Storing empty bottles? Idears?

[earthtonegirl]

I've got a beerie BF who likes to save a bottle from every new brew he tries. Later they get entered into a database and the label is photographed. (good thing I heart beer geeks)

Being a big fan of new beers, and a huge procrastinator, he tends to accumulate many, many bottles before they are catalogued and cleared for disposal. I'm kinda tired of tripping over them (I mean.. concerned I might damage them??).

I'm wondering if anyone has nifty ideas for storing (perhaps displaying?) all these treasured bottles that doesn't involve using half the livingroom floor? Wine racks maybe? (would 12 oz bottles work in a wine rack?) We're not very handy folk, so I think installing a shelf around the ceiling is out of the question... Do they sell beer racks?

[dparsons]

This may not be so popular but if I was walking on a girlfriends bottles that she was going to get around to sometime, I'd be more inclined to a use them or loose them approach. If he isn't going to keep them you don't need to store them. Laziness isn't a good quality.

[newportstorm]

I did this for a few years. Eventually, the collection of bottles became an intrusion into my living space (they couldn't all fit on one 6 ft. shelving unit in the spare bedroom). They went into the cellar in big rolling plastic bins. And they stayed there until it came time to move. Ever try to lift a giant plastic tote filled with heavy glass bottles? Don't.

I decided to keep a couple dozen that were unique, first runs, held some sentimental value, etc. Most of the others were simply standard size and shape brown bottles. Nothing remotely special about them. The rest got recycled or redeemed for cash.

Tell your BF to float off the labels and store them in albums instead. This won't work for some bottles (screenprinted, etc.) but unless you have a house, basement, garage, etc. where such a collection can grow without causing the mess it is now, label/coaster collecting is a better alternative.