I think I've seen those at Michael's craft store. They have a whole section of unfinished wood pieces. It would be better to reuse, though. Maybe check a salvage yard?

i'm drawing a blank on wooden crates, but flue tiles (available at your local builder- used to line chimneys) are super versatile and could be used for this. i've used them as feet for platform beds etc.

With a staple gun, wood, and stain, you can make a simple box. Or wooden wine crates (though the back will be covered). Sometimes the local liquor sells them for cheap or give them away for free.

Fenton MacLaren in Berekeley makes unfinished storage cubes that might be the right size. They have backs to them, but since they make custom furniture, I'm betting that you can get them without the backs.

http://www.fentonmaclaren.com/unfinishedfurniture.html

I've been thinking about a custom shelf unit similar to the one pictured, either buying something unfinished or asking our handy superintendent to make one for us. Everything online seems to have a back on it, very annoying.
Like this, for instance:
http://www.1unfinishedfurniture.com/pwc7-1.html

I never saw those at Amazon. They look nice. Thank you zoee for the link.

Zoee's find is good, it requires assembly which means you can "forget" the backer board! And for $20 its hard to go wrong...

I would recommend Books and Bookshelves in San Francisco (http://www.booksandbookshelves.com/). I couldn't find them on their website, but they do custom work and have great wood boxes for $22. I believe they can make them without backs on request. I think they have a better finish than the ones on Amazon.

IKEA got something similar. It's called TRABY. you can put laminate or wood worktops on top of them.
All the best!

they look like shadowbox frames to me.

hobby lobby!

I have to apologize and say I don't know how deep the cubes are on the DWR sample but Amoeba, record store in the Haight, sells unfinished wood cubes for record storage. Would that size fit the bill? They at least don't have backs on them.

My husband keeps wanting to buy some but I tell him that it would be cheaper just to build them, like caligirl said. Maybe I should have just let him get them....it's been months and his records are still in storage!

Thank you all so much. The Traby option looks great but alas, Traby isn't available in the US or Canada (where I live). The other options though are quite promising. (FYI - and I should have mentioned this before - the DWR "boxes" are 14Hx14Wx11.25D)

Rosanne