Always Running Out of Shelf Space

[DK1105]

As a collector I'm always adding new games and hardware to my collection. The problem is I seem to always be running out of space and having to reorganize everything just to place a few new games. I have gotten quite good at optimizing space while having everything still look nice but I don't think I can move much more around to "find" space. I have also ran out of space in my gaming room for more shelves.

What are some of your storage solutions and horror stories?

[TRM]

For the longest time, all of my games were stashed in cardboard boxed places on top of my closet. This was a decent limit, and it felt as if the sky were the limit. I would grab some shipping boxes at the grocery store every time I went, and the boxes of games and stuff just kept growing higher and higher...

One day I was browsing on Nintendo Age and decided that I had all of these great games too, but hated how they were displayed. So after thinking about it for a few months, and spending my paycheck cash on games, I decided one day to go for it and bought some bookshelves or cubbies, with doors on them to keep out the sunlight. Financially, this option was fairly cheap (about $25 each), and I bought two diy kits and put the shelves together.

After placing my goods on the shelves, I came to realize that I didn't have nearly enough space. So I bought another shelf, and eventually got four of them. Yet, once again, I am almost out of space and this time I don't have room for another shelf.

Things I have thought about doing:

-Selling some of the stuff that doesn't fit in well with my collecting goals (already did this somewhat)
-Buy another shelve and put it somewhere else in the house (not the best idea, but it is acceptable)
-Put the extras back on top of the closet in boxes
-Double stack the items on certain shelves, where double stacking is possible

None of these ideas are really great ones, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, if you want to have a decent-sized collection.

[Camp]

Buy more shelves.

[Aussie2B]

Story of my life. It's tough to get the perfect balance. I like everything to be displayed nicely, but I also don't like looking at patches of empty space on shelves so I want things to be filled out nicely too. Then new stuff comes in and things have to get shuffled. But now I have more stuff than my current number of bookcases and CD towers can contain in a pleasing way. It won't be a problem when I move, I'm sure, but until then, I have to make do. I've been forced to put stuff two rows deep on some shelves, which sucks on multiple levels because it makes the back row tough to access and it's hidden from sight. On other shelves, I have things lying across the top of the row, which is better than two stacked rows, but it's not so aesthetically pleasing and I really do prefer storing games vertically (better for the manuals and what have you). Having two rows on some shelves also eliminates the possibility of displaying figures in front of the games, which I like to do, and with all the figures I have, that means I'm running out of space for them too. Of course, this is not even getting into all the stuff that isn't on a bookshelf or CD tower. I've got drawers, boxes, and plastic containers loaded up with stuff, and larger boxes for systems and limited editions stacked in heaps on multiple closet shelves.

[xelement5x]

Storage solution was a couple IKEA bookcases, and then I put shelving over the walls as well. Boxed hardware is displayed along the top, with games breaking down onto other shelves below in a more organized manner. The only odd one out was laserdiscs really, so I bought some storage boxes and keep them in the corner.

[Tanooki]

Earlier this year I went overkill using 200 out of a tax check and ordered this triple area almost 6ft tall propac black storage shelf. It's not really deep, enough basically for a SNES or NES game to fit flush wiht no stick out (ie: CD/DVD size.) 21 shelves, lots of pegs, a composite wood construction thing and the base is only a foot deep, the body less. I know you can fit almost an entire NES cart collection to it, perhaps all if you don't do unlicensed. I've got around 325 games up on the thing between a few systems and not 1/2 is loaded and I have other fun junk sitting on top.

My only storage issue is with my vintage toy collection that has grown some since moving back to KY as you can find them at flea markets easy, some where the prices aren't acting like they're toy experts from watching too much American Pickers. :)

[wiggyx]

^^^ Don't feel too bad. I think I'm at about $700+ for all the shelving that I've built. I can't even imagine how much I would have spent if I had purchased that much storage in pre-made units :(



As a collector I'm always adding new games and hardware to my collection. The problem is I seem to always be running out of space and having to reorganize everything just to place a few new games. I have gotten quite good at optimizing space while having everything still look nice but I don't think I can move much more around to "find" space. I have also ran out of space in my gaming room for more shelves.

What are some of your storage solutions and horror stories?

MAKE MOAR!!!

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k99/wiggyx/Game%20Stuff/panoramam1-14-2013.jpg~original

But seriously, I just build shelving into the wall. Though it'll eventually fill up, I can just cut into another wall...

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k99/wiggyx/null_zpsb0114c63.jpg~original
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k99/wiggyx/null_zpsb8b75723.jpg~original

Which is exactly what I ended up doing :P

[ProjectCamaro]

I have also ran out of space in my gaming room for more shelves.


Buy more shelves.

I don't think that'll work.

[Atarileaf]

Buy more shelves.

Too easy - buy a bigger house - that's actually what I just did. Not for a bigger game room mind you, but it is a nice bonus :D