Thank you very very much for the advice even years later. I was pleasantly surprised to also discover you are one of the first CZcamsrs on the site! Hats off to the pioneers!
This is a great video and many thanks for all your hard work, doing a great physical comparison of each set of shelves. Just the thought of carrying all of those games up the stairs had me out of breath! But thank you for your efforts it really was very much appreciated.
I love your videos Scott! It's because of you that I've added some great games to my collection. Thank you very much for being you and for your love of the hobby! :-) Good luck with your new life in Canada! :-)
Thank you so much for all the work you did in this video! This is exactly the video I was looking for :-) I am going to try to organize our board games and I have been trying to decide which system to get from IKEA. Thank you thank you thank you!
Great video! I have been trying to come up with a choice on these 3 shelves and seeing the same games placed on each model like that really helps conceptualize how my collection would fit best.
Hi Gregory ;) hope your adjusting to your new place and country... Thanks Scott for the review Im looking for shelves today and I was thinking about getting the Kallax so I came across this video. I actually thought you stopped doing videos. Glad to see ya back.
Excellent video. I have only been playing boardgames since January of this year. Good Lord! I did not realized they were so addicting. I'm already shopping around for shelving and your video helped a lot. Thanks again :-)
I never thought there was that much difference between those shelves until you moved the same set of games onto each one. Then the differences were very clear. Thanks!
I used to watch Board Game with Scott when i was in school. (8 Years ago?) I have became a serious gamer / collector of my own now. Can't believe you are still making videos. You are one of my favorite reviewer of all time! Welcome back !
Thanks Scott. This video was oddly fascinating for a video about shelves. I wish I'd seen this BEFORE I bought my Billy shelves. Good luck with the organizing! 8)
Fantastic. Have a fantastic time in Canada. I've been moving with Billy cases for years now. As the board game collection has increased though things are starting to get tight!
Awesome! What every gamer needs! I have the Kallax and it's working pretty well! Was hard to assemble tho but once it's up its good! Definitely need to secure to the wall.
Great video! I just moved my own collection. Getting the boxes and then actually moving them were the worst parts. I went with five 4x4 Kallax units and five of the 4x2s to stack on top. I didn't find putting them together myself too difficult but the left over space after filling them up with games is something that I came across as well. Right now I've just stuck slim card games in there but I want to eventually go over everything with a bit of reorganization.
I'm currently moving to a smallish apartment in NYC and trying to figure out what to do with my board game collection (much smaller than yours, but I'm hoping to grow it). This video was super helpful. Currently learning towards Kallax. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and doing all that work for us!
For a real brief time in 2013/2014ish they had a Billy bookcase that was about 15 inches deep as well as the 11 inch deep ones that they only sell now. Other then the depth they were both the same height and width. We were able to get 3 of those and they are amazing for holding board games. Thanks for this video, between board games and my son's school stuff we're reaching the point where we're probably going to have to expand some more and it's handy to see what other options are currently available at Ikea.
I store my 100+ games in a small closet using two different sized Billy shelves (TTR-sized boxes on the large, Sheriff of Nottingham, San Juan, etc. on medium) and the GNEDBY CD rack for card games and small box games like Resistance and For Sale. Works quite well. Scott, I'd love to see your shelves once you have everything organized!
Great video, thanks! I have Kallax and Billy in my house. I moved all games to Kallax, its way better since I have glass doors in Billies and so most of the games don't fit in. There are little doors available for Kallax, I use those to hide my card games, extra packs of card sleeves and such. Ikea also has boxes that fit in Kallax snuggly, those can be handy for smaller games and accessories as well.
Really helpful video! I've been trying to decided which system would be the best option for my (too) many books. I think I'll try the Kallax as it's more reasonably priced here in the UK than all the Billy bookcases I'd have to buy for the same storage space.
Great video! Thanks. I know it doesn't matter to many people, but I also appreciate that back on the Besta in many situations from an aesthetics stand point. But the Kallax also has those well-fitted inserts which can be great for us OCD people too when something just doesn't look right in stacks. :) Anyways, my first Scott Nicholson video. Off to find more!
