I need ideas for upscale collection storage!

[Dolt]

I keep the collection in my tiny home office--a room which looks pretty nice and 'grown up', except for that corner that's filled with cardboard boxes and miscellaneous crap all piled up. Naturally, that corner is the Atari area. At 35, I no longer live a dorm-room style life so it's just killin' me to have all these games in cardboard boxes. So my question is, has anyone found some kind of "upscale" or "adult" way to keep a large-scale collection?

 

I *was* going to put my games in the interlocking storage libraries, and I managed to buy up about 16 of them before I realized that I'd need 27 just to hold my collection as is. I could surely get another 11 libraries, but I don't have the wall space to put them all up! (At this point, I'd like to mention that if anyone wants to make a deal on 14-15 libraries, 3 of which are still boxed, send me a PM offer )

 

What I really need for my collection is an imaginary piece of furniture that would resemble a TV armoire, with 4-5 BIG drawers on the bottom to keep carts and other crap in; a shelf that would roll out like a computer desk keyboard shelf, which I could keep a 2600 on; a shelf above that to hold the vintage 1980s 13" color TV that I play on; and a series of shelves above that to hold cart boxes, extra 2600s and the like. If I was rich, I'd go to Gothic Cabinet Craft and have them build one to spec, but if I had that much money, I'd live in a bigger house and would have more room to keep my collection in!

 

I was at Babies R Us the other day, and they had this awesome piece of furniture that was actually fairly similar to what I described there. It was about 5 feet tall; on the left were about 8 thin drawers with glass fronts that were perfect for holding games. On the right was a cabinet door that opened to reveal a series of shelves that would hold 2600s, etc. pretty nicely. It was all a very dignified dark cherry wood--and it was in the clearance section, no less--but there's no way I could bring myself to drop $360 on furniture to hold my games. Fun to think about though.

 

So anyway, does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, photos, on how to keep your collection in an upscale environment (or at least out of carboard boxes!)

Thanks,

Clive

[Adonick]

I suggest a bookshelf.

 

Try cheap but not ugly

[Cap5750]

Have a look at some of the other "How do you store your games" threads. You'll see some great things folks have done.

 

 

Cap

[Cybertom]

how's about a Kiosk

 

greetings

Tom

[Dolt]

One of your kiosk?

 

Wish I could, man; wish I could.

[Ralph3]

Go to your local cabinet maker and see if he has anything you can piece together that has drawers. Possibly like a modified kitchen cabinet that can be also used as an TV entertainment center.

The flea market I work at on the weekends just got a cabinet manufacture displays and they have a few cool kitchen cabs that will be awesome for what you need.

[keilbaca]

This should help you, this is how I have it.

 

http://server6.uploadit.org/files/keilbaca-games.jpg

[Dolt]

I found an old thread with the ideal example collection storage, IMHO.

 

I don't have the room to do something like this, but it's funny--except for a lack of drawers on the bottom, the middle part of this is nearly exactly what I described above as my daydream perfect storage unit. What a beaut!

 

The thread is here

[ussexplorer]

I'm sorry I can't help but laugh a little. I myself have the problem with collecting vast amount of stuff that never fits anything good. Even if I clean the area it still looks cluttered to me. If this helps I finally got a bookshelf and some adjustable shelves. Then I took some boxes depending on the location of shelfs to put all the loose stuff in. The rest of the stuff I hid away in boxes in the closet and under the stairs. One nice thing about adjustable shelves if when you re-arrange stuff you can always remove and store the extra peices. Another thing I have for my movies is a big locking wooden cabinet. This matches the other imitation wooden items in my living room. If it is not wooden for eletronic stuff I picked up what they call a yaffa cube. It is black and you can purchase additional sections for them. They are the basic closet cubes. One of these days I'll get around to taking a picture of the whole setup in different areas to show people.

 

later,

 

ussexplorer

[Warren]

An adjustable media center (the kind that can be reconfigured for CDs or DVDs) might just do the trick.

[Dolt]

OK, here's what I found after spending some free time yesterday shopping at a bunch of "big box" stores.

 

Michael's Crafts: Nada.

Pearl Art: Nope.

Home Depot: Nothing.

Home Expo: Zip, unless I wanted to have them make something out of their closet shelving dept., which would cost $$$$$.

 

Then I stopped by that Babies R Us I mentioned above and took a photo for the record of the great cabinet I found there the other day. It would be ideal...if it wasn't $450 (the discounted floor model I mentioned previously is gone).

 

It's called a Jardine Windsor Cherry. Each of those 5 glass-fronted drawers on the left can hold 95 carts by my estimates, so it would hold 475 games. (Yes, I actually brought dozen carts with me so I could extrapolate some numbers...and wound up joking around with a very amused salesperson as a result. Atari spreads goodwill wherever you go).

