i recently tried putting up some shelves in my apartment. I used drywall anchors, a couple of different types. I started wiht the small plastic ones which you just push in and then run the screw into them. Well they obviously werent strong enough and the shelf wouldn't even hold it's own weight so I went to home depot and they gave me thses large metal anchors that were like half an inch round that screwed into the drywall and then a screw went into them and a wing-like metal peice flares out and tightens against the wall similar to a "toggle bolt". This too just pulled out of the wall. Obviously the drywall is extremely brittle due to it being very old age.
However, I really need these shelves so is there any way you can recommend anything else I can try to make this work out? I've tried a stud finder and it gives me no result so that doesnt seem to be an option either.

thanks
pedro

 

You have to have studs. Find the edge of 1 stud and move 3/4 of and inch over and make a mark, this is the middle. Hopefully the middlle of the next stud will be 16" away from that mark. you could use a toggle bolt but a stud sounds like a better idea here.

To find a stud you could put yout face near the wall and look down it while shining a light looking for a protruding nail. Or push on the wall here and there,sometimes the sheet rock is off the wall a little and a nail will show up when you push in the right spot. You should be able to find a stud with a stud finder. Are you sure you are using it right and it has good batteries if it needs them.

http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+find+a+stud

check a few out