Thanks Scott! My only complaint is that this wasn't available 6 months ago ;-) I ended up going with the Kallax shelves and love them. I did buy another line at IKEA for my books and larger games (forget the name). I ended up buying the doors and drawer inserts for the smaller card games.
Very helpful video. I'm in the middle of reorganizing my apartment and find my Finnby (also Ikea's) shelves just too shallow for board games, and sticking out is not an option since the space is relatively crammed and someone (most likely: me) would bump into games constantly. Didn't know that Kallax 5x5 can have some dividers removed, I already considered Kallax for games but didn't know that. Also, for card games, if you don't have old cd racks, there's Ikea Gnedby (tall, VERY narrow and shallow shelf)
I'm late to this...but just want to say this video was very helpful. I'm about to 'Kallax' half my house for storing games, books etc. I'm going to use the kallax inserts for smaller, loose items. Swedish storage wins the day.
I ended up going with the kallax. I drilled 5mm holes in all the vertical wood, and added lil shelf pegs splitting the shelf in half and in thirds (options for taller boardgames). Sure it there is wasted space, but no games are stacked or stored on their side. All happy games :)
I just watched this from beginning to end. I'm surprised how informative and useful that was. I'm more surprised that I watched it all... Thanks, Scott Nicholson.
expedit/kallax is also a big hit with people who have record collections, since the interiors are the perfect size for LPs. there's also a 2x2 version.
we have a lot of kallax all over the house. they hold games and tons of books. the 2x4 kallax is really nice for me when you put it down longways and then you've got a waist-high shelf space. we've got one like that as our entertainment center (tv on top, games & stuff in the boxes under). another nice thing about any kallax is you can get internal storage dividers: double-drawers, T-divider, and cabinet. so for smaller card games & such, you could turn one of those squares into two drawers or 4 smaller squares.
Scott, I highly highly recommend you search for a norrebo for game storage if you find it, there are some listings in CA from the looks of it for a used one.
I have a combination, I have the Kallax as my "Regular sized board game shelf" and a Besta for my smaller games. Do you have a way to store those little card games? You mentioned CD rack?
Excellent comparison of the IKEA storage options. Kind of like a good board game. No single optimal path to victory for any given set of variables. Players, er, people, must balance cost, flexibility, and ease of construction based on their specific situation.
Hey There!! Gregory. Say hay to the Trailer park boys eh. Good day eh. You got your workout for the week all in one day. Love the black shorts with button top.
For 5 years, I did the first board game video series on CZcams called Board Games with Scott. I started many videos with a funny intro, and it was something that many fans told me they missed when I didn't do it. So, who needs it? Fans of Board Games with Scott. Oh, and me. Given that I'm doing this for the fun of it, I do those things because it amuses me.
I try very hard not to stack any of my games ontop of eachother. I currently have a closet with sliding doors and I have made a bunch of standalone shelves that each fit 1 game height (2 or 3 side by side). Keeping all games flat and none stacking. The problem is... that closet is now full :( And my overflow space for cheaper games is also full... It looks like the besta is the only one that can hold games like this, but Id pay alot for many extra shelves :( Oh well, thanks for the review. great info.
Husband? I just bought 3 KALLAX and some dividers for the small card games (wine diver works perfectly fine with them). Sadly here in Europe they are only available in white.
What Besta model/configuration number did you get... im looking at the ikea site but i do not see those tall versions... all are short... thanks for the video
Thank you very very much for the advice even years later. I was pleasantly surprised to also discover you are one of the first CZcamsrs on the site! Hats off to the pioneers!
This is a great video and many thanks for all your hard work, doing a great physical comparison of each set of shelves. Just the thought of carrying all of those games up the stairs had me out of breath! But thank you for your efforts it really was very much appreciated.
