Best way to store games?

[nikon_62]

I've been looking for better ways to store my games than the book shelves I have now. I have three generic book cases and I need to expand. They work alright but they are cheap budget shelves and I'd like to upgrade.

I've seen a lot of different options like media cabinets, shallow book shelves, drawer systems and metal wire display racks.

Is there a holy grail product of game storage or does everyone pretty much find something specific to their space and needs?

[BoneSnapDeez]

I like big, sturdy, old-fashioned wood bookshelves. They hold tons of stuff and you don't have to worry about the shelves bowing or warping. Unfortunately, I have yet to get one of these for my game room.

I do own some "media shelving" from Best Buy. One thing to note is that these particular shelves aren't designed for anything taller than a DVD case. So Sega CD, Saturn, 3DO, and Neo Geo games can't be arranged vertically.

[Hazerd]

Im into the tall slim DVD shelving, like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058O8GZY/ref ... BO49D3YGNX

[nikon_62]

I like big, sturdy, old-fashioned wood bookshelves. They hold tons of stuff and you don't have to worry about the shelves bowing or warping. Unfortunately, I have yet to get one of these for my game room.

I do own some "media shelving" from Best Buy. One thing to note is that these particular shelves aren't designed for anything taller than a DVD case. So Sega CD, Saturn, 3DO, and Neo Geo games can't be arranged vertically.

Two of my book shelves are already bowing and they are pretty new. It's cheap pressboard construction I guess.

[turtle]

I use a giant media spinner, they work great if you have a lot. Holds over 700 DVD/Blu-ray case sized games in a relatively small space. I got the black one and it collects and shows the dust. Every two-three months ill do a throughout dust and pull everything out and flip the shelves 180* so they never bow too much.

I also have one of these, same idea with the dust and shelf flip.

EDIT: Posted pics here

[darkcat]

The best way i've found over the past 12 or so years is to buy wire mesh shelving. This is abit more costly then just buying book shelves or what ever but it have that video game store feel. Another good thing is it use peg board so if you make to big of a section you can find all shorts of ideas to hold other stuff then games.
I didn't have enough sega games to fill the space so I used the bottom to hold a few console variants until i get more games. http://www.palaydisplay.com/Video-Shelf ... 18815.html something like this would be idea. The cost is per 10 so its not too bad but keep in mind shipping hurts and pegboard is needed plus paint unless you can find black peg board (i used chalkboard paint on mine nice matte black)

Another thing I've found works amazing is store display cabinets the only problem here is the cost is close to 20x higher then book shelves(maybe more). the ones i have are metal so now bowing also easy to clean off glass front, and lighted top this makes them really clean.


I still do have 3 book shelves still though that way i can keep my consoles and controllers clean and neat.

[Jagosaurus]

Mine are on DVD racks & a deep book shelf I found at Goodwill. Eventually I might upgrade but hate to spend too much on shelves.

Something I've seen people do with loose carts is put them side by side on a bookshelf all way across, then place a cut piece of plastic board on top of those. Like magic, able to stack two rows on one shelf. Simple but effective.

[GrouchoGlasses]

This is a very tricky question! My underlying goal is to be able to have all of my games readily accessible, but my setup has to be aesthetically pleasing enough not to look like a warehouse (something my wife has been adamant about, and has convinced me of the same). For smaller collections, matching sets of book/media shelves work just fine. I'd also recommend the minimalist appeal of some nice IKEA dressers. Many of their models just happen to perfectly fit 3 DVD cases wide and several (15+) deep.

Game collection is great but where I am at in life, we need to be able to host people, have a welcoming home, etc. I think we've found a happy medium where guests still get wowed by all those grey cartridges, but don't think o four home as the game wall at Gamestop.

[GirlGamer55]

Welcome to my nightmare. I'm still not happy with my set up and will work on it forever I think...or until i'm lucky enough to find shop cabs like darkcat has. But for that I would actually need a room dedicated to video games and for that...I think I would need my own place...

Anyways what I'm stuck with now is a mess. My NES, SNES and N64 games are being held by those huge bulky Nintendo brand storage box things. This: http://www.videogameauctions.com/wp-con ... e-Unit.jpg Which is on the top shelf of a three shelved wood bookcase.

The second shelf holds all my PS2 games, I have so many that I'm starting to cover up the back row with a front row. I use little wood shelves off of a Ikea "Billy" shelf, to make the back row a little higher up...I still need to make them higher to read the spines.

The lowest shelf holds my game guides/game related books/cheat books. And my small Genesis and 32x collection of games.

The top of that bookcase holds all my game related toys/stuffed animals/figures and so on. Also my PS1 and Atari 2500 boxes.

Next to that is my Billy shelf, which holds all my PS1 games, my Gamecube games and my xbox games.

Across from that is a very small but tall bookcase/shelf thing that holds all my boxed games...the few I have.

My PS3 games have a special place right next to my PS3 on display (mainly since it's a small collection of the really good games on the PS3).

As for my portables...this is where I am proud of how I stored the games. My GB, GBC and GBA games are all held in a huge binder in card sheets (you know for like Pokemon cards or baseball cards), which is sitting near all my Nintendo handhelds (except my DS and 3DS). I display my handhelds using those plastic dish displayer things, or these: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v4/7606 ... 50x250.jpg some are bigger then others, and they make those display things in different sizes.

My Game Gear used to be held in one of those but since it was so heavy and big it fell over and now has a fucking flickering screen (I bought one with new capacitors too!), so if you do display handhelds like this...be warned use the right sized holder and don't put a GG in one! Anyways for the games I use two small tupperwear card index box things: http://janetlee.edublogs.org/files/2011 ... 5uyxyq.jpg they hold two rows of games and fit my whole collection so...pretty nice. Only drawback is you have to open them up and sort through the damn games to find the one you want, but since I don't play the GG much...meh lol.

My PSP is currently nearby on a old civil defense water can that I use as a makeshift table since I have to have it plugged in for it to work anymore...needs a replacement battery. My games are in a cd tower, I just slide the cases so their standing up and down in the tower shelf area...fits all my games but 5, which are on top of the tower.

My DS and 3DS are also on this can because it's just easier to have all my current hand helds together. I am planning on using these small cubes that have shelves in them for my DS/3DS games, they fit perfectly so...it works out well.

Finally my small atari 2500 collection is being kept in a plastic container that I believe once held tapes. It works well and I wish I had bought more of them when I had the chance...oh well lol.

Out of everything I have used/tried to store games in, I only can really recommend a few things. The Billy shelf for one, that shelf is perfect since you can adjust the shelves, take them out and so on...so it will fit any sized game case (CD based game cases I mean, though I suppose you could try to fit other game boxes...), enclosed cd towers are great for PSP games, binders with card sheets...you HAVE to have this...unless you want to fuck around with modding DS cases, which looks nice but is it worth the time and effort? And cassette tape boxes/holder things for atari 2600 and genesis games.

Hope that helps? I have messed around with a lot of storage options so if you want to know more on what I just listed or whatever let me know.