Saw a garage sale setup in Phoenix that made me rethink my own storage

Wesley Hart · 2026-04-21T08:30:05.702001+00:00

They had all their tools hung on a single pegboard wall, but every single item was outlined in black marker. It looked messy but I bet they never lose a socket. Has anyone tried that outline method and actually kept up with it?

casey_barnes5mo ago

My dad did that, but with paint.

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seth_carr5mo ago

Paint sounds way better than marker. That marker outline method always seemed like a lot of work to keep neat.

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tara_palmer4mo ago

Four years ago my neighbor in Tempe outlined all his wrenches in red spray paint and it still looks exactly the same today. It connects to something bigger I notice everywhere - people either overthink storage or they don't think at all. The outline trick forces you to put things back exactly where they go, no guessing. Same reason restaurant kitchens have those shadow boards for knives and pans. If you can see the shape of what's missing you catch it way faster than digging through a drawer.

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