Decent bookshelf for the price, and that each shelf holds 50 lbs is a plus. One of the posted questions was answered somewhat incorrectly - Q: "Is this bookcase made of wood or chipboard?" A: The bookcase is made of real wood. – Miles from Wayfair on Nov 03, 2011. It's particle board — in essence real wood, but shavings glued and compressed to make make the boards. The backing piece, which is cardboard, looked like someone had spilled their coffee on it and wiped it off. Luckily it was on the back. There were a few slight surface scratches, but not worth sending the product back. Easy to assemble. Free shipping is always an added bonus.