I love your videos Scott! It's because of you that I've added some great games to my collection. Thank you very much for being you and for your love of the hobby! :-) Good luck with your new life in Canada! :-)
Great video and thanks! I've been pondering a new shelving unit since I got into the hobby. Thanks for putting in all the work; very much appreciated.
The internet loves your intro's and also thanks you for all your hard board game shuffling around work!
Thank you for all the money and effort you put into making my decision easier. Very informative and entertaining!
Thank you so much for all the work you did in this video! This is exactly the video I was looking for :-) I am going to try to organize our board games and I have been trying to decide which system to get from IKEA. Thank you thank you thank you!
Great video! I have been trying to come up with a choice on these 3 shelves and seeing the same games placed on each model like that really helps conceptualize how my collection would fit best.
Thanks for all the work you did carrying and storing those games for the video :)
Thank you for this! We have a whole walk-in closet to store out board games, but we had no idea which shelves to get for them
It is very nice to get a new Scott Nicholson video.
Hi Gregory ;) hope your adjusting to your new place and country... Thanks Scott for the review Im looking for shelves today and I was thinking about getting the Kallax so I came across this video. I actually thought you stopped doing videos. Glad to see ya back.
Watching this, it brings some nostalgia of the time you were doing your board game reviews!
Excellent video. I have only been playing boardgames since January of this year. Good Lord! I did not realized they were so addicting. I'm already shopping around for shelving and your video helped a lot. Thanks again :-)
I haven't seen a Scott video for years, literally. Good to see you again Scott.
Awesome video. Been curious about my shelving options. Thanks for putting this together.
I never thought there was that much difference between those shelves until you moved the same set of games onto each one. Then the differences were very clear. Thanks!
I used to watch Board Game with Scott when i was in school. (8 Years ago?) I have became a serious gamer / collector of my own now. Can't believe you are still making videos. You are one of my favorite reviewer of all time! Welcome back !
HI GREGORY!!!
I was already enjoying this video, but now I REALLY love this video!
Thank you, i really needed to see this. I'm planning an Ikea trip this weekend.
Thanks Scott. This video was oddly fascinating for a video about shelves. I wish I'd seen this BEFORE I bought my Billy shelves. Good luck with the organizing! 8)
Thanks Scott! This was a fun watch.
Fantastic. Have a fantastic time in Canada. I've been moving with Billy cases for years now. As the board game collection has increased though things are starting to get tight!
Thank u for all the info and the extra time to make this video! Hi Gregory!!
Awesome! What every gamer needs! I have the Kallax and it's working pretty well! Was hard to assemble tho but once it's up its good! Definitely need to secure to the wall.
Great video! I just moved my own collection. Getting the boxes and then actually moving them were the worst parts. I went with five 4x4 Kallax units and five of the 4x2s to stack on top. I didn't find putting them together myself too difficult but the left over space after filling them up with games is something that I came across as well. Right now I've just stuck slim card games in there but I want to eventually go over everything with a bit of reorganization.
Came here from board game breakfast on Matthew Jude's recommendation. Fantastic vid, thanks for the info!
I'm currently moving to a smallish apartment in NYC and trying to figure out what to do with my board game collection (much smaller than yours, but I'm hoping to grow it). This video was super helpful. Currently learning towards Kallax. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and doing all that work for us!
Great comparison, Scott. Neat tip about sewing elastic!
I thought my family were the only boardgames nerds! This was a great video and SOOOO helpful. Thanx Scott!
Thanks for this. I am shopping for board game shelving and this helped me pick the one for me!
Scott is my new favorite person.
I am moving right now, so this video was extremely helpful. Also, I very much enjoyed Gregory's cameo!
Thanks Scott - been looking for help picking storage, and this (although about games) really helps... Vinyl and hardbacks are equally chunky.
For a real brief time in 2013/2014ish they had a Billy bookcase that was about 15 inches deep as well as the 11 inch deep ones that they only sell now. Other then the depth they were both the same height and width. We were able to get 3 of those and they are amazing for holding board games.
