I'd been playing New Vegas for some weeks when it occured to me that maybe things like pilot lights were useful for something other than selling them for money. I went to the wiki and found that they were, and that I could install five add ons that utitilized them. I added all five add ons, each of which gave me additional items to the ones I was already carrying, like heavy weapons. So where does it all go?? Earlier I used a mail box. Is that a good idea? I've all used the courier service box then didn't pick the items up until I needed them. So where do I put items I don't want to sell? And which items other than books should be sold off? I'm getting the feeling even empty bottles can be converted into bottle rockets.

There are options:

I just settled down in the house across the store in Nipton. It has the least blood. Plus, there's a workbench in another house and across from it is a house with a reloading bench. I've stored my stuff in the various closets (gear and food in my home, crafting stuff in the other house, there are two cabinets next to the workbench and reloading stuff in the 3rd house). I basically had the whole town for myself.

I never lost anything, you can safely store stuff in the various cabinets.

Or yea, use the Lucky 38 housing.

Early on I like to use the two dumpster's outside Chet's store in Goodsprings. There is a Mojave Express Box next to them, so when you get overloaded you can ship stuff back too.

Victor's house is another good place, several storage options in there too. Plus the bed and water if you are playing in hardcoe mode.

I use one of the boxes in the trailer behind the Goodsprings Tavern until I get Boone in the party at Novac, and have a hotel room to use.

I had a real bad experience with a lot of my stuff that I stored at the Lucky 38 just outright vanishing - part of it was non-replaceable like special weapons and things you only get once in the game.

I have left stuff in the box in that trailer until 40 level ups later, and still found it ready to move to the hotel in Novac.

Something I like about the hotel room is that the chest at the foot of the bed gets all the extra weapons, the dresser by the refrigerator gets all the clothing and armor, the fridge is used for aid items, misc goes into the wardrobe next to the safe, and the safe gets the extra ammo - so it's all very well organized.

All I have to do is go around the room once to unload and restock whatever I have to, Boone and ED-E I unload as soon as we get in the door.

Vic's shack in Goodsprings, gas station there is good as well. Store your [censored] near courier boxes to transfer it elsewhere.

For Primm I recomend the safe behind of the courier office; its in the rubble. Close to the box so you can scout the area for [censored].

Novac is an obvious one.

Out near the Khans I recomend near their safe house/ammunition dump store. Even if you don't ally with them you can leave them alone or kill them for a good drop spot to scout from.

Out east you've a few areas. I'd recomend the NCR ranger station as one; easly to stay protected or salt the earth with their bodies. Alternatively Raul's shack.

Honestly if you're not sure drop some random [censored], such as nuka bottles, in the container & wait for a week to two weeks. If nothing happens its good too use.