I have most of my lamps in clear plastic totes and I still can't find anything without performing a major archeological dig !

Before I kick the bucket, I'll take my collection out back and blow it up!

@BT25 so you saying if YOU dont go out with a bang your lamps will

Is it really a collection if I use them?

I mostly have incandescents and fluorescent tubes that get to be used around the house. I have replaced some of the 2 and 4 ft T12s with T8s I got either as gift or picked up from sidewalks, so the T12 stock lasts some more. I also keep low voltage incandescents for some desk lamps but those are also in use.

Then there's the odd pieces like metal halide, HPS or mixed bulbs I keep in boxes because they're nice. There's also unused CFLs, LED retrofits for spots or floodlights but they're not really that great when it comes to their sole purpose... which is illuminating. The LED retrofits for halogen/MH floodlights are terrible and super dim compared to the original bulbs.

I will turn mine into artifacts when it's my time, bury the lamps into the ground with a box. Some decades later it will surely become a museum piece.
Or I will just sell them or give them away, this is easier .

Before I kick the bucket, I'll take my collection out back and blow it up!

No, don't do that..! 

You've got some wonderful rarities, they deserve to be preserved..! Sadly I think we'll go before you, or I'd say we'll have them, but we haven't really got the room anyway 

@Rommie: I'm joking  ...I'd rather pass it on too...preferably a museum of some sort.
The Smithsonian doesn't display their rare lamps from what I've heard...I'm not giving mine to them...not that they'd take them anyway!

If you really wanted to blow them up, you could always send them to Photon 

 Yep!