Cheap storage solutions?
 

Hi all,

I'm an avid collector who has amassed a collection of 1,600 DVDs/blu-rays and counting, and I just bought a house where I'll finally have a room exclusively for my library.

Only thing is, my old, crumbling particle board shelves were tossed in the move and now I've got nothing to hold my precious collection and an extremely limited budget. I'd love to construct built-ins with beautiful cherry wood or something but why do that when I can spend that money on more DVDs? :)

So I was wondering what some of you other folks do for a cost-effective way of storing your collections? Suggestions, comments and ideas welcome.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

track shelving...

http://i38.tinypic.com/2mw8ao5.jpg

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

Cheapest is to do your own shelving. Particle board stuff ends up being more expensive.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

We just bought four of these, with two extra shelves for each

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20134046

They look great.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

your budget can`t be that limited if you have 1600 movies :D
well, then again might be the reason why its suddenly limited :)

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

Yea, really the cheapest way to go is to build your own. Before i went out and bought shelves I had built my own. Wood is pretty cheep at places like Home Dept. It worked out great. But I moved and hadn't built the shelves in a way they could travel so sadly had to tear them down.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

If you have alot of dvds, you might also think about using binders.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

NONONONONONO! There is only one proper way to store a DVD and that is in a proper DVD case. Binders are nothing more than DVD scratches. In a proper DVD case the disc "floats" the only parts of the disc that should touch the case is the center and the very tip of the edge.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

If you get good binders this is not a problem. I use Targus binders in a 264 and 320 count. Right now I have about 3600 in the binders, some of which have been in going on four years. I have yet to find scratches caused by the binders. I have a lot more to put in since I have almost 5500 titles on over 7000 discs. At some point there just isn't enough wall space for shelves. I continue to display collectible sets and certain box sets, but when I get a new DVD if I open it and all that is inside is the disc, it goes straight into a binder. I do file away the cover art and any insert into file folders I keep in four banker boxes. The cases go into large plastic bags, then stored in the crawlspace under my house.

Don't be afraid of binders.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

I find that the Oskar storage shelves are cheap and effective.

Unfortunately, I need another one and they don't seem to be available in Canada any longer.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

Thanks for the advice, all.

Looks like track shelving/shelf standard is the way to go.

Not interested in binders, the idea is to have it displayed library-style to show it off. :)

And I'm by no means loaded—I'm just a humble newspaper journalist and I've been collecting since '98. Plus DVDs are my only "vice," so to speak. I'd imagine around 500 of my DVDs were obtained on the cheap via Columbia House or Big Lots.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

I'm converting all standard cases over the thin packs.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

I built my own but with limited space the shelving only holds 700 but that works for me as I dont have even 700 yet lol...

Question on the track shelving. For those of you that use it, how to you keep the dvd's from sliding back/sticking out where the vertical track is? Im liking the looks of them but just worried about them sliding. Also how do you keep them up on the side that isn't leaning against a wall. Thanks in advance.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

Doesn't this wreak havoc with the cover inserts?

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

It's only a few millimeters off each side, usually just blank space. I've run into a few where text or a fairly crucial part of the artwork bleeds into that space and I just end up leaving that alone. The Aqua Teen movie and Cloverfield are two that I can't convert for that reason.

Otherwise, when you pull the case off the shelf, you can see where a little bit of the spine artwork bleeds onto the front and back if it's a different color, but it's the spine on the shelf you're looking at 99% of the time, and most titles are still recognizable. Titles with double stacked text I don't bother with.

Some things I've done that I consider fairly clever: I took the standalone nuBSG miniseries disc, and the miniseries disc from the complete S1 boxset, and I put both in a clear double slim, with the artwork from the standalone disc turned around on the inside so it can be seen when the case is open. Also took the Razor bonus disc and put it in a double slim with the Razor from the S4.0 boxset.

I took my copy of The Ring 2 with the slipcover, put the movie in a slim case and the Walmart bonus disc in a slim case, and now they both fit into the slipcover.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

That should have been the end of the typing... The answer is yes! I understand needing room but any "solution" that leads to the destruction of the DVD or artwork is sacrilege.
I wish someone would create a DVD thin case that is 1/4inch wider (or whatever the exact measurement is) so that standard artwork could be inserted without having to cut or bend. This person would make a fortune off me alone. I would gladly buy a case per DVD I own to convert.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

Pretty much what Milo said.

Converting a 14mm standard case to a 7mm thin case means that you have to trim or fold 7mm.

99% of the time, you lose nothing important, although one could argue that nothing on the cover art is important, really.

And surprisingly, the spines stay completely readable, although there are a few that I haven't converted because the spine font was so large.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

#1 - Your (our) opinion is valid, but you do realize it is extreme, right? Valuing a few millimeters of black space on the sides of a piece of paper is pretty silly. Actually, many throw away the entire case and artwork. After all, the movie is the whole point, right?

#2 - You don't have to destroy anything to convert to a thin case. You simply fold the useless edges of the cover art over.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

As a COLLECTOR my point is not extreme, it is correct. Though if you are just someone with a lot of DVDs then sure destroy away, DVDs probably mean nothing to you.

Folding is destroying.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

DVDs mean nothing to someone who doesn't care about the blank edges of the cover art? Seriously? Lots of people throw away inserts, cover art, even the entire case and just keep the DVDs. I would never accuse them of being incorrect or less of a fan than a meticulous collector like myself.

I hold similar positions to you, but am willing to admit that they are extreme.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

This. Cuts down on the collections footprint dramatically.

I thought about binders for a little bit, but I ahd a bad experience with them years ago, and I couldnt bring myself to risk scratching all my dvds, so I went with the conversion, and couldnt be happier with the results.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

On a similar note, does anyone know of local stores that sell 2-disc slim cases, or is ordering online the only option?

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

I get mine from Staples. They are very good quality.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

If space isn't an issue, check WalMart -

They have the wood racks in black for $19.xx and they hold ~200 discs. I've literally gone through over half a dozen different types and these have held together nicely (I have 4 of them and some other shelves right now).

Atlantic makes some nice, tall metal shelves. The price changes quite a bit. Buy.com has it for $85:
http://www.buy.com/prod/atlantic-max...201645057.html
I've bought one as low as $59 but the 2nd one cost me $129. These are great if you don't have a lot of room. They claim to hold 450DVDs, but I have 500 on one (half blu/half DVD). They're a bit wobbly (and can come crashing), so I suggest securing it to a wall if possible (it includes hardware for this). Probably my favorite type just due to its large (tall) size - I have a lot of the smaller shelves and they just take up so much space as they're short and fat.

Re: Cheap storage solutions?
 

My wife had them back at her parents before we got married and I didn't like them. they were very "wobbly" or so I thought.