Thanks for this video, between board games and my son's school stuff we're reaching the point where we're probably going to have to expand some more and it's handy to see what other options are currently available at Ikea.
Thank you for the video. I ended up optimizing space and use an excel sheet to keep track of the game styles and locate the game in my Kallax matrix.
Thanks for carrying 150 boxes upstairs for no reason. - The Internet
I am really liking your videos. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much for this video. This was so helpful!!!
Exactly what I needed to see. So helpful. Once ikea opens again after the coronavirus I'll get me some kallax shelves. Thank you
I store my 100+ games in a small closet using two different sized Billy shelves (TTR-sized boxes on the large, Sheriff of Nottingham, San Juan, etc. on medium) and the GNEDBY CD rack for card games and small box games like Resistance and For Sale. Works quite well. Scott, I'd love to see your shelves once you have everything organized!
Great video, thanks! I have Kallax and Billy in my house. I moved all games to Kallax, its way better since I have glass doors in Billies and so most of the games don't fit in. There are little doors available for Kallax, I use those to hide my card games, extra packs of card sleeves and such. Ikea also has boxes that fit in Kallax snuggly, those can be handy for smaller games and accessories as well.
I like the kallax.
I think it is very easy to put together.
"Shimmer" is without a doubt one of the greatest pitfalls when it comes to carpentry.
Really helpful video! I've been trying to decided which system would be the best option for my (too) many books. I think I'll try the Kallax as it's more reasonably priced here in the UK than all the Billy bookcases I'd have to buy for the same storage space.
Great video Scott. We have a spare Billy (the half size one) and mostly Euro games, should work out perfectly.
Great video! Thanks. I know it doesn't matter to many people, but I also appreciate that back on the Besta in many situations from an aesthetics stand point. But the Kallax also has those well-fitted inserts which can be great for us OCD people too when something just doesn't look right in stacks. :)
Anyways, my first Scott Nicholson video. Off to find more!
We appreciate you Scott!!!
The video i was looking for! Great!
"Thanks internet" killed me 8:18
fantastic video
This video is perfect
wonderful video! so helpful. (currently looking for shelves!)
I have one important thing to add: THANK YOU!
My first thought when I saw the video posted: "Oh my god!!! There's finally an IKEA in Western NY?!?!"
Oh....
Thanks Scott! My only complaint is that this wasn't available 6 months ago ;-) I ended up going with the Kallax shelves and love them. I did buy another line at IKEA for my books and larger games (forget the name). I ended up buying the doors and drawer inserts for the smaller card games.
Thanks so much for this. I just redid my playroom and I am debating which shelf system I need for board games.
Outstanding
Very useful info. We have as many, if not more games that need to be stored...
So informative thanks Scott! X
Thanks very much! This was excellent :)
Thanks for the video!
Super helpful! Thank you!
Welcome to Canada, Scott!
Very helpful video. I'm in the middle of reorganizing my apartment and find my Finnby (also Ikea's) shelves just too shallow for board games, and sticking out is not an option since the space is relatively crammed and someone (most likely: me) would bump into games constantly. Didn't know that Kallax 5x5 can have some dividers removed, I already considered Kallax for games but didn't know that.
Also, for card games, if you don't have old cd racks, there's Ikea Gnedby (tall, VERY narrow and shallow shelf)
Great video!! Thanks!!
On behalf of my slice of the Internet, thanks for the overview. =)
I'm late to this...but just want to say this video was very helpful. I'm about to 'Kallax' half my house for storing games, books etc. I'm going to use the kallax inserts for smaller, loose items. Swedish storage wins the day.
I ended up going with the kallax.
I drilled 5mm holes in all the vertical wood, and added lil shelf pegs splitting the shelf in half and in thirds (options for taller boardgames).
Sure it there is wasted space, but no games are stacked or stored on their side. All happy games :)
I just watched this from beginning to end. I'm surprised how informative and useful that was. I'm more surprised that I watched it all...
