Storage options

Re: Storage options

I have plenty of room. I'll PM you my address.

Seriously though, places like spinkeeper.com has some nice cabinets that hold several hundred but I don't know about 3000.

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Have you considered shrinking?.........(hmmmm.....This sounds like when a doctor asks you, have you considered surgery!!)

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A few years ago when I moved, I put all of my DVDs into those cd sleeve notebooks, put all the inserts into a large shoebox, and stuffed the cases into garbage bags that now reside in my parents' basement 1200 miles away. I keep thinking "someday when I have room, I'll put up lots of shelves and get everything back in cases," but who knows when that'll be.

Having the discs in those notebooks isn't as cool or convenient as having everything out on shelves, but in all honesty, it's not that bad.

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I have the same problem. I have too many to count Staples document storage boxes (the kinds with the lids) filled with DVDs, and stacked six or seven high, two deep, to the ceiling in a few places around my place.

Not only that, but have stacks elsewhere. Can't even look in my display cabinet as it is overfilled. I'm hoping to move to a bigger place soon, but until then, this is the only thing to do.

I keep going through, trying to thin them out, sell some at Amazon, but I can't find any.

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Search "FELLOWES 90684 120 Hanging CD/DVD Drawer" @ Amazon.com.

Push button, lockable, neat, clean -- and takes up 1/5 of the space. I keep the multi-disc sets and anthologies in a spearate cabinet. I like the cases but they're too bulky. You'll get over it after a little while. I did.

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That's pretty cool, but a lot pricier than the notebooks when you have a big library. With shipping, it's almost $35 for storage of 120 discs.

I usually buy the huge wallets that hold well over 200 discs apiece for under $20 at discount stores like Marshalls and Ross.

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That's true but some stores carry them. I went online because I had a gift card. I actually bought a couple that held 80 discs at Best Buy. They don't carry them anymore, though.

The easiest (and cheapest) method is definitely the wallets. My dad had hundreds of discs and put them into 4 huge wallets for his motor home.

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Are you talking about standard DVD cases or jewel cases? If it's the former and you want to hang onto the packaging, you might want consider something like this:

http://www.bagsunlimited.com/cart/browse.asp?subcat=220

The Reader's Digest size fits TV Guides (the old size, before last year's revamping) and are also a perfect fit for standard DVD cases. They're economical, especially when bought in bulk, and pretty tough. I haven't actually tried stacking these with DVDs in them, but I also use them for VHS tapes and can stack 2-3 deep with no problems.

I haven't quite got enough stuff yet to start storing DVDs in them -- but I'm getting there. I'll keep the new or frequently-watched items out on shelves (I use a spinner tower for a lot of storage and display with minimal footprint), and eventually older, less-watched titles will go in the boxes.

If you're looking for storage for jewel cases, something like this might work for you:

http://www.bagsunlimited.com/cart/browse.asp?subcat=74

Hope that helps!

Mary

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Those boxes sound pretty good, but if you've got a big collection, it'd be a pain to get at the discs near the bottom of the stack!

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Well, I'm thinking of it as a temporary, inexpensive solution against that time when we all move into our mansions with our multi-room media libraries with shelving to properly accommodate and display everything....

Actually, rather than stacking, I put these on heavy-duty shelves that are spaced two-boxes-deep apart. So I never have to dig very far for much of anything. YMMV.

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Ah, good thinking! Unfortunately for the OP, though, he doesn't have the option of building shelves.

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He said he can't *mount* shelves because he's in an apartment. Mine are free-standing industrial wire shelves -- something like, but not exactly, this:

http://www.buyrack.com/chrm_mobile_standard.asp

I used them in an apartment for years. Mine came from Sam's Club, for under $100. They're very stable and the weight of DVDs would be nowhere near the weight they're supporting now with boxes of tapes. Not very beautiful for showing off your stuff, but they're practical and relatively inexpensive if you have a lot of stuff to store.

Personally, I lust after the set-up a friend of mine has, where he did turn over an entire room to media storage and display of other collectibles. Maybe once I start ditching the VHS stuff I've since replaced with DVD, I'll have room to do the same.

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I've got something simple...like this (but not exactly):



which can be seen HERE at deepdiscountdvd.com.

As Sam hinted in an earlier post, there is always the option of shrinking your collection. But even though I've done that, I am still reaching the point of critical mass with my collection and the shelving unit and need to figure out what's my next move...while keeping the peace with my patient wife.

Check out page 17 of that ThinPak thread if you are interested in seeing what the conversion looks like. The thread contains a bunch of different opinions on the best way to "shrink" your collection, debates on whether it's even a smart thing to do, debates on clear cases versus black, and you'll find a bunch of pictures like this one:



That is an old picture but shows the ThinPaks versus some old WB snapper cases and the SE of Singing in the Rain. I just picked up some more ThinPak singles today at Staples (25 for $19.99). They also sell packages of 20 double-disc slims for $15.98. You can do MUCH better with prices by buying in bulk on-line. After I converted the bulk of my collection, I just pick up small amounts now & then to convert whatever new I add.

