I started with the Per Madsen Rackits way back when Per was just getting started and I bought his elegantly designed minimalist racks made of solid oak pieces from his garage workshop in San Francisco. They were about $40 per rack in those days. Each rack holds about 100 single albums, generally fewer records if they are in boxes. By the time he retired 30+ years later, they cost about $100 each. They stack up to five high (although I have them up to 6 high. ) I saw in MF's column that there is someone who has copied Per's designs exactly and sells a duplicate of $129 now. I have over 100 Rackits which hold about 10,000 records (about 2/3rds of my vinyl collection). I have several Ikea cases which hold my other 5000 records. The Per Madsen Rackits predated Ikea in the US, and their modular design makes moving records around much easier, since the Rackits can be carried with records in them, by reasonably strong people.
I am guessing I spent about $6000 on my 100+ Rackits to hold 10K records, or about 60 cents per record. The Ikea cases were much cheaper (not the Kallax or Expedit, but another one that is 76 in high by 48 in wide with two sets of five openings between 13.5 and 14 in high and 15 inches deep. It also has a back. I have four of those. I'm sure they were less than $250 each. So I spent under $7000 to hold 15K records. To hold the same number, I would need 22 of the Waxrax units at $5K each - or $110K.
Larry
