Rule: Contain and Climate-Proof.
Tool: For storage, use waterproof plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes, which won't hold up to the average cellar's mushroom-friendly climate. Besides, "cardboard boxes are just ugly," says Karen Curtis, owner of Staged 2 Sell, a Salt Lake City home-beautification company. Rubbermaid Roughneck boxes ($3 to $7 each, www.rubbermaid.com) come in several sizes and colors.