apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Great idea. Have seen bigger, taller ones used as storage in the kitchen/DR also. Good to hang on to these relics ... you never know when this "computer age fad" might pass! ;-)

Beautiful! My former professor had a tall one he used to store pens and pencils of different colors and slides from his travels --each drawer was a different city.

I love this! Ah, the Dewey Decimal System. :)

i have been on the lookout for awhile. my father in law is a librarians and yet somehow still can't get my hands on one.

buying the ikea little box thing with 9 drawrers soon, kind of like a card catalog, forthe top of my desk. need it to organize electronics. gps, camera charger, usb hub, other camera charger, ipods, etc

wow, I can't type at all today...

We had a beautiful card catalog chest for a long time. Loved the way it looked, but it was ultimately lacking in functionality. The interior drawer dimension plus the card holding rod (remember: all those little cards had holes punched through the bottom) left very little room for any useful storage.

In the end, we gave it to a neighboring family that uses it to store Chinese herbs. It is now well-used.

My mother is a librarian and as schools make the move to online catalogs these awesome pieces of furniture have been put out for the trash. My mom of course can't stand to see this happen and has managed to accumulate nearly every card catalog from the different buildings in her school system over the last few years. I've got a large one that's 5' by 5' square with 64 drawers that sits against a wall as you come into my apt. It's the perfect 'landing strip' b/c both my bf and I have a drawer with our intials that we just open and toss in the keys, work badges, smokes, spare change..and then Close! Everything is handy and never goes any further to get lost.

We have all of the drawers labeled and use them to store everything: sewing supplies, tools, pens/pencils/highlighters, winter essentials like gloves, scarves and hats, and daily use items like dog leashes so they're handy.

As for the problem raised above with the rods (originally to hold cards in) my mom and I have handled this in 2 different ways:
* Take the rods to a handyman shop and have the 'rod' cut off, then glue the knob onto the front of the drawer so you haven't lost the 'look' of the card catalog, or
* Make a template of the drawer, leaving the rod (in it's groove alone) and cut pieces of cardboard to fit in the bottom of the drawer. It coveres the rod and groove, so small items can't get stuck, makes the drawer useful, and doesn't mar the original furniture at all.

Or, you can do it the way I do....just leave it alone and don't store anything too small in there unless it's in it's own container :)

I get so many compliments on mine..and I love it! What other item of furniture would give me such great storage options and be so attractive? :)

oh I really like this as a coffee table! I've seen them as taller storage units, but this is a nice change of pace. I'd love to stuff one full of art supplies- I could organize that all day! :P

http://cozylittlecave.blogspot.com

i was lucky enough to score one of these from a super nice lady on freecycle. she had one hiding under piles of stuff in her garage and it gave her an excuse to clean it up. anyway, mine is being turned into a bench for me to sit and paint on with the drawers being used to hold my acrylic paints. it's the most useful piece of furniture in my apartment thus far :)

http://labmade.etsy.com

I love the old card catalogs, although I don't own one myself. People have found all sorts of uses for them, as I noted on my blog post, Ode to the Library Card Catalog.

Computers are great, but I miss good old library cataloging

IKEA PS has a modern version:

http://tiny.cc/8EHIy

Saedie, I don't suppose your mom has any left to give away? I want one so badly but I can't shell out the prices of most I've seen.

Cassis:
Unfortunately, the ones she got have been put to use in her home, mine or the in-laws. However, my advice would be this if you're looking for one - proactively contact librarians at elementary, middle and high schools in your area. Ask if they still have the card catalogs in their libraries and if they are aware if they are going to be removed. Then follow-up follow-up follow-up and see if you can either purchase it straight from the board of ed, or if the board forces everything to an auction over the summer, then Go to the auction.

School auctions are one of the best places to find sturdy, hardwood furniture that you'd never be able to find otherwise. And, they often sell items in lots (i.e. 20 tables instead of the 2 you wanted) but for so cheap - probably less than you'd have been willing to spend for the 2!

Especially look for school systems that are building new buildings. Generally, when a new building is constructed, they buy ALL NEW for the building - such a waste! But it means those old oak built-ins in the classrooms, bookcases, tables, desks and chairs are up for grabs for next to nothing! Sometimes if the old building is being torn down you can even make a deal to remove the old gym wood flooring!

As an aside, i know i'm getting off topic, but overhead projectors (perfect if you want to project a large pattern onto a wall to paint), film strip canisters and reels and projectors are often available too. I've even seen opaque projectors (better than an overhead, but hard to find) for sale. Inner city school districts are best as they often have been operating with the oldest of the old (but not always in poor condition) and are getting the most grant money, and are likewise willing to sell 'old' (but perfectly fine anf functional) equipment for pennies.

Good luck - hope you're successful in your quest!

hey, i have two of those chairs @ my summer house...love them

Saedie - great info, thanks!