Anyway, the two drawers above the cart drawers would be idea for holding controllers. The empty space above those is big enough to hold an Atari storage unit.

On the right side, that's a cabinet with a door--this photo, though it's not too clear, is shot with the door open. On the shelves in there, you could easily fit a traditional 1980s small 13" TV, and then there's room for game boxes, etc. All that storage, with only 43" width--it would have been perfect. Well, if anyone hits the lottery and wants to buy me one, I won't say no.

[Dolt]

...And now, here is what I actually got. I went to Target next and found the "Furio Villa Collection 7-Drawer Cabinet," which holds 64 games per drawer, for a total of 448. It's not an all-in-one solution like the Jardine cabinet (or as tasteful), but it fits inside the tiny space that I have to keep my collection (less than 18" wide).

The cabinet was "only" $108 with tax, as opposed to $450 for the Jardine. That is a lot but even at the higher in-store price (Today, I discovered Target has it for $85 online--DOH!), but $108 is still less than 25 cents per game, so I'm OK with it. Once I build it, repurpose some bookshelves in our house to hold my other Atari crap and then reorganize everything, I'll post a photo.

 

Love Target's online description of it, though:

"In a dark wood veneer accented by brown wicker panels, this Furio® cabinet is a beautiful fit in a casual or eclectic setting LIKE AN ATARI ROOM OF DOOM. The tall, slender cabinet has 7 drawers for organizing clothes in a bedroom or linens and other everyday items in the den LIKE ENOUGH 2600 CARTS TO CHOKE A HORSE.

[Dolt]

Oops--the CABINET is less than 18" wide, not the space I have to keep 'em

[Kenwood]

I found this too

 

 

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-7...asin=B0002D4TM0

[ATARIPITBULL]

Office Depot and Stamples have very nice book and display shelves for sale between $50-$100 and most of them come in white, cherry & Black finishes. I just scored a very nice store display case that is 60 inches long, 42 inches tall and 22 inches deep with 2 sliding doors in the back and a light system, I got it for just $52.00 off of ebay and the best part was that the seller was just a 20 minuet drive from my house so I picked it up for free. I will post pictures of it when I get some help putting in my Atari room in my basement.

 

[Dolt]

That sounds sweet, pitbull; nice score! I'd definitely like to see that when you get it up and running.

[ATARIPITBULL]

Thanks, but there was one small problem with it, it came with out the 2 glass shelves, but I called a place called Hendersons glass and there making them for my right now for $45.00, so I should have it together and in my room by this Saturday.

[gulag picture radio]

I'm a big fan of Ikea for that kind of stuff, and a lot of it is really affordable. One of my favorite storage solutions that they have are simple filding boxes made out of tough nylon. They are very sturdy, come in various sizes (they're intended for CD's & DVD's) and I keep simply everything in them. The size that I use the most is $5 a box and it holds some 50 DVD's.

 

Since I have a lot of stuff around, I actually don't like having it on display. Except for my records (which I can't find decent concealed storage for), I try to keep all the media stuff tucked away. For some reason, whenever I've had DVD's or CD's out, it made me feel like I'm in a store or something.

 

Then again, it is a pain in the butt to have to pull stuff out of boxes all the time - I also really can't browse any of my collections - I have to know what I'm going for in order to plunge into the right box. Hmmm.

[kencrisis]

Since I have a lot of stuff around, I actually don't like having it on display.  Except for my records (which I can't find decent concealed storage for), I try to keep all the media stuff tucked away.  For some reason, whenever I've had DVD's or CD's out, it made me feel like I'm in a store or something.

 

I'm with you there. Most "media" I have also makes me feel like I'm in store. CDs and DVDs are pretty ugly. My living room only has records and 2600 carts visible -- these are the things that make it feel like home.

 

I have to say that I was a little disappointed by this post -- when I saw the word "upscale," I was hoping to see some suggestions that were funkier than Target and Ikea.

 

My wife just got a job that's going to force us to move from NYC (which we love) to DC (which we don't really love), so we've decided that in the next few months we can buy anything we really want within reason. We're not rich, we just work at non-profits, but we're D.I.N.K.s, so we do have a little disposable income.

 

So, I'm looking at the 1950s Charles Eames cabinet reproductions by Herman Miller. Pretty pricey (many hundreds of dollars), but what a great home for a 2600.

[gulag picture radio]

I'm with you there. Most "media" I have also makes me feel like I'm in store. CDs and DVDs are pretty ugly. My living room only has records and 2600 carts visible -- these are the things that make it feel like home.

 

Maybe it's because they're shiny? My record collection is mostly really oddball stuff, so it's not really "braggable", but I feel like if I had my DVD's and CD's out that I was showing off. Yet I don't feel that way about other people's media collections. It's just a "me" thing.

