Best free boxes for storing 78's?

[eighteenbelow]

Greetings. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have undertaken the daunting task of organizing and ultimately cataloging my collection of 78's, which numbers somewhere in the thousands and continues to grow. I bought almost all of these in large lots and have no idea what I have, but fortunately I have a large basement and several large tables (thanks, Goodwill!) to help me sort and organize. I have bought some boxes from Bags Unlimited for discs that have already been cataloged and put in sleeves, but I don't want to spend that kind of $$ on boxes for records I haven't yet cataloged; at the same time, I do want to keep all my discs boxed and sorted (by label and/or acoustic/electric) until I get around to cataloging them.

Thus my question: What are the best kinds of free boxes one can use to temporarily (perhaps for years) store 78's? I always assumed that the liquor store was a good source for such boxes, because in my experience liquor boxes are fairly strong; but recently I've come to understand that not all booze boxes are created equal, and have had some disappointments. (At least they were free.) Milk crates, of course, are not free, and the ones you can buy in stores (as opposed to steal from a dairy, as friends used to do in college) are flimsy; wooden crates are expensive. Most boxes I have found at my local supermarket and office supply store are weak.

I need A LOT of free boxes. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[52089]

I don't have specific recommendations that you can find easily, but I found that the styrofoam containers used to ship frozen steaks are usually a good option for holding 78s.

You can also try searching your local Craigslist for free boxes. In my area, there are usually several listings on any given day. They are mostly larger moving boxes, but sometimes people have a bunch of Amazon boxes they just want to give away instead of recycling them.

[Inigo]

I've lately been thinking about pizza cardboard boxes for holding up to 6-8 sleeved 78s. They seem to be the right size to use, instead of albums.

[epigramophone]

Most of my records are stored in heavy duty wooden shelf units, divided by pigeon holes of about 14 inches square and secured to the wall, just in case......
The units were bought locally and cheaply on eBay. They probably started life as school lockers, from which the doors had been removed.

[poodling around]

Most of my records are stored in heavy duty wooden shelf units, divided by pigeon holes of about 14 inches square and secured to the wall, just in case......
The units were bought locally and cheaply on eBay. They probably started life as school lockers, from which the doors had been removed.

That sounds very good. How did you attach them to the wall I wonder ?

[OrthoSean]

I'm lucky to work in a place where we get hundreds of boxes daily with equipment and tools in daily. Boxes for almost any use are at my disposal, thankfully.

I save the boxes we get copy paper in, they're relatively heavy duty, they have lids and you can fill them with ten inch 78s easily, but I wouldn't recommend using the little carrying handle holes they have built in. Carry them by the bottom. I'd bet one box can hold at least 150-200 discs, they come in handy for exactly what you're looking for - storing on a table top and easy to flip through. I wouldn't stack them on top of one another though. I know other use milk crates for that - I use those for moving collections when I've bought them in the past, but I think this last huge one I dragged home a couple of years ago will be my last. Too much work at this point when I'm beginning to downsize.

Sean

[epigramophone]

Most of my records are stored in heavy duty wooden shelf units, divided by pigeon holes of about 14 inches square and secured to the wall, just in case......
The units were bought locally and cheaply on eBay. They probably started life as school lockers, from which the doors had been removed.

That sounds very good. How did you attach them to the wall I wonder ?

Heavy duty wall plugs and screws. My record/hobbies/work room was one third of a brick built triple garage, now converted into a double garage with a heated and insulated room attached, enabling me to work and play whatever the weather is doing. A sign on the door reads "Grandad's Den, Keep Out".

I have installed a wireless remote controlled door chime so that my wife can call me in at meal times .

[gramophone-georg]

Greetings. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have undertaken the daunting task of organizing and ultimately cataloging my collection of 78's, which numbers somewhere in the thousands and continues to grow. I bought almost all of these in large lots and have no idea what I have, but fortunately I have a large basement and several large tables (thanks, Goodwill!) to help me sort and organize. I have bought some boxes from Bags Unlimited for discs that have already been cataloged and put in sleeves, but I don't want to spend that kind of $$ on boxes for records I haven't yet cataloged; at the same time, I do want to keep all my discs boxed and sorted (by label and/or acoustic/electric) until I get around to cataloging them.

Thus my question: What are the best kinds of free boxes one can use to temporarily (perhaps for years) store 78's? I always assumed that the liquor store was a good source for such boxes, because in my experience liquor boxes are fairly strong; but recently I've come to understand that not all booze boxes are created equal, and have had some disappointments. (At least they were free.) Milk crates, of course, are not free, and the ones you can buy in stores (as opposed to steal from a dairy, as friends used to do in college) are flimsy; wooden crates are expensive. Most boxes I have found at my local supermarket and office supply store are weak.

I need A LOT of free boxes. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Banker's boxes.

That said... just remember the old adage that "you get what you pay for".

Wait, or was that "You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"?

[PeterF]

Depending upon what type and level of access and portability you require, a good solution I’ve found are the US Postal Service priority mail boxes, that measure 11” w x 8.5” d x 6” h. Assemble one end and tape it, then fold the other side’s flaps inside. It is perfect for 10” discs, strong and stable, and big enough to hold a good number but not a back breakingly heavy amount. Plus the 6” height lends itself to being able to flip through the records easily.

Otto is happy to show you how he guards such boxes of records.

[travisgreyfox]

I keep my records in free usps boxes but I keep my main "listening" records in a walmart shelf with cloth style boxes. I am careful not to overload the top shelves though.