Bookshelves

[A home for their hearts]

I'm in desperate need of another bookshelf. I can't afford much so I thought this would be the best place to ask where you got your bookshelves and how much did the cost you? I'm not looking into anything fancy, just something for storage. TIA!

[Karenciavo]

Have you tried a second hand furniture store? I've found cheap book cases at Ikea, used furniture stores, garage sales, and every once in a while a deep discount at an office supply store.

[3lilreds in NC]

I have some inexpensive ones from Target. They hold up pretty well for the price. I won't win decorating prizes with them, but they hold my books. :D I think you can get plain, very basic bookshelves for about $40.

[KS_]

I don't know if you have a space to do this, but what we did a few months ago, was to add shelving to a closet instead of buying bookshelves. It ended up being less expensive (for the amount of shelving space) to buy melamine shelving boards and brackets and put them up in the closet area. We measured how tall the largest books we had were, and added an inch or so and spaced them that far apart.

[WTMCassandra]

If your husband has any woodworking inclination at all, you might consider making them. We have found over the years that making them is our #1 solution. My husband has a standard design that we developed that includes adjustable shelving. We can make a 6 ft high, 3 ft wide bookshelf out of real wood (not particle board) for under $100 (of course, we have all the tools already so we don't have to buy those).

 

If you are considering homeschooling long-term, it might be worthwhile to learn to make them. We need bookshelves regularly; it's not a one-time need ; ).

 

We do have a few that were purchased for various reasons, and for those, we have had good luck with unfinished furniture stores. In some cases, we finished them ourselves, and in other cases, they finished them for a fee. We ask a lot of our bookshelves weight-wise, and particle board always seems to sag after a while. So, we stick to real wood and try to not make the shelves any wider than 3 ft.

Edited December 31, 2008 by WTMCassandra

[Aubrey]

Big Lots-- $25-$33

[newlifemom]

I'll second Craigslist. Dh picked up 3 decent looking IKEA bookshelves from someone for free. He has also picked up heavy duty garage shelves for free from there as well. You do have to look every day sometimes several times a day.

[elegantlion]

I just priced some inexpensive ones at Wal-mart. At ours they are 50.00 for a 5 shelf one. They carry a mainstays label, but are made by Sauder.

 

I 2nd big lots, they always seem to have bookcases.

[Jenny in Florida]

We have a whole house-ful of the bargain-price line, which have a retail price of about $50 for the big ones. We usually wait until they go on sale, though.

 

They're not the most attractive things in the world and will never pass for fine furniture. But they do the trick.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Have you tried a second hand furniture store? I've found cheap book cases at Ikea, used furniture stores, garage sales, and every once in a while a deep discount at an office supply store.

 

Hey you know all my secrets! ;)

 

Be sure to check Ikea's scratch and dent section. Sometimes they have pieces that are actually very functional. If buying new their Billy line is very sturdy and the price is dependent on the color you choose.

[Desert Rat]

We made ours and it was sooo easy! Here's what we did. We chose a longish wall and got 3 8ft planks of wood(one rests on the floor). I painted them to match the wall. Then we took silicone and glued 2 glass blocks together to use for spacers. We also got brackets to ensure the top shelf was sturdy and wouldn't fall. The entire project cost less than $100 for storage for hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of books. They are down low so the kids can easily access them and I use the top for nicknacks. We've gotten lots of compliments on them and we don't feel like it's cheapy looking.

HTH

[Nakia]

Staples

[anissarobert]

I have a house full of the Sauder bookshelves. They are not beautiful, but they hold up well. I buy them where ever they are on sale. Shopko, Big Lots, or Walmart.

[Carol in Cal.]

They are sturdy and customizable, and very reasonably priced. I think you could climb them, LOL.

 

We have them in brown/black and in birch. I don't like the Oak color very much but the white is fine. You can mix them with another line of Ikea's--I can't remember the name of it, but they have really tall narrow CD/DVD shelves that look great with the Billy's. We have reasonably tall ceilings, so we stacked them two high and then added the top extension.

[TKDmom]

I trekked off to the "big city" today and spent 4 hours in IKEA :001_wub: I'm coveting the Billy shelves.

 

You can mix them with another line of Ikea's--I can't remember the name of it, but they have really tall narrow CD/DVD shelves that look great with the Billy's.

 

And the line they mix with is BYOM.

[lmrich]

Ikea!

[jkwynn]

We made ours and it was sooo easy! Here's what we did. We chose a longish wall and got 3 8ft planks of wood(one rests on the floor). I painted them to match the wall. Then we took silicone and glued 2 glass blocks together to use for spacers. We also got brackets to ensure the top shelf was sturdy and wouldn't fall. The entire project cost less than $100 for storage for hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of books. They are down low so the kids can easily access them and I use the top for nicknacks. We've gotten lots of compliments on them and we don't feel like it's cheapy looking.

HTH

 

That sounds cool! If you have any pictures, I'd love to see them.