LP Storage Furniture ideas?

I need to buy storage for my LPS and BOLTZ.com has some nice looking, but expensive units.

Do people have links to storage furniture that can compete with the boltz stuff? I'd like it to look like "REAL" furniture and not storage untis that look like they are made for the garage.

Here's the unit I am thinking about ordering (using the 20% off code): http://www.boltz.com/productinfo.asp?item=LP-3612-4&deptcode1=502

 

I bought a wonderful unit but it was a million years ago. It's teak-like but real sturdy.
I bought it from an office furniture company. Picture a piece that an attorney might use to stack his or her laws books on. Holds over a thousand LP's.

Good luck

Peace-
Norm

 

Musicdirect has a storage system http://www.amusicdirect.com
here is another. http://www.rackittm.com/cat.html
Ikea has a nice piece also, I own one myself. It is made by Bonde and very well built with perfect spacing, 15" deep, cost $149, very good price for a nice piece of furniture.
http://www.ikea-usa.com/webapp/wcs/...=16826&langId=-1&parentCats=10104*10173*10407

 

I picked up last week the Ikea Expedit (after reading so many raves about it here) and I couldn't be happier. This piece is so vinyl friendly. I finally have the opportunity to keep all of my collection together and it does look damn good. I highly recommend it.

Ikea Expedit

 

That looks like a nice storage unit there, Todd!!!

I have my LP's in the white LP boxes you get from Bags Unlimited. There the thick sturdy kind. I store the boxes on those large restaurant type wire racks. You can get them at most home improvement type stores, Home Depot, etc. It works for me, anyway!

 

I have the Music Direct shelves and I love them, best I have ever seen or used. Expandable as you collection grows.

 

I need to find one of those...my vinyl is out of control right now...

 

Michael, go for it. I really think you'll be happy with the results. With the Expedit, there are no problems with vinyl Box-sets either (except if it's way out of control on the extra large size in dimensions).

Todd

 

I'll keep an eye out, Todd!

 

I've been eyeing these storage units:

http://www.tonyswoodshop.com/

 

I've gotta laugh at some of the more expensive high-end LP-storage units, and you know who they are. Comes out to about $2 per LP, more than I've paid for my entire collection, on average.

I got my racks at a store called "Hold Your Own" - they are metal wire racks that fit on metal poles at each corner. The shelf height can be adjusted to almost anything. There are sturdy cardboard or fiberrboard "bottoms" that go on the wire racks, and wire end pieces that keep your records from falling over. Very sturdy, and not expensive. Sorry, can't find a link on their web site.

 

It has been my experience that if you keep your collection in one of the main rooms of your home (like I do) you have to remember TWF (the wife factor). Most high-end storage units are really furniture that is used to store LP's. The ones that I have from MD are comparable in price to Boltz, however, they look great (TWF) and at least they were actually designed by the guys at MD so they really work for LP storage.

 

You're right. I am lucky enough to have mine in a large closet, so this wasn't a huge consideration. I certainly wasn't slamming the MD racks (I don't remember what they look like) but the expensive AND ugly ones. If mine were out in the open, I wouldn't hesistate to spend some money on something that looks nice.

 

A link right to the MD racks: http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AMD-150MAPLE

 

Yeah! But what do you with your other 8,000 LPS?
JG

 

Ship 'em to my house for storage!



Sean

 

Tood, how many LPs does it hold? Looks nice. Have to see if IKEA Calgary has one.

 

I have the same Ikea unit as Todd for housing some of my vinyl ( the rest is in another Ikea shelf and a custom made cabinet. The Ikea unit is great, very sturdy and will hold about 1200 LPs.

 

I have the largest one which is 6'x6' (25 shelves). It can hold 2,200 albums. I've got around 1,400 or so in there (first 3 rows).

 

This was always a problem for me. Seems like no matter what
I bought - it would eventually run out of holding capacity - or
it wasn't strong enough to meet my needs.

Vinyl weighs a LOT.

I'm still sad about losing a prized copy of Marvin Gaye's "Hello
Broadway" CD when a shelf collapsed on me in 1992. That's
a cd I have yet to find a replacement for :-(


Anyway, in 1996, I got a bonus in work and I invested about
$2,000 in something called Skandia shelving.

It's the best thing they sell at a place called "The Container
Store"... not sure you have them in San Diego - but this
web page might tell you.


http://www.thecontainerstore.com/browse/index.jhtml?CATID=13385


You might find something similar at IKEA but it will probably
fail on a few counts:

1.) Not as attractive (doesnt pass "the wife factor" test)
2.) Not as strong
3.) Not as modular


I've got too many albums to count (I always say "3,000"
but the reality is its easier to measure in inches - not LP
units).

