Attention all collectors! Whether you own a mini museum of "Star Wars" action figures, "Superman" comics or vintage baseball cards, you should protect your investment. These valuable collections need more attention and care than some of your other belongings, as they are likely delicate. If you can't display them in your house, you'll have to store them carefully. Fortunately, we have a few tips for keeping your items safely tucked away and in good condition until you want to pull them out again:
Use archival boxes
When you start packing your collectables away, make sure you keep them inside an archival box. These storage tools are acid-free so they won't damage your delicate items. You can find archival boxes at craft, storage and some department stores. They are especially crucial when storing paper items, including cards, books, maps and photos.
Remove air and light
Air can oxidize collectables like coins and light can fade color, so you need to remove both elements when storing. Place metal items in air-tight containers and store everything away from windows. Make sure your storage bins are opaque so any light in the room doesn't get through the box.
Buy acid-free tissue
Acid-free tissue paper won't deteriorate your collectables, so use it to wrap your belongings. Doing so will also help prevent chips and scratches. Use acid-free tissue paper to wrap around your items and to fill empty space in storage boxes - you don't want your collectables jostling around when you move the box. Furthermore, make sure your tissue is free of any chemicals.
Avoid the basement or attic
The extra space in your basement or attic may seem like the perfect spot to store your collections, but you should think again. Both areas of the home are prone to mold and mildew. Attics may also experience leaking. These rooms don't have a very controlled temperature or humidity. Instead, consider storing your collections in your garage. This space is more stable than the other two and isn't likely to flood the way a basement could.
Store off the ground
While a garage isn't likely to flood, you may get some standing water do to tracking in snow or rain. Keep your collections off the ground by storing them on garage shelves. This will remove clutter from the floor of your garage and keep the boxes away from any liquids you may accidentally track inside. You can set how high the shelves are on your wall mount storage. If you won't use the collections for a while, you can set the shelves high, leaving space to store items below that you use more frequently.
Combine storage tools
As you know, you need to prevent your items from light exposure, which you can do using garage storage. Consider installing a wall mount shelf inside of a cabinet. That way, you can close the doors to keep your collections in the dark. The shelves will allow you to put numerous boxes in the same cabinet.
Sort by collection
Consider keeping like items together. All of your cards should be in one box and records in another. Furthermore, you'll want to maintain inventory. That way, you'll know you have all your items. Consider taping a list of what's in each cabinet on the inside of the door.
