It's also really easy to scale; I just need to buy more containers.
Heh. You're young, aren't you?
Rule number one of small storage systems - when you buy, buy twice a lifetime supply. Because you'll wildly underestimate your future needs, and when you go back in a year to buy more they'll have stopped making those particular storage boxes. This
still bites me, every time.
... but it will become a problem in the future as I get more.
Oh, you have no idea. If you're anything like the parts collector most electronics people become, your storage requirements will approximate an exponential curve. Mine... I can't even post pictures of my 'storage loft' because it's such a nightmare. I wouldn't want to be responsible for the psychological harm to viewers.
At some future stage in my ongoing workshop construction saga I'll be lugging everything downstairs, constructing rows and rows of shelving in the loft, then lugging all the junk back up. At the moment it's floor to ceiling stacks of boxes and stuff, no room to build the shelving.
In the meantime, here's my solution to the IC storage subset of the parts storage problem. The objectives are optimizing space efficiency, being able to find things, low cost, flexibility for expansion, and ability to include ESD shielding where needed. Those all tend to be in conflict, but this way works well. I got some lidded clothing storage containers, made internal fixed partitions of thin cheap MDF glued together, then used paper envelopes to hold the components. Write the part numbers on the upper edge of the envelope for visibility. For ICs, for packing density plus protection against ESD and bent pins I stack the ICs then wrap the stacks in aluminium foil. Put a couple of ICs upside down at the bottom of the blocks so pins don't puncture the foil (also makes the blocks more dense.)
For stuff like disk capacitors and small transistors stick to one type per envelope and skip the foil except for special cases like ESD sensitive mosfets.
Another advantage of wrapping them into blocks like that is that you can write the part number on the blocks with felt pen, then pack several different part numbers into one envelope. When you have small quantities of each part number but many, many different parts, this really cuts down the space.
The last two pics are of some earlier storage methods I've used. 2318 is some old analog IC stock, in labeled matchboxes, stacked in an old computer punch cards box. Yes, very old. It's kind of a memento, is why I never upgraded it.
2319 is another old system I used years ago - sheets of styrofoam (you can find it for free if you look) with aluminium foil just laid on top, then the ICs pressed into it. The ICs hold the foil in place. Touch the foil with your finger first before inserting or removing ICs.
Before I switched to the plastic boxes with paper envelopes method most of my IC stock was stored like this. It was a pain in the butt due to 'fragmentation' - get some more parts but have run out of room on the relevant sheet? Now what? The paper envelopes in channels method almost completely eliminates fragmentation issues.
Oh, and if you decide to do something like this, buy a
lot of the envelopes. Because when you need more, it's very likely you won't be able to find exactly the same size & colour ones and that's f-ing annoying.
Parts drawer systems are impractical for ICs due to the large numbers of different varieties. Unless you have a lot of room space to waste on mostly empty storage drawers.
If you have to deal with ICs' in bulk, just leave them in the anti-static carrier tubes (or SMD rolls) and store the carriers in stackable plastic crates. For small quantities of SMD ICs in antistatic bags, group by type in suitable sized ziploc plastic bags, packed in stackable crates. Actually, get a stock of many sizes of ziplock bags, they are cheap and invaluable for all kinds of storage. Tiny ones for holding individual screws with note of sequence number and location during complex electronics disassemblies, up to big heavy duty ones for bulky component sets, car parts, and anything you want to store for a while without getting dusty.
There's stacks of those plastic containers full of envelopes upstairs, but I recently wanted to buy a few more. That form no longer available.