I bought 40" inches x 5 shelves x 2 sections

plus

20 inches x 5 shelves for LPs.

I've got 40" inches x 2 shelves of laserdiscs.

20 inches x 5 shelves x 2 corner sections for CDs

plus two more sections that hold a
turntable, a reel to reel deck, a CD-recorder,
a S-VHS deck, a minidisc recorder, two bookshelf
speakers, a bunch of wife approved "nick nack"
type stuff, a computer, a computer monitor
and keyboard, a printer, and a cassette deck.


All of the above basically hugs one entire wall
in the room, goes down for window, and then
returns up to the ceiling again, where it then
makes a turn in the corner and starts growing
along another wall.


In addition, I also have a desk that is integrated
into the thing. It sticks out about 5 feet and
has two drawers....


It might sound like overkill - but it really solved
a problem - and I've got room to grow if needed.


Plus the stuff is strong. I was won over when
they showed a photo of 10 people sitting on
one of the shelves


I will say, however, that I did have one shelf
disaster - but it was because I put it in upside
down. So its strength was compromised
by the weak link (my stupidity).


In any case - Ive been very happy with it
even though at the time I felt like a bit of
a nut spending that much money.

I can say if I ever move - ill be kissing the
ground that skandia walks on because this
stuff is very easy to tear down and set back
up (in a completely different configuration
if need be).


Good luck. And make sure you ask yourself
how much of a problem this really is before
you decide on the right solution.


In my case, if I was a carpenter, I might have
been able to construct something similar.
But I'm not - and I'm not unhappy with
what I got...


Oh - and I don't recommend going with 40"
shelves for LPs... They do bow. They're
cheaper per inch of storage space than the
32" or 20" shelves - but the bowing made
me nervous and I traded them in for 32"s
after I had the upside down shelf problem.

There's no way in hell anythings collapsing
now. It looks sturdy as a rock - and I went
through shelf by shelf and made sure they
were all on the brackets correctly.

 

I just looked at the boltz thing.


Thats MUCH more pricey than what I paid.

I solved three problems simultaneously:

1.) storage shelves
2.) stereo component shelves
3.) office furniture


And I think the boltz thing would have cost
approx twice as much for JUST LP storage.

Plus, I'm really not sure steel will meld
with a room as easily as blonde wood .


But thats just me


The best thing is to measure out exactly
what you need... in my case, I also left
room for growth - and some room just for
womanly stuff... the top of my whole thing
for example has 101 dalmations spread
all down the line - with a nice statue
of the fab four greeting the dogs in the
corner Plus I had a nice place to
add the Yellow Submarine dolls when they
came out a few years back

I wish I had a picture scanned in.

I promise guests to our home don't give
that funny look when they see it.

 

1) I have a Bonde bookcase from Ikea and it is very nice. I shopped around at many "attractive" furniture stores for months on end trying to find something "attractive".
2) It is stronger than anything I've seen, each shelf has a center support so it holds approx. 35 LP's.
3) Sorry, wrong on all 3 counts.

OH, and may I add that it cost a whopping $169. Each bookcase will hold up to 600 LP's.

 

I'm using Peg-Lok System solid wood shelves purchased at Home Depot. They can be easily assembled by hand. No tools are required. Since the components are made of solid wood, there is no concern of them giving way to the heavy records. There are a few minor drawbacks:

1. There are no vertical dividers. This is not a problem for me because all shelves are full.

2. There are no back panels/stops. I place them ~2" from the walls so no worry of records falling through the back.

3. Each support rail takes up 2 7/8" of vertical space.

4. There will be ~4" of unused vertical space at each level of shelf. But this also makes it possible to put shipping boxes in them with ease.

In each system I assembled with the components in the attached images (2 X vertical sides, 8 X support rails, 4 X shelves, and 16 X pegs) there are three 33 1/4" wide shelves plus a top on which I place records stored in boxes with the open side facing the front. IIRC the cost of parts for each was about $70. The total on the manufacturer's web site is ~$88 before shipping. It could be inflation but Home Depot probably has better prices.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with this. The expedit is ikea-style modern (which may not match your decor, but will mostly go well with other hi-fi, racks etc), is built as strong as you could want (I admit that other ikea furniture fails in this regard), &, while not being exactly modular, is perfectly constructed for LPs, allowing approx 90 in each of 25 compartments, with no leaning.
I would recommend tacking 2 large sheets of cardboard to the back to help withn dust.

John