Really amazing

Dennis's is the best! I can picture myself seating there watching Ultra Q on a old TV. Too bad there's a huge spider lurking there.

Amazing Dennis ! This looks like a pic taken in the 70's. Toy shop feel in one's house !

And I love it's on tatami!

Love the display cabinets, Baikin! Toy store heaven in your own house.

Yeah, I think that display put's most of us to shame, I think the same think whenever I see Mark Nagata's collection. I love the character that comes with a nice wood display.

That pic is just the tip of the iceberg. No, really! It's just Dennis being modest.

I remember rummaging through one of a myriad of storage boxes Dennis has and pulling out OG Anraku and OG Butanohana and several Kiyoka Gargamel Handpainted Zagorans from way back when. "Oh, I forgot I had those," he said!

I won't even get into the other amazing box I found laying next to the bed in the guestroom. The figures in that box could buy a Bentley if ever flipped.
"Oh, you saw those, hungh?"

Shirahama Baikin is my Willy Wonka!

Hey Dennis, When can I sleep over

Just beware of the spiders! Dennis' display and content are just awe inspiring!

I am finally going to unbox all of my toys that were binned in the last 2 years for a house remodel! I visited Ikea over the weekend, and discovered the Nornas display cabinets...


Just wondering if anyone has these and what do you think of them. The wood looks unfinished, so it will have to be either painted or stained/varnished. I like the wall mounted ones because you can vacuum under them, and they are smaller than the larger detolfs (versatile in hanging in narrow spaces with lots of vertical display space). Do you think these could hold up to a 21 lb. cat jumping on top of these? I'm a little worried that my kittees will claw at the door opening--the latch system might be an issue for households with bored cats?

You're finally letting all the denizens of your orphanage see the light of day, Grace? Best news I've heard in a good long while.

You should be able to get around the curious kitty problem by going with the wall mounted option, I'd think - eye level should be just about high enough to discourage any attempted high jumps, especially if you put something comfy for them to lounge on underneath the shelves. As for weight-bearing concerns, you could attach some plywood with long screws into the studs and mount your floaters to those. Hmm, I feel like I'm talking gibberish now...

Anywho, congrats! Make sure to take plenty of pics as you unleash your horde!

Thank you D . Um... I should add that the unpacking is going to be on the turtle slow side (lots of vintage toys to wash ). Yes, I will take photos. Also, I finally got my greedy paws on a Martin Harris original water color--Kaiju Zoo!

*this is Martin's photo of his painting

The painting arrived last week, but I am traveling away from home, so I haven't unwrapped it yet. Thank you Martin! Really excited! It's going to be wonderful, hanging on the wall with the toys

P.S. Thank you for mentioning the plywood and long screws option--makes total sense!

Dang, many congrats on two fronts there Grace. I still oft think on Martin's amazing painting, since he shared that one year. And it still calls out to me just as much now as it does then. So spectacular to have an original in your home!

And great news on the unpacking as well. I know I am eagerly looking forward to pics of the toy family, the kitteh family, and the toy 'kitteh' family.

I love that painting! That will be fun to have on a wall Grace!

I'd never seen the Nornas before... Is it me or do the windows look sort of frosted?

It looks that way, but I believe it's just a digital effect to show that there is a glass door.


I think the "NORNÄS" collection is new, I haven't seen it before either. Also, from Ikea's website: "Untreated solid pine is a durable natural material that can be painted, oiled or stained according to preference." I guess it's nice to have that versatility, but I'm not sure I'd want to deal with that, especially for multiple pieces. I mean, I already have to assemble them myself. I do however really like these cabinets.

A little bigger than I expected, which is nice (Width: 14 5/8", Depth: 7 7/8", Height: 14 5/8") Might have to grab a few.

But honestly, I prefer the Detolf. You just can't beat the price. Plus, it's fully transparent for maximum viewing angles. However, I would like to eventually upgrade my display (2 Detolfs) to something more permanent.

Thanks Oli! Yes, I'm pretty excited, and it gives me something to look forward to (in addition to my kittees!) when I return home! And Martin is a super sweet and nice guy! It took me awhile to finance the payments, but I love that painting, and he was willing to accept installments. It will be a treasure to have!

As Patrick mention, the Nornas display cabs are new--they are not listed in the current catalog. That's another reason to go to the store to snoop around to see the goods.

