Organizing my detail parts

Whenever I am building a model or working on my layout and I want to add extra details, I first turn to my parts bins. I am probably obsessive compulsive when it comes to this, but I really like my things sorted neatly. For that, I turn to those plastic bins with the movable dividers on the inside. When I found the brand I liked (some don't have enough dividers, some are too small, some don't latch securely) I waited for a sale and then I bought a dozen throughout the tri-county region. Then, I sorted my stuff into bins.

I have one for my HO scale detail parts, such as figures, barrels, tools, vehicles, etc. I have the same for my N scale detail parts (which sometimes pass for HO scale parts when required). A third holds my HO scale train parts like metal wheels, brake details, couplers, etc. Separate containers hold electical parts and components, On30 parts, miniature metal nuts and bolts, and other random things.

When it comes to window and door castings, inevitably I need something I don't have a good substitute for. I don't maintain an inventory but instead buy what I need and hope that whatever leftovers that go into the bins will be useful in the future. I keep the paper package labels and attach them to the dividers so I remember what they are. 

It takes a lot of diligence to keep up the system. But, I have found that just dumping everything into one big parts box doesn't save me time because I can't remember what I have. I spend more time digging through pieces of sprues when I could be focusing on modeling. And, I really enjoy listening to a football game on the radio while sitting at my workbench clipping leftover parts from sprues. 

Everything is saved for "someday". And when you are superdetailing a model and needs lots of interior details... "stuff"... they are perfect. At HO or N scale, who can really tell what the little bits are? Diesel M.U. parts become small tools and boxes, N scale barrels became some HO scale garbage cans, N scale parts become HO scale toys for houses. And garages and scrapyards always need junk of any kind. Never throw anything away! Besides, what is easier to use: the storage bins or the pile of stuff shown above?