» Antiques and Collectibles

If you are planning home renovations, then you might be thinking of moving your collectibles to a safe storing place. People like collecting different things it could be traditional, mementos or things that have been passed down to you through your family. While choosing a self-storing facility to keep your collectibles , you have to be extra cautious. These items usually have high sentimental value and sometimes even high face value, and therefore need to be stored in a safe and secure environment.

Some of the things that you should look for in the storehouse you choose to keep your collectibles are

Climate-Controlled Units
It is wise to choose climate-controlled units for keeping your collectibles . These items could be paintings, books, manuscripts, brassware and so forth. It is best to provide a good storing environment for these items so they do not get damaged by variable weather conditions. Moreover, climate-controlled units remain clean and have little chance of infestation by termites or mold. These units ensure the safe storing of such items.

Security
You should choose the storehouse providing the best security arrangements. Remember there are a few things whose loss cannot be compensated, and collectibles fall into this category. If, due to any reason, there were any damage to your items, you would be able to recover only the monetary loss. Nothing can bring back those items to you. Moreover, some collectibles are rare and can fetch high prices. These have a high chance of getting stolen. So, always check the security of the storehouse. If the items are pricey, opting for store units having bio-metric access is the best decision.

Safety
The collectibles should also remain safe in the unfortunate event of fire, floods, earthquakes or hurricanes. To ensure their safety from natural hazards, it is best to choose a storehouse that is earthquake-, flood-, fire-, and hurricane-resistant. The store unit should be made of strong and sturdy material.

Transportation
If you have many collectibles and you cannot move them to the storehouse in your car, you should look for a storehouse that provides arrangements for transportation. The transportation services offered by the self-storing company are usually safer than those provided by the local movers. They take utmost care in safely moving goods to the storehouse and also back to your home.

Portable On-Demand Units
If you are so attached to your collectibles that it is hard for you to part with them, but you need to get them out of your house during renovations, then PODS could be a good option or choice for you. This type of store units can be stored in your backyard, eliminating the stress that you would face while storing the goods at the storehouse. You can get climate-controlled PODS in different sizes. Though they are slightly costlier than fixed store units available at the warehouses, you will not have to incur costs on the transportation of the collectibles . Since the items do not have to be transported, there is no chance of smash up due to the move.

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A lot of people enjoy collecting antiques . It could be period furniture, art pieces, heritage clothes or even jewelry.  Some take pleasure in displaying them in their homes while others just love collecting them. However storing antiques correctly is very important if one is to preserve their value over time. Old objects are more fragile and susceptible to elements than new ones and special care must be taken to ensure that they do not spoil. Even those that are on display require special care and attention as regards cleaning or polishing so that they retain their value.

In case you have purchased an antiques piece at an auction or previous owner, it is always a good idea to find out as much about it as you can. Not only will this help you estimate its resale value possibilities, it will also give you a good idea regarding its care and maintenance. Write down instructions for each individual piece so that there is no room for error. Explain these instructions to household help and if the object is very expensive, do the maintenance yourself or get it done professionally. Objects often require specific temperatures for best storage and may also need repair from time to time. For this it is best to approach storage experts who specialize in antiques storing and care.

People with large antiques collections or even those in the business of buying and selling them could opt for outsourcing the complete storing job. Storage facilities have very sophisticated units that provide excellent storing environments for almost all kinds of things. In case the antiques are to be moved between locations, there is also the facility of mobile storage which will ensure further safety. What is more, these companies have qualified staff which will provide the best possible packing and unpacking services which will minimize breakage or spoilage.

Many of us own antiques pieces that have been handed down to us over generations. We often do not realize their value relegating them to some corner till some expert accidentally discover them and tell us their true value. While some of us may be lucky enough to discover the value in time, many others do not realize it till the object is beyond redemption. So, it is always a good idea to seek external counsel if we have certain objects that date back a long time. Understanding what makes one old object an antiques and another just old is an art as much as it is a science.

On a different note, almost all the beautiful things that we own and collect may be contemporary today but may qualify as antiques a few generations down the line. It is however important to take good care of these beautiful things so that they continue to bring joy to our children and grandchildren after them. Incorrect storage or packing is the worst enemies of all nice things. Make sure that you take good care of both your antiques and new possessions alike when storing or displaying them so that they last for as long as they can.

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You need to take care of your antiques just like you take care of your own self. Antiques are treasured to preserve history and relate to the past. Their worth is based on how well they are conserved. After spending so much time and money on an artifact, no one would want it to deteriorate in a storeroom. Hence, with a little knowledge and guidance, you will be able to store your stuff in a safe and sound manner. Whether art collecting is your profession or your hobby these guidelines will help you in storing your antiques well.

The Right Storeroom Unit
The most important element of storing your antiques is finding a secure and protected storeroom. The investment of time and money while preparing your items for a cargo space will go to waste if they are left open to elements due to poorly built structure or bad security. If you want to be sure that all your belongings are protected properly, then you must find a good storing unit.

Few things you ought to check are as follows.

Temperature Control
Climate control system is a must in any unit. Extreme weather and humidity are the worst enemies of antiques . This facility should maintain a temperature of 50-80 degrees inside the unit so that humidity is controlled. Having a dehumidifier will be an added advantage. Humidity can cause wood to bend and metal to oxidize. The wonderful things that you have put into cargo space would then be spoiled in just a few months.

Location
Carrying your antiques from the motor vehicle to your storing place can also expose your stuff to damage. Consider looking for a unit on the ground level. If that is not possible, then make sure that there is a lift or some other facility to carry your stuff up to the storing place.

Insurance
Always insure your goods. Go for a storing facility that provides indemnity coverage for your belongings. Many companies offer affordable indemnity policies that can be included in your charges. Never leave the security of your goods up to chance. It is always a good idea to get your antiques estimated from a professional. This will help you put forth a valid indemnity claim in case of any damage or loss.

