Antiques:
Preservation:
You MUST store your precious antiques carefully. This demands drawers if the items are of a small size, and more creative solutions like display cases or curio cabinets if they are large. But be careful. Many an antique has been ruined because it was packaged carelessly, or stored away carefully, but in the wrong sort of material, for example, acidic paper. Read up on Preservation and be sure to check out some of the links below on the subject, particularly the UPPER MIDWEST CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION.
Protecting and Displaying for your Antiques:
Antiques tend to be larger -in general- that the smallish knickknacks that make up other collectables. This being the case, you are probably going to need custom cases or curio cabinets and you might benefit from my thoughts on Hiring Carpenters -and other useful things.
With a little imagination you can make nice display cases or curio cabinets out of many things Don't forget the home-center store for buying custom glass cabinet doors. (Check out Designing & Building Custom Display Cabinets.) A pair of doors over a carefully selected orange crate might make a rustic but perfect display case. Be imaginative with whatever odd old thing you have at hand. For example, have an old tube-tube radio that hasn't worked in years? -the kind that comes in a big cabinet? Open up the part that holds the speakers -probably mostly fabric anyway, and put doors on it. You will have a killer curio cabinet for your antique jewelry, glass figurines, or even small antique radios.
If you aren't handy, I'd be delighted to sell you the perfect display(s) for your antique collection. For the smaller stuff, a Shadow-box -with clever arrangement*- can be absolutely elegant. For even smaller collections -and those requiring more protection- a Drawer-case or Riker-mount would serve. For your piece de resistance, consider one of my Display Coffee-tables.
* My How-To articles on Shadow Boxes and Adenced Shadow Boxing explain this "arranging."
Interesting Links:
I Tag It is a useful site with pricing information on antiques and collectibles based on recent eBay sales. Interesting approach! They also have expert blogs on a variety of antique/collectibles topics.
GO Antiques is a pretty commercial site -but it's well organized and has lots of free information.
I think this site is for pretty advanced collectors. Antique Marks is a guide to pottery, porcelain and other antique marks. Lot of other interesting & useful stuff too
This site has it all. The Antique Web -is a Directory of Antiques, Collectibles, Auctions, Collecting News and Trade information.
Yep, Antique Mystique is another commercial site, but also well organized and with the best Index of Items on-line. This index alone is a lesson in antiques and collectables.
The Antique & Collectible Exchange is another large and very well organized commercial site. They have been around almost 20 years and have some terrific chat-rooms.
Antiques & Collectibles National Association is an excellent source for lots of stuff surrounding antiques -but not antiques. Need to know when & where the next convention is? Is there a club for your particular fascination? Insurance for your collection? It's all here.
Collecting Buzz is all about information, news, and fun for the collecting community.
Gasoline Alley Antiques offers over 10,000 vintage and collectible antique die cast scale models, character collectibles, baseball, football and other sports memorabilia.
Crafts of New Jersey is right up my 'ticular alley. It's all about old tools! Nice site.
Then we have the Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors. A wonderfull directory of ever' dang kind of, club for, and category of bottle ever. Impressive!