If your bookstore starts to become a little ‘overcrowded’ you may need to consider some storage options. I’ve visited a few bookshops that had two rows of boxes piled four feet high in front of there sell-able rows of books. At least they were sell-able when they could be seen. Don’t let things get out of hand, begin to plan for extra storage as early as possible. When the time comes and if you have no expansion possibilities then you’ll already know what to do next.
Storage space always seems to be at a premium and we continually need more. The most cost effective way to provide additional storage is the use of shelves. Surprisingly, there is really no need to invest a great deal of money in this storage system, as cheap shelving can provide sturdy and attractive storage just as well as the expensive shelves. Only a little research and imagination is required.
When considering shelving for the garage area (keep in mind to control the humidity), steel or galvanized shelves will hold most anything needed for better organization. Good heavy duty 4 and 5 tier shelves can be found for less than $50, with some even cheaper. Add a few inexpensive baskets or boxes and even smaller, easily misplaced items can be safely stored on shelves. Labeling the boxes or baskets makes it a simple matter to locate small electrical supplies, plumbing fittings or other small items.
For inside the home, there are many attractive wire shelving units that will easily fit into the décor, adding their own special touch in several colors and styles. These shelves range in price from $25 to $60 and adapt beautifully as laundry supply storage, flower and plant displays, bookshelves and many other uses. These too, can hold inexpensive baskets or other type of container and be decoratively converted into storage for clothing or toys.
There are many available resources for cheap shelving, either on line or at local stores such as Office Depot, Home Depot and Lowe’s. Quite often, a larger selection will be offered at on line sites and this makes it much simpler to compare styles and prices as well. Take a few minutes to research the options and view the different styles.
If you enjoy basic carpentry, simple and inexpensive shelves can be easily constructed from wood. Even cheaper types of wood can be sanded and varnished, stained or painted to produce very attractive units. Simple 6” or 8” planks can be mounted to the wall with inexpensive and basic brackets, one above another, as many as desired, to form a storage area that requires no carpentry skills other than cutting the planks to the desired lengths. Just remember to use brackets at least every 3 feet along the shelf to prevent sagging and you will have a unique set of shelves to proudly display.