The Old School Otaku Lounge

I've been working to tidy up my collection lately, and I'm finally facing the biggest hurdle: storing all of my various VHS tapes.

I am aware that building or picking up some shelving with adjustable height is probably the easiest overall solution here...but I can't hep but feel like a more specialized solution might be best. It seems like those Laserline shelves that used to be so common have all but disappeared by now, and most of the VHS storage solutions I find on eBay are for roughly 10-20 tapes, which isn't exactly ideal.

I'm working to trim my VHS collection down to only things that have not been released on DVD (plus a few select nostalgia choices), but it's still a sizable amount of tapes.

Before I break down and just pick up some standard shelving, does anyone have another suggestion for storage? I'm open to creative ideas!

Oh, and on a related note: does anybody know where to find replacement VHS clamshell cases for Japanese or Korean releases? I have a few tapes that could use some new plastic cases, and while US clamshell cases are fairly easy to get a hold of, tracking these down is proving to be a bit more difficult!

Any 'media storage unit' will do the job. I use several of these for my DVDs but VHS snugs right in there just as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Sauder-Multimedia ... rds=sauder

It also works well for paperbacks/manga, not deep enough for art books.

I have a great set of shelves that were built by the father of a friend of mine, originally they fit in the back of his closet (!) and it was a great way to keep 100s of VHS tapes handy, but out of sight. Now they're up on the wall. They're just made out of 3 3/4" x 3/4" boards, put together with screws. I've tried to replicate them a few times but my carpentry isn't up to even those simple standards, but if you're handy with tools, making your own is always an option.

I currently use a Kilby Bookcase from Ikea for storing my VHS tapes.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40068154/

It's two rows deep (46 total), and has tapes vertically on top of the rows (30 total). So on all 5 shelves, it would fit 380 VHS tapes. I have about 50 recorded tapes though that are not on the shelf, I just keep my official ones on it. It works for now. I would like to have a shelf I can display only rows without double rowing, but then I'd have way too many shelves and not enough space.

See, I just CAN NOT stack things (books, tapes, Whatever) 2 deep. It makes me crazy, because my OCD just KNOWS that whatever I choose to be 'behind' will end up be the thing I'm searching for.

Even when I pack paperbacks into file boxes it makes me sick to my stomach not being able to see the bottom row of books.

And when I can't find something, oy. I was looking for my copy of the 'JAL' English Dubbed Mystery of Mamo, one of the first anime tapes I got way back in '82 in glorious 4th generation, and I just cannot find it. I don't THINK I loaned it out, I know there was that guy I was in communication with the 'revive Cliff Hanger video game' project but I just don't think I was foolish enough to lend it out...

ARRGGHH

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

I'll have to agree with you Steve, I don't particularly like stacking things 2 deep. Still, that Kilby bookshelf you suggested looks nice Ryoran!

I no longer use bookcases...if you are a mega collector, you outgrow them to quickly, I figured it was easy and cheaper to go to Home Depot, buy wood and have planks to be cut out. You can always automatic adjust, paint the wood and a later time....While I use two big bookcases to hold my Blu-rays and exhausted those, for my cinema collection I resorted to wood from Home Depot.

I was going to suggest the old school 'student' solution of cement blocks/bricks and wood, but that's so variable.

That all ya got, Kndy?

But seriously, you should consider laying in some supports in the middle of each length, I think I'm seeing some sag going on there. Don't forget, each disc is a little slice of aluminum, it does add up.

It's like the old George Carlin joke that marijuana leads to carpentry. Collecting movies leads to carpentry, that's all there is to it.

Wow. Kndy, your collection is amazing; I love how organized everything is. It's like your own personal cinema library!