Those round flexible donut-like bobbin storage units ARE worth the price! You can see what you have, they won't spill if knocked over, and bobbins fit snugly enough not to unwind.
My mother has a wall with dowel posts where she stores the bobbin under the spool from which it was filled. You need lots more bobbins this way, and need to dust occasionally, plus the possibility of fading of rarely used colors. It surely does make it easy to find the right color for dressmaking.