Spent the weekend putting together IKEA bookshelves in preparation for Starfinder


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Plus made some room for traveller and a few other sci-fi RPGs I haven't played in a while.

I'm ready when you are, Sutter and team. :)

Scarab Sages

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I love IKEA bookshelves. For me, they're the next best thing to having bookshelves actually built into the walls.

I just don't have much more room for them at the moment.....

Silver Crusade

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Which particular option? I need to replace my just out of school paste board bookshelves with grown-up bookshelves in the next few years.

Scarab Sages

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I like their Billy Bookcases. There are, if I recall correctly, four different sizes, with multiple color options, and at least 2 or 3 different door styles (if you want doors).

Silver Crusade

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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Most of contemporary Europe is built out of Billy bookcases, including my apartment.


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I prefer handmade bookcase to Ikea...but that I have a carpenter friend who does it at a good discount.

Silver Crusade

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Yeah, with my luck I'd chop a finger off.


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Gorbacz wrote:
Most of contemporary Europe is built out of Billy bookcases, including my apartment.

All of Tammy's furniture is made partially out of Billys, and more then a few Austins.

Liberty's Edge

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Ajaxis wrote:
Which particular option? I need to replace my just out of school paste board bookshelves with grown-up bookshelves in the next few years.

So you want to go from cheap particle board to expensive particle board?


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Gorbacz wrote:
Most of contemporary Europe is built out of Billy bookcases, including my apartment.

yes, they fill my library and my game room

Silver Crusade

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Krensky wrote:
Ajaxis wrote:
Which particular option? I need to replace my just out of school paste board bookshelves with grown-up bookshelves in the next few years.
So you want to go from cheap particle board to expensive particle board?

Short answer: yes.

Slightly longer answer: I want to go from 15-20 year old banged up particle board to something moderately more classy.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

Never tried IKEA shelves. Smart Furniture Smart Shelves all the way for me.


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A Little more expensive, but this is what I go with.

HON 5 shelf metal book case

I couldn't find any bookshelves that could carry a bunch of Hardback books (especially Hardcover RPG books) that didn't start bending in the middle over time.

So I went full metal.

Before one jumps in full throttle though, one should probably look at the cost. If you look well enough you can find them for FAR less than listed, but still a couple hundred dollars.

But I LOVE the bookshelves. They are awesome. Only thing just as good would be the types of shelves you find in many libraries which are also metal.


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I like the fact someone as mechanically inept as me can put IKEA stuff together. It's not as nice as proper carpenter-made stuff, but it's much, much cheaper.

The bookcases were Billys. I also put in a couple of these - they're just the right size for a PACG base set (plus hopefully an Ultr-Pro case, once they arrive.


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I still use a combination of real bookshelves and milk crates that I've had for over 30 years. Handiest things you could ever steal...er...acquire without authorization.


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I used to use besser bricks and scrounged planks - but they dropped dust and bits of grit everywhere. I never tried crates - they seemed to me they'd use up too much space per foot of bookshelf.


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Steve Geddes wrote:
I used to use besser bricks and scrounged planks - but they dropped dust and bits of grit everywhere. I never tried crates - they seemed to me they'd use up too much space per foot of bookshelf.

You fill them with books and then play jenga when you need the book inside


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I hate ikea.

Wife and I got an entire entertainment center through them. The purchase was smooth, the delivery and assembly was not. As this was our first purchase after bedbugs almost destroyed our apartment, we opted for professional assembly. The delivery guy, mounting guy, and construction guy were three different people who arrived at three different times over the course of three weeks. Out of order. My wife fought with ikea over the course of those weeks without end, and and what should have been a simple job ended up being a long, slow, ugly slog with constructed bookcases doubling as chairs and exercise equipment because they were assembled and not moved because "moving them is not my responsibility". We will never shop there again.

However, the new bookcases are quite lovely, and bring the living room together.


