Show us your storage room!

[bart1927]

I know the topic on how to properly store your records has been brought up more than once. But since these topics consisted mostly of elaborate descriptions (and I am a very visual person) I would like to see pictures of how you all store your records.

Maybe I can get some inspiration from them. My collection is now approaching the magical 1000, so my trusted Ikea cabinets won't do anymore.

I'm thinking about a nice Lundia cabinet. I believe "jackpaynefan" on YouTube has several of those. The only problem with Lundia, however, is that the minimal shelf length is 50 cm, (about 20 inches), which may cause the records to lean against each other (even when I pack them tight), which may cause breakage or warping.

Right now my system looks like this. Only now I have much more records!

[1923VictorFan]

There's no room in my 560 square foot house to dedicate an entire room to my hobby. Here's how I store my small, Victor record collection. Nothing like the flash on the camera to reveal all of the spots where the black paint has flaked off.

[bart1927]

To be honest I don't have a separate room either, they're just in my living room. My whole apartment is 40 square meters, about 425 square foot (and that includes the bathroom).

[1926CredenzaOwner]

!

[bart1927]

I finally decided and bought a Lundia cabinet after all! The shelves are designed to hold 90 kg's each, so they should have no problem with my records. I took some time to completely level the cabinet (since my floor isn't exactly level), and just to be on the safe side I screwed it to the wall. As you can tell from the pictures there's still plenty of room for expansion. The cabinet currently holds about 900 records.

[Valecnik]

Tell me more about this Lundia cabinet. Looks like exactly what I need. I have two cabinets, equally as large as ½ of your Lundia but I only dare put records on the bottom three shelves, with some light spacers in between the records...

[bart1927]

Tell me more about this Lundia cabinet. Looks like exactly what I need. I have two cabinets, equally as large as ½ of your Lundia but I only dare put records on the bottom three shelves, with some light spacers in between the records...

These Lundia cabinets come in all shapes and sizes. Mine consists of 3 uprights of 188 cm and 14 shelves that are 50 cm wide and 30 cm deep. But you can choose between various sizes. They're made of solid whitewood. If you don't like the color they can paint it for you, or use a different kind of varnish. I also bought optional panels for the back and the uprights, to protect my records against dust. Also, the panel on the back helps to shear the cabinet.

They're not cheap though, Lundia is a Swedish company, but no Ikea! Then again, I wouldn't dare storing 1000+ records in a hardboard Billy cabinet.

[Henry]

I don't have a large collection, only 70 12" albums (incl. 3 Victor 10-record albums) and 40 10" albums (incl. 3 Victors and 8 generic storage albums). They're all shelved on two 31.5"-wide "Billy" bookshelves from IKEA. The 12" albums are on the bottom shelf, which is continuously supported underneath by the shelf base resting on the floor. The 10" albums (presumably somewhat lighter, but with shellac records "lighter" is definitely not the same as "light") are on the next shelf above the 12", so they aren't as well supported; even so, I haven't noticed any significant sagging (yet!). The remainder of my collection consists of single sides, stored either in the base cabinet of my XI, or in two partially-filled boxes from Bags Unlimited. I've stopped actively searching for "new" records to add to my collection; if I acquire many more albums, I'll have to start weeding out my book library, and then where's it all gonna end?

I think if I did add more albums, I'd consider going to the narrower (23.5") "Billys." I think there is yet an even narrower "Billy," something on the order of the beautiful Lundia shelving in Bart's photo, if the weight-to-linear ratio needs to be improved.

[bart1927]

I don't have a large collection, only 70 12" albums (incl. 3 Victor 10-record albums) and 40 10" albums (incl. 3 Victors and 8 generic storage albums). They're all shelved on two 31.5"-wide "Billy" bookshelves from IKEA. The 12" albums are on the bottom shelf, which is continuously supported underneath by the shelf base resting on the floor. The 10" albums (presumably somewhat lighter, but with shellac records "lighter" is definitely not the same as "light") are on the next shelf above the 12", so they aren't as well supported; even so, I haven't noticed any significant sagging (yet!). The remainder of my collection consists of single sides, stored either in the base cabinet of my XI, or in two partially-filled boxes from Bags Unlimited. I've stopped actively searching for "new" records to add to my collection; if I acquire many more albums, I'll have to start weeding out my book library, and then where's it all gonna end?

I think if I did add more albums, I'd consider going to the narrower (23.5") "Billys." I think there is yet an even narrower "Billy," something on the order of the beautiful Lundia shelving in Bart's photo, if the weight-to-linear ratio needs to be improved.

That's how I started. I also have 3 Billy's, and kept the records on the bottom shelf. But I've read somewhere that those Billy's are designed to carry a maximum of 15 kg per shelf. Also, the problem with Billy is not even the shelves themselves, but the metal pins they're resting on. Put a little too much pressure on a shelf, and the pins just break loose from the holes they're stuck in. Considering the amount of money I've spent on my collection I decided it would be penny wise pound foolish to skimp on a cabinet. My parents have Lundia cabinets against every wall in their house and they're still solid as rocks after 30+ years.

[Henry]

My parents have Lundia cabinets against every wall in their house and they're still solid as rocks after 30+ years.

Yep, as my old daddy used to say, "You only buy a good tool once." The sides of the Billy are "flakeboard," so they really don't have much vertical strength. One could reinforce the shelves by screwing wooden cleats underneath each shelf end, so no weight at all bears on the pins, which could then be removed altogether. Alternatively, you could support the ends (and the middle, too) by simply standing 11" or 13" squares of wood (for 10" and 12" records, respectively) flat up against the sides of the bookshelf so that the shelf above is fully supported at the ends and and middle. You could use ordinary plywood, painted or finished to match, hiding the end grain with thin wood strips glued on. This would make a nice weekend project for the DIYer.

Or you could spend a bundle and buy something better!