IF you’re like myself, I have that voice in the back of my head that loves certain collectables. For some, that voice extends to action figures or others collect first edition books. I’ve seen someone that even has an entire house devoted to porcelain dolls(definitely not my thing). If you’re in that select crowd, for example I love depression glass, then you need to store, display, and/or show off your precious collection. Here are some ideas that might help you with your collectables.
To store your collectables, you’re probably going to need some sort of cabinet. Whether an upright cabinet or one that is low or a combination of both, here are some categories that might fit your particular collection.
Vinyl Records:
As you can imagine, vinyl records (music) are extremely heavy! Hopefully you have your precious articles nicely wrapped in plastic to keep them dust and other debris free. With that packaging done, the big task is now figure out how you want to store them. Since they are so heavy, we wouldn’t recommend shelving that is too tall. My former partner was a DJ and had over 10,000 records. We had multiple cabinets that were under six feet tall with shelves that were sturdy and over two inches thick and as a result, no bowing. CD’s and DVD’s don’t have the weight that vinyl records have so simple shelving will suffice and are best stored in their original packaging to keep them clean.
For long term storage, there are a variety of considerations which really depends on what you’re storing and how you want it displayed.
Plush & Other Toys:
Like some children, you have to keep your various toys separate and apart. Sharp toys made from metal or wood etc should be kept apart from plush and other soft toys. This can be accomplished by separating them with divisions similar for example to light bulbs. We have made drawers for such with divisions and are a great way to keep all of the collectables safe and to themselves 🙂 Don’t forget when working with toys, please remember to use acid free tissue paper and similar materials.
Books and Comics:
These are also in the same category as the rest of the heavy collectables. Whether you store your comics in bins (on thick shelving) or you have thick shelves for books, these are the considerations you need to keep in mind. Built-in bookcases are one of our specialties since we have created them for professors to devoted collectors.
From delicate glass or other antiques, these can be stored much like the plush toys in separated honeycomb-like drawers. Photographs, coins, and similar collectables are greatly stored in book-like binders etc. Again, thick shelves are the rule of the day!
Now that you have some idea of what you’re storing and where and how, let’s get down to some of the niceties of how the cabinets or drawers should look.
When I think of showing off my collectables, I think of beautiful cabinets. Here are some considerations for what to included in your custom cabinets. Since we are collectors, we want to show off our collection. Depending on what you’re showing off, here are some ingredients.
Glass doors are perfect so you can see what’s inside. As for interior, consider glass shelves as well. It’s amazing how well the individual pieces will pop on glass shelves.
Lighting is also a big consideration. We highly recommend LED’s since they produce a lot less heat. Your collection will look so much brighter and visible but keep in mind, lighting has the potential for fading the colour of your collection. We recommend keeping the light on sporadic times or really limiting when the lights are on.
For some of your delicate things, maybe you don’t want to display them at all but simply store them safely. Glass, jewellery or delicates can be easily stored in separate cubbies in a drawer, like an organizer common in small jewellery chests.
Finishing off the exterior of your cabinet, consider adding crown moulding on the top or a cornice if you’re going to the ceiling. This is the perfect way to make your cabinet look like it’s been there forever
and part of the house design. As we have mentioned previously, some collectibles will need to be on thick shelves just due to their weight. From records, book to even heavy sculptures perhaps, these are items that we highly recommend doubling or tripling up on the thickness of the shelves. Since we create only custom cabinets, we can manufacture just about anything you dream up!
Whatever you have to store and however you want to display it, we are the ones that can fulfill your dreams.
Now that you’re ready and know what you want, call in one of our experienced professional designers and get your closet done! We have been around for over thirty years and have hundreds of satisfied repeat clients. Why not give us a try.
We love beautifying your home.