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Freehold DM wrote:

I hate ikea.

Wife and I got an entire entertainment center through them. The purchase was smooth, the delivery and assembly was not. As this was our first purchase after bedbugs almost destroyed our apartment, we opted for professional assembly. The delivery guy, mounting guy, and construction guy were three different people who arrived at three different times over the course of three weeks. Out of order. My wife fought with ikea over the course of those weeks without end, and and what should have been a simple job ended up being a long, slow, ugly slog with constructed bookcases doubling as chairs and exercise equipment because they were assembled and not moved because "moving them is not my responsibility". We will never shop there again.

However, the new bookcases are quite lovely, and bring the living room together.

You should try the HON metal shelves. No assembly required. They are block solid.

I can get them at Sears easily enough and they have delivery which will put the shelves anywhere you want them (though I wouldn't advise moving the shelves yourself unless you have a strong back).

I'm not certain how they would work in a Living room, but for a library they are wonderful!

Edit: I actually do have other shelves besides the HON ones. I just am really delighted with HON. I'm not made of money though, so I have had to get bookshelves in other ways that are far more economical for my needs.

I made my own shelf out of 2x6 from the Hardware store. I made sure to get heavy wood that could take a LOT of weight. It took more work than I thought it would (used hand tools, so that may be part of it). Sanding took a lot longer than I thought it would take, and then there was the lacquering and putting it together.

They seem solid a well, AND, a lot cheaper than HON. In fact, if you have the tools, looking at the price of a IKEA's bookshelves, if you are willing to work, you can build a BETTER, STRONGER, and quality bookshelf for the same price OR A LOT cheaper than Ikea's bookshelves.


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Freehold DM wrote:

I hate ikea.

Wife and I got an entire entertainment center through them. The purchase was smooth, the delivery and assembly was not. As this was our first purchase after bedbugs almost destroyed our apartment, we opted for professional assembly. The delivery guy, mounting guy, and construction guy were three different people who arrived at three different times over the course of three weeks. Out of order. My wife fought with ikea over the course of those weeks without end, and and what should have been a simple job ended up being a long, slow, ugly slog with constructed bookcases doubling as chairs and exercise equipment because they were assembled and not moved because "moving them is not my responsibility". We will never shop there again.

However, the new bookcases are quite lovely, and bring the living room together.

well, the IKEA system is buy, bring home yourself, assemble yourself

no problem then,


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we will go to IKEA in a few minutes looking for a big-boy-bed for the Dwarfling


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So excited for Starfinder!


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Really looking forward to it. I've always wanted to like Sci-fi games but they've just never gelled for me and my group. I have high hopes for this foray.

I reckon I'll now be right for the first dozen APs. ;)


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aeglos wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:

I hate ikea.

Wife and I got an entire entertainment center through them. The purchase was smooth, the delivery and assembly was not. As this was our first purchase after bedbugs almost destroyed our apartment, we opted for professional assembly. The delivery guy, mounting guy, and construction guy were three different people who arrived at three different times over the course of three weeks. Out of order. My wife fought with ikea over the course of those weeks without end, and and what should have been a simple job ended up being a long, slow, ugly slog with constructed bookcases doubling as chairs and exercise equipment because they were assembled and not moved because "moving them is not my responsibility". We will never shop there again.

However, the new bookcases are quite lovely, and bring the living room together.

well, the IKEA system is buy, bring home yourself, assemble yourself

no problem then,

if I was living on my own, I would have done that and I have assembled several ikea things in my time for less...able...friends. However, this was for our apartment, which has strange legal things attached to it, we went with professionals so we wouldn't damage anything and also wanted some aspects of our furniture wall mounted, which I have no experience with. So we were between a rock and a hard place.

Scarab Sages

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This reminds me - I need to either visit Ikea, or check out their website. Need some replacement wheels for a piece of kitchen furniture I bought from there years ago.


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How about some music to tide you over?

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