighs 30 lbs. I don't mind either, but I can see how they would be issues for some.
TL;DR - Hey, look at my new Dominion storage case.Pictures -
http://imgur.com/a/Pnn5o (apologies for the quality)