What to do...what to do...

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The thin pack packaging is a good idea,, but it is an extra cost and labour to change over the packaging and discs to the new cases .
I would prefer, with that many discs, putting those discs into many large sleeve notebooks. And with a free program such as the one available at http://www.intervocative.com/ ( or for a one time fee of $30 - you can get high quality jpgs) The cover art of your dvd's and the cataloging of discs along with the weekly updates and contribution data base make it ideal for 'looking' at your titles on your PC screen.
This way too, the data base actually makes it easier to find a movie for the night. Instead of looking at row after row after row after shelf of discs to decide what to watch, ( after ten minutes of looking,) you usually end up just watching regular TV ., you can also define your title list by genres or actors or directors. Or maybe time is tight and you only want to see a movie with running time under 90 minutes. This software program makes it possible. Find the right movie, find the disc quickly in your bought chronological (store bought date) ,catalogue. again, making it easy to categorize, the 3000 plus titles.
This database IVS profiler can also be defaulted to store your owned titles up to eight ways ways, in two personal columns:- . By:
Title/Year/genre/numerical listing /production year/ release dvd year/ specially designed tags category/ actor or director (etc) ...
(As a personal sidenote here) When I bought my first DVD player and software titles back in late 1997 I was the only one in my circle of friends/ co-workers/neighbours and family that owned DVD. BUT That status didn't last long, as the circle grew rapidly within months to years to where last year and the year before there wasn't anyone ( out side of my 97 year old aunt ) who didn't own a DVD player and a collection of titles to gloat . BUT in the past 4 to 5 years I have been using DVD profiler I don't know of anyone else in that same circle of people who use this type of database Profiler. You can either download the program or buy the software on CD and quickly sets up to start working right away.
Most people I talk to manually type their titles into a makeshift spreadsheet on their computer, and I even talked to one woman who showed me her little black book of handwritten titles (500 titles!!!!!) .
What a waste of title and energy to devise such a make shift system to view and enjoy your movies and all its glories .

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So Arthur...what do you do? Do you use a binder system? Or, are your discs still in their original cases?

Besides the ThinPaks, I also use DVD Profiler for a number of different reasons...but also, as you say, I customize reports...including one which lists which movies I want to watch...me and my wife...me and my 16-year-old son...etc. I track which discs have been loaned to my father. And it greatly helps me organize my shelves. I upgraded to premium subscriber a few years ago and have never regretted it.

BTW, I use to have my CD collection on half of that shelving unit...until the DVDs took over. The CDs have now been split between a small upstairs shelf and several shelves in the basement.

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Well fortunately my list is a comfortable 350 titles.
http://www.intervocative.com/dvdcoll...escreenforever
I use an old 70's china cabinet with glass front doors and three doors underneath in the chest department. The three wood shelves on top can hold titles standing straight up spine out two high. All box sets I have on bottom rows. I keep all titles alphabetically with enough spaces to add periodic titles monthly. The bottom of cabinet could easily hold another 400 or 500 titles when needed.
My suggestion is for the 'blockbuster' collectors in 800 sq foot apartments.

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I always wanted to get cabinets from here:
http://can-am.ca/cdvideo1.htm

but they are expensive.

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Tell me: do these wallets/binders you're talking about have individually removable pages and back-padded "envelopes" for the discs? Some years ago I was looking for something with those features and came up short; I knew what I wanted because Microsoft used to send out their big sets of developer discs in just such a packaging format.

I'm thinking to keep the nice stuff/sets with lots of inserts and the already slim or efficiently packaged stuff as-is on shelves, and moving the more mundane packaged stuff to binders.

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Some of them have removable pages, and some of them don't. Most of them do have some sort of padding in the sleeves.

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Thanks Aaron.

Just FYI, here's what I was talking about. This "binder" comes in different thicknesses, this one holds 40-50 discs. Sleeves are padded and very easy to get discs out, there are index cards if needed, the binder format gives a solid shell to prevent disc crushing. BB is a poor example because it's a set I would leave in the original "efficient" packaging, but there it is... http://home.ca.inter.net/~cfraser/Binder02.jpg

Edit: looking carefully, some of the old binders are marked with "20th Century/BOK", who seems to be an OEM disc storage/printing org. If anybody knows if it's possible to get their stuff or similar format somewhere, my shelves and I would appreciate it.

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I have two of these. Stands close to 5 1/2 tall. Not cheap ($300+ each) though I got mine on sale at the time.




I like these because it takes up less of a footprint when closed, locks so the kids can't rummage around, dust free, plus I never liked the cluttered look of open displays.

They hold close to 500 each. Probably not a viable option for someone with a collection of 3,000 or someone with tight space considerations.

They do have a large assortment of other storage displays, depending on what you're looking for.

http://www.room2store.com/showroom/showroom.html