How to store collectibles

Moving guides - October 16, 2023

In order to store collectibles efficiently, you need to find out the most appropriate ways to do it. Collectibles are valuable in various ways. There are many items and art pieces that can fit into this category. Some are valuable in terms of money. Other may have lesser value on the market but may be important to us personally. In order to make sure that all of them keep the market value that they had at the moment of purchase, you need come up with the right way to store them. The goal of this article is to share some ideas with you. They should help you make a decision on what is the best way to protect your items of value. So, by the time you have read this article prepared by Staten Island Movers, you hopefully will have made up your mind on how to preserve your collectibles.

Vintage binoculars
Wood parts need maintenance on a regular basis

What you need to take care of in order to store collectibles the right way

In order to keep your items in a healthy state, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics of the conditions under which they are being stored:

  • pay attention that collectibles are stored in the right temperature,
  • too high or too low humidity are not your friends,
  • choose the correct lighting,
  • perform adequate maintenance,
  • washing sometimes represents one of the biggest mistakes that you can make.

Apart from storing items of value, you may sometimes need help transporting them. In order to do it the right way, you should get in touch with the fine art movers Brooklyn. Relocating your collectibles without the due guidance is as wrong as keeping them in unsafe conditions. Therefore, act smart and get professional help when needed.

The importance of temperature

Have you noticed that all major art museums and galleries around the world keep the same temperature inside? This is not just a coincidence. Temperature conditions play an enormous role in the preservation of collectibles. Make it too hot or too cold and your valuable items may suffer. What is the perfect temperature to store collectibles? About 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Another thing that can damage them severely are variations in the mentioned temperature. If the temperature in the place where you store collectibles varies, the material of the art piece can suffer damage. You need to have precise control of it.

In either case, not only will they lose value, but you will be held responsible in the circle of collectors for letting an important piece deteriorate and suffer damage. This is the last thing that you would want to happen to your precious items. So, no matter whether you are trying to find the best way to store your items or execute Brooklyn Movers, you should get professional advice on whether you are doing it how you should or not.

Humidity can be damaging if you store collectibles the wrong way

The second thing that we need to talk about is the humidity. Water is precious to life. But do not forget that water can cause damage as well. Just like we don’t want to deal with mold in our homes, we need to make sure that we store collectibles in dry conditions as well. Otherwise, they will be gone quickly. So, in order to keep them in a good condition, you should look to store collectibles in a room where the humidity is at 40-50% at the above-mentioned temperature ranges.

Store collectibles the right way - be mindful of humidity in the room where you keep them
Humidity plays a great role in collectibles storing

If you are looking to move, you need to correctly protect the art pieces in your possession. For example, using saran wrap would be an option to avoid. Wrapping in saran can trap humidity and mold can develop inside. Therefore, the best option when it comes to protecting your items when moving would be to hire professional packing services. This way, you will be certain that your collectibles will be well-protected and safely moved.

Choose the correct lighting to store collectibles

Have you been aware of the fact that bright light can damage your artwork? This is the very reason why flashes are not permitted in museums, for example. You may not expect it, but let us point out the fact that the bright light and UV rays can cause serious damage to vintage woodwork. Therefore, no matter whether you are an owner of old and valuable furniture or paintings, you need to make sure that the lighting is of the correct type and brightness.

Photographs in a museum
Lighting can be damaging to some types of artwork

Maintain your collectibles correctly

Maintenance is one of the things that you need to do perfectly in order to store collectibles the right way. For example, you should wipe the dust off of your wood pieces once per week. To do that, you should use a soft and dry cloth. Then, once you realize that the shine is missing even after dusting off, then would be the right time to polish your wooden artifacts. Usually, you would not need to polish it more than two times per year. Moving long distance NY can take a toll on an art piece. In this case, you will need to examine your collectibles and decide whether they need additional service.

Nevertheless, if you store collectibles of another type, you should make sure to find out the best way to perform maintenance on them.

Cleanness is nice, but washing can be a mistake

One of the common mistakes that people commit when they try to do their best store collectibles in the best possible way is to wash them. The most common victims of washing? The vintage toys.

Toys that our parents and grandparents used to play with are very collectible. They are also very fragile. Being so old, they can very easily suffer damage both from soap or the water itself. The glue used at those times can easily give in to water, soap, and sponge. Washing old item made from cloth is probably the biggest mistake that you can make with such items. Therefore, before you decide to do anything in order to rejuvenate them, get information on what they can sustain and how to store collectibles. Or even better, get a professional restorator to take care of the maintenance.

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