 

At the same time, when someone comes over, I would like them to feel like they're welcome to put on a movie, or play Atari games. It's got to look weird that I keep everything boxed up - it's not to protect that stuff, it's just to hide it from view.

 

Oh, and to skip back a few sentences, is it just me who is really disappointed that no one seems to have an affordable solution for storing records? Even with this DJ-culture re-tread thing going on? It's not like I'm asking for the world here.

 

I have to say that I was a little disappointed by this post -- when I saw the word "upscale," I was hoping to see some suggestions that were funkier than Target and Ikea.

 

I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. It's funny that I've never found any middle ground for buying furniture. If you want to get away from particle board furniture and go for something a little better, you're suddenly paying a LOT more money. There also seems to be little initiative for individualism and panache unless you part with a LOT of cash.

 

I do appreciate that Ikea and in some cases Target have figured out that just because they need to keep the prices of their furniture down, they doesn't mean that they have to be totally bereft of style. Ikea especially has been really trying to educate us in America that splashes of color and interesting shapes are okay in furniture!

 

The Eames reproductions that you showed are outstanding. That's definitely where my heart would be if I had the means. I have been really lucky though to put together enough weird/kitschy/eclectic furniture from thrifting to keep me happy for a while. The most prominent is my bright orange vinyl sectional couch. Whoa!

 

I'm also very fortunate to have a girlfriend who doesn't mind this attitude.

[kencrisis]

... And Clive, I have to say "no way, small world" I just realized who you were. I worked for Mix for years and was an (uncredited) editor your "Mixing Engineer's Handbook." I think I met you once. Maybe at a TEC Awards show or a NAMM.

 

I wondering if the music-tech/Atari thing may be a common bond. Any other sound engineers, recorders, producers out there?

[kencrisis]

OK, sorry to waste forum space on unrelated stuff -- but sorry Clive, I just saw the "Handbook" bundled with your book on the Amazon page and assumed you were the author of that book as well. I know I met the author of that book, but don't think I've met you.

 

Damn the lack of edit functionality.

[bloatedmonkey]

I found an old thread with the ideal example collection storage, IMHO.

 

I don't have the room to do something like this, but it's funny--except for a lack of drawers on the bottom, the middle part of this is nearly exactly what I described above as my daydream perfect storage unit. What a beaut!

 

<A HREF = "http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22756&highlight=collection+oak">The thread is here</A>

 

I'm honored that you dug that up. I actually finished it off with some doors recently. I have a MAME cabinet arriving Monday, which will complete my game room. Then I'll take some pics and post them.

 

By the way, my cabinet cost me around $400 in lumber alone, so it's not the economy route.

[Dolt]

Here's a postscript for you: I got the 7-drawer cabinet from Target together, and it's a nice fit for my collection of Atari games. I wanted something a bit more upscale than a cardboard box, and I found it. The drawers even fit CommaVid games vertically, which is a plus:

 

Nonetheless, I had to compromise--I ideally wanted to hide all the boxes and stuff, because 25-year-old cardboard can be a real eyesore. I couldn't afford some giant cabinet, so I had to go the bookshelf route.

 

For now, it all fits together nicely in a small, compact space, which bottom line, is what I needed. I repurposed an old Ikea microwave cart I had in the attic that was holding microphones and manuals for my old synth and crap. Now it's home to the ancient TV I play on and my game center:

 

I don't have any Atari-related stuff appropriate for a wall--like one of those cool Atari banners (not that it would fit anyway), so I went with an '80s look instead, and put up a signed numbered print of Duran Duran that I got when I interned at Capitol Records back then. It's pretty appropriate anyway, as they were videogame freaks at the time; I wouldn't be surprised if they had a 2600 on a tour bus, actually. So all in all, it adds up to...well, not a room of doom, but a corner of doom!

 

I liked a lot of the ideas and furniture that people were posting in this thread--those high-end 50s furniture replicas were cool, albeit for me impractical. They'd be awesome if I owned a penthouse overlooking Central Park though!

To address some of the other stuff in the thread, I know what you mean about hiding media. I'm of a mixed mind about it--I would like to hide the Atari stuff so it's not so in-your-face, but I have no problem flaunting my CDs and DVDs. Perhaps it's because DVDs are more readily accepted by people--they aren't considered 'kid stuff,' even if you've got a box set of the Wonder Woman TV series on your shelf (as my wife and I do). Atari on the other hand, gets a lot of smirks--unless, of course, they ask "Do you have that jungle game with the guy running and the allagators? I used to play that forever when I was a kid." Perhaps having it stored more nicely will get a different response--but I doubt it.

[dykesr]

I am too also looking for a great and "HIGH CLASS" way of storing my games and systems, i am looking at an oka cabinet that has a glass enclosure for my retro TV. I would really like soem ideas on somehting like this or other ways to store games can you guys all post pics of stuff like this that you use to store your stuff.

 

Thanks

 

RD