I debated between the detolfs and the Nornas. Both have clear glass (the Nornas looks frosted in the photos, just to show the glass panes more distinctly). I like the Nornas for several reasons. Yes they are smaller than the larger detolfs, but:
-You can wall mount them, so they don't take up a floor foot print, and you can set them at various heights on the wall (hopefully out of reach of nosey large kittees!)

-More size options: they come in more size configs--I'm getting 3 of the long verticals and 3 of the wide 3-level wall-mount cases (might need more as I unpack, but it's a start)

-Versatility: more options with multiple cases--you can arrange them side by side or put one or a few in different rooms and in more locations within the same room. The long narrow ones are great for mounting on a long narrow wall space between two bedroom doors! And/or, you can sprinkle the cases around on a staircase and hallway walls. With the detolf, you just have the one case (although you can stuff more things in it)

-Dust openings: what really bugged me about the detolfs was that all the sides are open between the panes of glass--dust gets in very easily. With the Nornas, it's a narrower opening around the face of the glass pane, and yes, you do give up the 360-degree view of your toys, but I prefer the versatility with size. A friend also pointed out that if I paint the Nornas cases, I can apply a narrow length of weather stripping foam (painted to match the case color), which would then be a better dust deterrent. Still haven't decided if I'm going to paint or stain/varnish. Although, you have the option to paint some and stain others

-No floor print, so you can vacuum under the cases

I also think the Nornas look prettier. I collect other stuff aside from toys, and I think they will look better in the Nornas. Ok, better start unpacking and washing those toys....

P.S. You can take the lazy approach to finishing the wood surface, by assembling the case and painting or varnishing just the outside surface. I am getting a few clothes dressers and a handy dandy male friend is going to assemble everything for me, so I can sit back wearing pink fuzzy slippers and eat chocolate bon bons (and besides, he needs the extra work to take his kid to Disneyland )

EVOM, as I understand it, has put a lot of time and science into the art of keeping dust out of glass shelves. You might want to hit him up.

Oh goodie! A dust scientist! Just as useful as a handy dandy man
Thank you D!

That reminds me - the offer still stands: Fly me to SF using your frequent flyer miles and I'm your 24-hour a day house boy. Sanding, polishing, monster baths, you name it! Cats'll be scritched and fed and your pipe and slippers will never be more than a clap of your hands away!

Tempting! But the big question is, will my toys still be in their cases after you finish dusting!

You wound me, madam! Your plastic will never have felt more secure and at home in all it's days.

Those Nornas (damn these Viking names- who am I kidding though I'm an Ibsen) look pretty nice. I like that unfinished wood look. Only thing I noticed versus the Detolf is the max shelf load capacity is only 4 lbs (Nornas) compared to 13 lbs per shelf with the Detolf. Now I know toys aren't heavy, but you get a large grouping jammed in a shelf it could close on 4 lbs quick. Just saying. Otherwise- they look nice and anti-dust accepting is always good. Can't wait to see those vintage treasures Grace.

EDIT: While we're at it has Dennis aka Baikin aka Shirahama posted an updated collection pic lately? I'm sure that would blow a circuit in my brain.

Ooooooo! Nice catch Chris! Thanks for pointing out the max load per shelf! Hmmm... might have to rethink how I'm going to display some of my non-toy heavier things... Hmmm... Might be a way to brace the shelving. Will have to ask my carpenter friend.

P.S. I guess Henry exceeds the maximum load limit

I don't think these have gained a lot of traction, but I really like the FABRIKÖR case that I bought a couple years ago:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70240332/

On the upside, they are easy to assemble, are very sturdy and stable due to the metal frame and flared base (I have verified that a ~10 lbs. cat can perch on top without issue), and have minimal dust intrusion (mostly around the door, which can probably be fixed by a simple rubber seal). The glass shelves are rated at 22 lbs. I also think they come in very fetching colors.

On the downside, they're one of the more expensive options at $199. The flared base also means that they have a bigger footprint on the floor and do not 'nestle' well with other furniture.

If you are only allowed to have one display case (read that as you will), this is a good choice.

Yeah, those^ are really cool. I've had mine for almost three years now. Still solid, still pretty, still not bored with it. Will prolly get another.