Displaying ponies--IKEA?

[LadyMoondancer]

Does anyone have any experience with Billy Bookcases (from IKEA)?  Are the shelf heights adjustable?  How did you decide which Billy bookcase to buy?  There seem to be so many!!

Also, do the "natural" colored Billy bookcases have any stain that might stain the ponies, or is it laminate or something?

[tuneful87]

Does anyone have any experience with Billy Bookcases (from IKEA)?  Are the shelf heights adjustable?  How did you decide which Billy bookcase to buy?  There seem to be so many!!

Also, do the "natural" colored Billy bookcases have any stain that might stain the ponies, or is it laminate or something?

I'm in the process of selling my Billy. I never had ponies on it, but....they're cheap and flimsy and your ponies deserve better IMO.

I'd suggest the detolf cabinet (white) by Ikea. Ponies are behind glass (so no dusting needed) and you can use acrylic risers to display them nicely. I just cleared out my old displays and now have 10 detolfs, two of which will be just for ponies. And at $70, they're pretty affordable...

[Skeen]

I have Billy and I love them.  The shelves are adjustable but each unit has one that isn't, for stability.  I have the very pale colored ones and it's just laminate.  I love that I can add or upgrade shelves as I go, and add doors and lighting.  I chose my shelves based on the dimensions of the pony room, but there is a lot of room for trial and error and I want to buy more! 

[dragonfly]

Not Billy but I have glass Detolf cases and like them! Especially good for ponies if you can find clear acrylic risers. Total PITA to assemble, but worth it. You can even put a light inside.

[LadyMoondancer]

Oh wow, those Detolf units looks awesome!   Can anyone tell me approximately how many adult (G1) ponies fit on each shelf?

[NovelNerd]

I'm going to keep an eye on this! I've been debating IKEA shelves

[CustomsRfun]

I have two of those glass cabinets from Ikea. They are neat!!!
You can put the ponies in 3 rows inside. i put the babies in front of the adults and the bottom row on wooden stands to put them higher.

[BlushingBlue]

Judging by the listed dimensions, you could put around 18 adult G1s per shelf on the Detolf. (3 rows of 6 ponies, facing forward, cheek to jowl)

Unless you're specifically choosing Ikea's Billy for the ability to add-on the coordinating doors/shelves, in my opinion they're a waste of money. You can get something nearly indistinguishable from a five-shelf Billy at Walmart for less than $50.

I personally use a Bestå frame with glass shelves. The dimensions are a little different from the Billy, but the overall size is comparable. It's also a little more expensive than the Billy, because you buy the shelves separately, but worth it IMO. The nice thing about Bestå is that there are three columns of shelf-holes that run the full length of the case, so it's much more adjustable than the Billy model. (And you can buy half-depth shelves, so you don't have to DIY any risers.) On the down side, none of coordinating doors are as nice as the Oxberg, IMO, although they do have lots and lots of styles to choose from.

[Galactica]

Depends on how crowded you make the shelves-  you can check out mine at the NW Pony Party if you come (you'd better come!!!)

[Kiwi]

We're going to Ikea tomorrow to get a bunch from the ALGOT line - they fix right to the wall, but lots of flexibility. I haven't tried them yet, but I think I'll be happy (plus I don't have to deal with the uneven floor anymore).

[tuneful87]

Not Billy but I have glass Detolf cases and like them! Especially good for ponies if you can find clear acrylic risers. Total PITA to assemble, but worth it. You can even put a light inside.

After making 10, I'm able to assemble each in 30 minutes or less now. The hardest part (honestly) is getting everything out of the boxes!

Personally, I think these are the kind of cabinets where you don't want too much inside them. It's for display. So, I've boxed up all my ponies and will just be displaying about 6 -8 per shelf with acrylic risers. Then I'll rotate every few months, so everyone gets a little attention. hehe

[apanda0622]

I actually have both BILLY and Detolf cases.  I use the Detolf for my Monster High dolls and the Billy cases for my ponies and other 80s toys.  I found the Billy cases much easier to put together than the Detolf cases.  They both have pro and cons. 

Detolf do not have adjustable shelves, but they do keep a lot of dust out.  The Billy cases without glass doors of course will allow things to get dusty, but the shelves are adjustable and the case is a lot taller than Detolf. I do also need risers for the Billy cases to maximize space horizontally.  For the Detolf cases you would need to maximize space vertically with risers.

[STLGusty]

Does anyone have pictures of their ponies in Detolfs?  I was going to try to buy Billys this summer, but now you've all got me thinking...

[zombienixon]

I have two that are the main display shelves for my collection. I think they're a pretty good value for money in terms of display space. You can also use the peg holes to mount your own shelf risers. They're also much wider and taller than similarly priced shelves I saw at Walmart and Target. The only thing I don't like is that the backboard is kind of flimsy, but that's nothing that can't be fixed with a trip to Home Depot.

[shadowlark]

I use Billy bookcases with the matching doors to keep out dust and cats LOL  My husband added extra holes so I could add more shelves in the spots that didn't have holes. Tried risers but didn't like having ponies in the back where it was darker and harder to see, so added extra shelves and now everyone is at the front. Plushies on top (and currently other assorted junk and Zoonie the green monkey - I need to organize!)

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Oh, I just noticed poor SS Magic Star fell down again Poor girl. Must make her a new stand!