Can someone recommend me a good (and big enough) bookcase to store my card albums?

Estil

Okay, as all of you no doubt already know, I'm a set run builder, and I ONLY collect complete sets. Right now I have a big walk in closet that I keep my cards in (and it's also my little office, if you can call it that), and there's a shelf I can store my Topps sets on, but I need a nice big inexpensive bookcase (<$100) to store my other sets, like Donruss, Fleer, and the like. I figure the shelves should be at least 50 inches wide, each shelf 15 inches high, and 12 inches deep; that will hold four stacks of four binders per shelf (I think). I've looked on the usual sites (Staples, Office Depot, and so on) but can't find any good ones. What do the rest of you (the ones that also store all your sets and such in binders/pages) recommend?

AlanAllen

Look for a used office supply warehouse in the phone book. I bought something similar to what you're seeking for $50, although that was 10 years ago . It's 36" wide, which is about the widest you'll find in a standard bookcase. 12" deep is perfect for card binders, and if you get one with adjustable shelves you can make it 15" high or whatever you end up needing. $100 will not get you what you're looking for unless you buy used.

Joe

Griffins

I'm a bit concerned about the width of your shelves. Binders with cards are heavy, and if you're going with an inexpensive unit it won't be super solid. The shelves are going to bow and in time break down. You would be better off with 2 units that are 24" wide, in order to improve strength.
Do you have an Ikea near you? They are inexpensive, and should fit your budget.

Edited to add-
closest thing I could find-$99.
Ikea shelf unit

krn001

Hi,
how about checking an estate sale where you might find real wooden bookshelves vs todays particle board crap that bends etc.
I lucked out 2 years ago when my boss was throwing out 3 custom made bookcases made of both solid oak & veneer, they even have base units with doors, the lumber alone would have cost 300.00 Amazing what people toss out.
Karl

Axtell

I had a similar problem, I wanted a good shelving unit but didn't want to break the bank as it was going into a closet. While it's not a bookcase per se, I did find exactly what I needed in this:



It's got 4 fully adjustable shelves, each shelf is rated at 500 lbs (I think?), and the shelves are perfectly deep to hold 3200 count boxes. For sets, the bars are such that you could sit the binders on them and they won't fall through, or, if you wanted to, you could grab some white shelf wood and cut shelving (but you don't need to).

These are really inexpensive ($55), and hold a ton of cards. It can hold 20 3200 count boxes and still have about 10" of storage on the shelf for odds and ends and what have you.


Link

Estil

You do understand I store my binders flat, not on their ends, right? If that had one or two more adjustable shelves that'd be perfect. I don't want to have more than four binders in a stack. Here's how I'd most likely want to store my sets on this (from top to bottom):

1. Ultra (1991-95), two Finest/Leaf Limited binders, 1952-54 Topps reprints, 1992-95 Fleer/Ultra insert sets
2. Fleer (1981-95)
3. Donruss (1981-92)
4. Score & Upper Deck sets (1988-92, 1989-93)

Then I could slip my two 5000 count boxes (where I keep my unopened packs) in that space on the bottom

Axtell

What size binders you working with?

Estil

<< <i>What size binders you working with? >>



The standard three inch spine binders with the D rings. They each hold b/t 660 to 800 cards depending on the size of the set.

Axtell

<< <i>

<< <i>What size binders you working with? >>



The standard three inch spine binders with the D rings. They each hold b/t 660 to 800 cards depending on the size of the set. >>



I don't think you'd be able to put more than 4 high on any one of those shelves. Overall height is 54", so figure 4 high per shelf would be perfect. Could easily put 2 stacks of 4 binders per shelf, hold 32 binders that way.

Webhead1968

I agree with the used office furniture store for a good quality book case or Office Max for a holiday sale for the best bang for your buck (if you don't mind pressed wood)!

MCMLVTopps

You may want to consider building your own bookcase. Construction would be pretty straight forward and require some basic woodworker tools. It's just 3 sides. You could use 1/4" plywood for the back, and your choice on the sides. Drilling a series of matching holes for support pins, spaced 3-4" apart along the insides of the left and right panels, will allow you easy adjustment to accomodate your needs. BTW, drilling the side supporting holes is easily done with a piece of pegboard as a guide. Just gotta be careful not to drill too deeply into the sides...placing a piece of tape on the drill bit at the correct depth will allow you to have consistent depth for the pins.

Staining to fit into your decor would be a snap. You could use MDF for the shelving, and sides. Besides, you get a sense of accomplishment and will enjoy your end product. Not likely you'll find exactly what you're looking for. Cheaper shelving will eventually sag with weight, as the shelving is comprised of a composite material as opposed to wood. If you're not into woodworking, perhaps chatting it up with your neighbors or friends will find a volunteer popping forward to help you. Construction shouldn't take more than a Saturday morning, if that. A trip to Home Depot, or Lowe's should find everything you need. Remember, they'll cut your pieces to length at no charge, so that eliminates the need for a table saw.

I built a display case for my 1955 Topps set. It holds 15 cards across, and has 14 rows. Just so happens 15x14 = 210, perfect for the 55 set. This set is all graded, so I put a 1/4" groove about 1/4" in from the front edge to support the slabs. I picked up the 4 missing cards for the set in PSA 9 (Ford, Musial, etc), so the set really looks sharp when displayed in all its glory.

GL.

rbdjr1

<< <i>You may want to consider building your own bookcase. GL. >>


Also, if you have a "Furniture in the Raw" outlet near u, go "take a peek" and see if they have (or can order) what u are looking for. (Look for "FITR sales", they offer good deals!)

Here is a link showing different bookcases from FITR (I think they can also do special custom orders?): Furniture In The Raw Bookcases

rd

edit: I bought a "raw" entertainment center/bookcase combo that was on sale from Furniture in the Raw here in the Palm Beaches, stained it and finished it myself. It looks great and saved some $$$.

Estil

Yes, those shelves look pretty good. Of course, I don't want (or need to) pay extra for fancy oak or any of those other fancy woods or whatnot. It just needs to get the job done. Plain and simple.