Album Shelves That Don't Sag

I picked up a few more albums for my WW collection. I need a (or some) new bookcase not made of pressed sawdust that eventually sags. Any recommendations for bookshelves
that will hold Big Blues or Scott Specialty Albums? Most of my Amazon and Wayfair
shelves don't cut it. I don't have the tools to build my own.
Dave in Portland, OR

I searched the forum but couldn't find a book shelf classification.

Take a hint from your local library, and get metal shelving.

Look for old bookcases made with real wood, or build your own shelving - not that hard, I did it and am not particularly handy.

Check Estate Sales and Thrift stores.

First, take a friend with a truck to lunch.

All good ideas. Thanks.

When I was in the used book business, I utilized various versions of the shelves in the link below to store my inventory. Each individual shelf could hold about 400 pounds, and they never bent or sagged. I believe the shelves are also somewhat customizable so that you don't have to make them 7 ft tall. In some cases, we did not want the bottom shelf all the way down to the floor and all shelves could be lowered so that spaces between the shelves better fit your binders.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SONGMICS...edirect=true

Or check with your local library about steel shelving they may be getting rid of or selling. With much being electronicicaly stored and being put on line, some are removing old statistic books, magazines and periodicals and removing shelving. I was fortunate to get a bunch as well as several card catalogue drawer cabinets for very small fee and am using it today. Unfortunately I was unable to interest anybody in rest 8 years ago and had hundreds of feet of shelving and stands that went for scrap as I was unable to keep storing it.

I slowly accumulated a ton of used original Ikea Expedit shelving units as they were often marketed as being a perfect unit for storing vinyl records (which are heavy). The shelves fit almost any size album except for certain one off sizes. I have yet to have one sag, collapse, break, Etc and they are easy to clean. As the shelves are split up into cubes, you can easily reorganize as well. I can't speak to the newer re-vamped Kallax, which were a thinner design, but I am obsessed with my expedit's. They also come in different sizes so I could quite easily arrange how I wanted. I even placed two of the smaller 8-cube ones on their side and put two back-to-back and added a piece of glass on top and it doubles as an extra sorting area.

And finally, they also have various accessories so I bought a few ikea baskets (and even a few other types) for odds and ends and they store quite nicely.

Most shelving units give you a maximum weight. Don't exceed it.

As a follow-up to my post, in that link I left above there is a video showing how you can adjust the heights of each shelf as you build the units.

I would add a strip of wood at the back of the shelf that provides support all long the shelf rather than just retained at sides as most are. The strip is attached to the back. You can add a strip at the front too. This adds stiffness without adding a lot of weight. (The I-beam idea)

I have looked for book cases at the local thrift store (many are old TV cabinets) - better since deeper) and then modify,

When I created a custom built in, I put the strip at the front since it was all painted.

Five Tips for Managing Shelf Sag
1. If shelf span is reduced by one-fifth, shelf stiffness is approximately doubled (deflection is halved)
2. If shelf span is increased by one-fourth, deflection doubles
3. If shelf span is doubled, deflection is eight times greater
4. If shelf thickness is doubled, deflection is reduced to one-eighth
5. If shelf depth is doubled, deflection is cut in half

If there is an "Unpainted" furniture store in your area you should be able to find pine shelving. As noted above the key is the length of the shelving. IKEA used to sell the perfect (for me) shelving. It came about 4 feet tall, 15" deep, and 24" long. Even though made out of press board, they do not sag as the length is not too long.

I have made perhaps 3 bookshelves or tables in my life. I am NOT a cabinet-maker AT ALL. Complete novice. I made my bookshelf that I use for my Int'ls out of wooden planks from one of the big-box hardware stores. The sides of the shelves consisted of a couple pieces of wood of the proper length (height of shelves) and I screwed AND GLUED support 1x2's where I wanted the shelves. Mine was short - two shelves plus a top - and about 7 feet wide. After that basic design, it's all about support. I screwed AND GLUED support 1x2's to the front edge and the back edge of the bottom, middle and top. I also 'split' the unit down the middle and added support dividers between the bottom/middle and middle/top - Do NOT cut the shelves to slip a divider in there, keeping the shelves intact and cutting the divider provides MUCH more support for the shelves. I made these shelves about 30 years ago and they have been holding 100's of pounds of albums and magazines ever since - 15 Int'ls on the bottom, plus packed solid with magazines/cookbooks/Bibles/dictionaries on the top shelf. On the very top, I keep knick knacks - rock specimens, a few photos, paperweights, etc. No sagging. I painted them, so the cheaper knotty wood doesn't show. The hardest part, literally for a novice, was to cut things straight and to the right length. Measure twice, cut once. Support and glue for all the joints. Done.

Try reinforcing the shelves with angle iron, similar to what a bed frame is made of except not as large. Attach it to the back of the shelves so not seen from front.

I made three 48' wide by 84" tall bookcases out of 3/4" oak plywood with a 1/2" plywood backing. Everything was glued and screwed. I used 2 inch long screws every 6 inches to attach the 1/2 inch thick back. The 3 bookcases were then attached together giving me a 12 foot long by 7 foot tall bookcase that filled an entire wall that was trimmed out to match. The bookcase is completely full of stamp albums now and no sag anywhere. Me so happy !!!

I hired a carpenter who made these out of oak and cherry. The pic shows only half of the span. These were so well made that 5-years ago when I moved, they were taken down from where originally installed (in one piece) and re-installed in my new home. To me, worth every penny in terms of both function and esthetics.