AKICO, bookshelf edition

[oyceter]

So! After half a year, my new apartment is almost (almost!) ready for shelving! I.e. I have gotten nearly all bits of other furniture in place so I can squash shelves into every remaining space.

Anyone have shelving recommendations? Stuff available in the US, especially Bay Area California preferred.

Preferences:

1. I do not like deep shelves or double stacking.
   
2. I am good with separating out trade/HC from mass markets for optimal shelving sizing.
   
3. I have a lot of manga.
   
4. I do not like shelves with doors, windows, glass panes, or anything that gets between me and my books.
   
5. I do not like shelves that waste vertical space.
   
6. I like longer horizontal spaces. I.e. I don't like really really really short shelves, a la Ikea's Expedit or those skinny DVD shelving towers.
   

Comments

[veejane]

Wallmounts always want studs. If they can't get studs they go with mollies (plastic or steel screw-anchors) into wallboard. (Can't use mollies on plaster walls at all.) But mollies are even more damaging to a wall than a big hole in it -- they're a big hole anchored in to stay that way. If you're attaching to a wall, and you want that wall to be easily returned to its pristine state, go studs.

(You can't attach wallmounts to wallboard without anchors, because they'll just rip off when they get any weight on them. Wallboard just isn't that strong a material.)

Do have a look at some of the older hutches, if you want shallow shelves. A lot of them, the bottom part is deeper (16", 20") but the top is meant for dishes or even plate display, so they're often quite shallow. Not adjustable for height, usually, but 8" or 9" vs. 12" may make a difference to your perception of their usefulness.

[veejane]

Now that I am on Craigslist (there goes my evening), this is what I mean by hutch: http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/fuo/3230441801.html

I mean, okay, it is a hideous example unless you, like, want to store all your fishing gear or bobbins in one massive unit. But you can see how much shallower the shelves are than the lower cabinet portion.

[oyceter]

HEE! Yeah, I love the shallower top shelves, but given how many shelves I am probably going to have, am going for shallower bottoms as well, or my apartment is going to start feeling really fenced in...