Thanks, Scott Nicholson.
expedit/kallax is also a big hit with people who have record collections, since the interiors are the perfect size for LPs.
there's also a 2x2 version.
Sadly, there has been no records in my life for a long, long time. Games, on the other hand, are seriously needing some new homes.
we have a lot of kallax all over the house.
they hold games and tons of books.
the 2x4 kallax is really nice for me when you put it down longways and then you've got a waist-high shelf space.
we've got one like that as our entertainment center (tv on top, games & stuff in the boxes under).
another nice thing about any kallax is you can get internal storage dividers:
double-drawers, T-divider, and cabinet.
so for smaller card games & such, you could turn one of those squares into two drawers or 4 smaller squares.
Now if I only lived somewhere near a IKEA
Matthew Koelling Or had an awesome hat? Please tell me you saw the hat...
I am looking for record storage. Do not have very many board games but still enjoyed your video anyway. Such a nice job.
Thank u for sharing ! I'm getting some ..
Scott, I highly highly recommend you search for a norrebo for game storage if you find it, there are some listings in CA from the looks of it for a used one.
I have a combination, I have the Kallax as my "Regular sized board game shelf" and a Besta for my smaller games. Do you have a way to store those little card games? You mentioned CD rack?
I had an Expedit for books and it was annoying when I wanted to organize my books by topic because they didn’t fit neatly into the boxes.
Welcome to Canada!
Great video. Where were you 3 years ago when I was researching this?
What's this VCR you speak of?
thank you!
Excellent comparison of the IKEA storage options. Kind of like a good board game. No single optimal path to victory for any given set of variables. Players, er, people, must balance cost, flexibility, and ease of construction based on their specific situation.
Billys have worked very well for me. I have nine in one room. Some have books. Some games. Some Both.
Was any of the three particularly more stable than the others? Any change of "wood bowing" ?
I like your videos!
really wish they still made the norrebo. by far the best though. pick it up if you find one
Nice video, I’ve never seen game collector video
All hail Gregory!!!
The Dice Tower podcast brought me here.
i could use one billy shelf sets for my collection; sadly i have no room for that shelf
Hey There!! Gregory. Say hay to the Trailer park boys eh. Good day eh. You got your workout for the week all in one day. Love the black shorts with button top.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer!!!! They only made two of those. For years I've been wondering who bought the other one. :P
Welcome to Ontario.
Mark Rober reminded me of this video.
your voice has similar tones to David Lynch. which is awesome.
Was that so hard, gosh who needs that funny stuff, in the beginning?!
For 5 years, I did the first board game video series on CZcams called Board Games with Scott. I started many videos with a funny intro, and it was something that many fans told me they missed when I didn't do it.
So, who needs it?
Fans of Board Games with Scott.
Oh, and me. Given that I'm doing this for the fun of it, I do those things because it amuses me.
Scott, don't take my previous comment seriously. I was just quoting you in the beginning of the video.
I try very hard not to stack any of my games ontop of eachother. I currently have a closet with sliding doors and I have made a bunch of standalone shelves that each fit 1 game height (2 or 3 side by side). Keeping all games flat and none stacking. The problem is... that closet is now full :( And my overflow space for cheaper games is also full...
It looks like the besta is the only one that can hold games like this, but Id pay alot for many extra shelves :(
Oh well, thanks for the review. great info.
Husband? I just bought 3 KALLAX and some dividers for the small card games (wine diver works perfectly fine with them). Sadly here in Europe they are only available in white.
What Besta model/configuration number did you get... im looking at the ikea site but i do not see those tall versions... all are short... thanks for the video
ninjaijr I know that their web products aren't always the same as store offerings - looks like 402.638.48 is the tall billy.
What kind of shelves? The ones I wanted are 180x180 cm
CD Holders for card games? GENIUS! I shall repurpose one of my old CD racks for this! :D
I like KALLAX, it's pretty good for boardgames but IVAR is by far the most flexible system.