Proper Packing Is A Must
The second thing which needs to be taken care of is the packing of your antiques . Cover pictures and mirrors in thick blankets or bubble wrap .You can even use felt. Secure the packing material by wrapping it with clear plastic.

Cardboard angles can be used to protect the sharp and weak areas of the structure. There are many stores that sell packing supplies, including boxes for packing mirrors, huge paintings or antiques . Never compromise on the quality of the packing material. If you are storing antique furniture such as sofas, beds and the like, put them in covers or bags for extra protection. Most of the storerooms provide these heavy duty bags for free. Remember to never stack antique furniture without a good support.

Keep an inventory of every piece that you have packed .You can even take a picture of each item and paste it in the index. Your storeroom manager can be of great help when it comes to offering storing and packing hints related to antiques .

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When I was a little kid the coolest thing to do was own a collectible of one sort or another. Every year I had a new collectible I was obsessed with, that I would want to collect and show to all of my friends. I don’t know why, but this hobby consumed me when I was little and landed me with a whole assortment of different things.

The biggest collectible I was fascinated with as a child was erasers. Don’t ask me why, because I have no idea, but I thought erasers were super cool. No matter where I was, whenever erasers were sold or given out, I had to get at least one. I kept all of these collectibles in a big shoebox and I would often get them out and count them, arrange them by size and color, and categorize them. Never were they actually used for their erasing purpose. No, instead, they were something to look at and admire. I guess I thought they were very pretty and exciting. To this day I am not sure what I did with this assortment of erasers. I don’t know if I gave them away, sold them in a garage sale, or still have them (which is the most likely scenario).

Although my eraser obsession continued throughout my childhood as my main collectible, there were many other collectibles I tried to come across as a kid. Although erasers always triumphed as my favorite, I did have a sticker phase when I though stickers were the coolest collectible ever. It seemed like every little girl had a fascination with stickers and it was fun to trade them and wear them. Stickers were harder to keep new and clean because I always liked sticking them one place or another. My friends and I all had huge sticker collections and it was never difficult to find a sticker I liked, that I wanted to add to my collectible sticker collection. Stickers were also fun to play with whenever we played school because we could stick them on our “students’” papers for a job well done, just like our real teachers at school did. To this day, I still hold on to stickers for one purpose or another.

Another collectible I liked as a little girl was headbands and bows. Some people might argue that hair things cannot be a collectible, but I beg to differ. How is it not a collectible if you do collect it? Who is to say what is a collectible and what is not? In my opinion, it is all subjective. Whenever my mom and I went to the store I always found a new headband or bow I wanted to buy that would match one of my outfits. I loved going to school and showing off my new headband or bow and by the time I was ten I had so many I could not keep track of them. This collectible interest faded however, as soon as I went into middle school and frilly hair accessories were no longer acceptable.

No matter what I was collecting as a child, finding a collectible of one kind or another was always fun and exciting for me.  Having a goal and working towards something taught me the importance of trying and achieving and I hope that one day my own kids have an interest in accumulating one collectible or another.

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Collectibles : http://www.vantiquesandcollectibles.com/

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Collecting antique dolls is a very popular hobby. Many people enjoy coming across these valuable antiques and displaying them in their homes to show off to all of their friends. For others, buying and selling antique dolls is a business. This may be surprising, but many of these antiques are so rare and valuable they can cost over twenty thousand dollars. Antique doll collecting is a hobby which one must be very dedicated to and financially secure in order to do well in. Finding the right places to go for these antiques and being able to afford them is very time consuming and pricey.

Any doll that was created before 1930 is technically considered an antique. Of course, the older the antique dolls are, the more valuable they become. It is extraordinarily rare to find many of these dolls in their original wigs, garments, and attire, so if you do find one that is a complete original, that makes it worth even more.  Typically, when people do collect antique dolls, they have a particular style of doll they focus on in their collecting.

There are a number of different styles of dolls that are considered antiques. The oldest and most expensive of these dolls are the early dolls which look like little adults and are from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. These antique dolls are extremely rare because they are from so long ago and not that many were created in the first place. Typically, these antique dolls were created in England by a craftsman who fashioned the dolls out of wood and then painted on the features himself.  The craftsman also costumed these antique dolls in original garments that were made by hand. It is extremely rare to find these dolls in mint condition and early dolls that are in mind condition cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. Even dolls like these which are battered and not in their original garments are extraordinarily expensive.

The papier mache antique dolls began being made in the early 19th century and continued through the 20th century. These antique dolls were made of a paper pulp which was cheap and easy to mass produce. The majority of them have black hair, a child’s body, and wooden limbs. Because of this, these dolls began being mass produced in the United States, France, and Germany. These antique dolls are much cheaper and also much easier to come across, but they are still valuable collectors’ items. They usually cost anywhere from five hundred to two thousand dollars.

Another type of antiques dolls are the wax dolls which began in the late 1700’s and continued being made throughout the 19th century. These dolls’ heads and limbs are typically made of wax which was poured into a mold or molded over papier mache, while their bodies are usually cloth based. These dolls will typically cost doll collectors about one thousand to two thousand dollars.

These three types of antique dolls are the most popular forms of dolls collectors look for. It is very improbable any doll collector has a large collection of early wooden dolls, but not impossible for them to have a decent amount of papier mache dolls or wax dolls. Coming across any of these dolls in mint condition is a rare and exciting event which doll collectors live for.

Source : 
 http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa032799.htm

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Antiques and collectibles to adorn your home :

http://blog.royaltyuniverse.com/2008/12/antiques-and-collectibles-to-adorn-your-home/

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