Rack/shelf for albums - suggestions please

If you have Ikea nearby - the Expedit shelf is great, and inexpensive.

Go metal - Billy Bags.
Will hold 1,000 LP's without breaking a sweat.
Usually about $850-$900 here on the gon, but you'll have to find one locally.
I have both his LP & CD racks & swear by them.
You'll get what you pay for & if your LP collection grows - You'll be set for life!
There are 2 here now
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/stands-billy-bags-8248-lp-rack-2012-09-02-accessories-92532-lake-elsinore-ca

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/stands-billy-bags-lp-stand-2012-09-03-accessories-35242

I use one of these (you can see it in my system link photo):

wire cube rack

The Expedit looks nice also, since I might need more shelving soon and woodish rack looks more sturdy...

Another vote for the Expedit. Can't be beat at the price, and it looks much better than metal shelves, imo. Mine has served me very well for over a year now.

+ 1 for the Expedit. I wish I could be as happy with all of my purchases!
Don

I recommend the Ikea Expedit as well

FWIW - I tried ULINE steel shelving. I went to Home Depot, bought good quality wood planking, cut it, stained it, and placed it on the the steel shelves. The project was economical and accommodated all of my stereo equipment and two shelves of LPs.

http://www.uline.com/BL_3921/Black-Wire-Shelving#72wire

Thanks for the suggestions. Can the Expedit hold up to all the weight - fully loaded with albums? Or, will it sag, distort?
Thanks Paul

If you google "Expedit records" you will see many pictures of the shelf full of records and toppled over. It probably has a lot to do with the size you get, how full of LPs yo pack it, and whether you attach it to the wall or not. I wouldn't doubt that some of the toppled over Expedits were never screwed to the wall. From the Expedit product specifications:

"This furniture must be secured to the wall with the enclosed anti-topple device.
Different wall materials require different types of fasteners. Use fasteners suitable for the walls in your home (not included)."

I'm probably going to get some of these, but I'll definitely fasten them to the wall and I might even reinforce the shelves depending on how well (or poorly) built they are.

The expedit is fine and will hold LPs no prob but yes you do need to attach to the wall. I bought one and repainted it in a few different colors and replaced a couple of the shelves with walnut it looks awesome and you can't even buy the raw materials as cheap as the whole ikea unit sells for. I just found out that what I'm doing is a common thing called Ikea hacking. I was just looking in there and they sell a 4 ft wide x 4 ft height in gloss grey for 150 I think it was

my Expedit shelve are loaded full, absolutely no sagging. The cubes are the perfect size for LPs too.

Look for the 6+ foot tall bookcases that sell seasonally at Sam's Club. Adjustable shelves and deep enough for LPs. I have two. They house most of my 3500 albums. If you shoot me an email, I'll take pics for you.

I built my own racks out of 12" pine, screwed together, screwed to the wall, using simple 1x4 as cleats. I put vertical dividers every few feet across each level to prevent sagging. I gave it all a light sanding but didn't finish it otherwise. It took a weekend of my time, but it's sturdy, smells piney fresh, and looks great in my storage closet. It looks a lot like what you might see at a used record store. Nothing fancy--just built it to fit as I went along, alot like the closets were done in older homes by carpenters before we had built in storage systems. I estimate it could hold 800-1000 lps. Total cost was about 50 bucks. I could take some pics if you want to see. Good luck!

I think close to $1,000 for a used record rack is nuts. You can get a decent equipment rack for that money. In addition, thin and cold metal just does not seem right for the warmth I associate records with. But to each their own.

My Expedit is not attached to the wall, but I did put a few shims under it so that it is flush against the wall. I can't imagine this shelf could topple unless someone puts only its side against the wall rather than the back. Doubtless, securing it to the wall is always a good idea.

check out tonys woodshop.

+++ Expedit. What a deal

I use LP Storage racks from Wood Technology Corp. They're available from Audio Advisor, or direct from the manufacturer (wood-tech.com).

I wanted to go the Expedit route, but I don't have an Ikea store locally and shipping from Chicago was more than the racks themselves.

Expidit is a great way to go. Use a little wood glue on both ends of the shelf wood pegs when you assemble the shelf unit and the collapse you see on some Internet pictures will not happen.

Gothic furniture

http://www.gothiccabinetcraft.com/products/LP-Record-Tower%2C-14-Shelf-w%7B47%7D-Base-.html

The IKEA shelving is crap.

If you're still looking, we might be of help. We are a husband and wife furniture company located in Chicago. Our niche is audio and component storage. We have standard designs, but offer custom work as well. We give you a functional piece of furniture for your LP storage and the pricing is on par with Crate & Barrel and Room & Board.

www.BrokenpressDesign.com

If you're still looking, we might be of help. We are a husband and wife furniture company located in Chicago. Our niche is audio and component storage. We have standard designs, but offer custom work as well. We give you a functional piece of furniture for your LP storage and the pricing is on par with Crate & Barrel and Room & Board.

www.BrokenpressDesign.com

http://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/systems/10364/11465/11703/
I use the Ikea IVAR system. Adjustable, sturdy and no sagging. It us solid pine and finishes easily if you want. I used a quick coat of shellac to finish mine. Oh, cheap too. I use the 12 inch wide shelves for records as that gives me dividers every foot. They are 2 depths: 12 and 18 inches. Perfect!