HOW - TO CORNER:

What ever you collect, there are simple and elegant ways to highlight your collection. You can usually use simple tools to build your own display items that both protect your stuff, and show it off with museum-like elegance. For example, meticulously embedding your collection in velvet helps the world, -or at least your spouse- finally appreciate it’s real value. I have tired to offer advice that can be used by any collector, whether he or she buys casework from me or not. You may need, however, to use a little ingenuity to apply these suggestions to the stuff you picked up at the super-store to work as well as they would work with casework designed especially for collectors.

I'm particularly proud to be able offer Daniel Arnet's thoughts on

Reprinted with kind permission of the author and Hemispheres -the magazine of United Airlines.

The Demographics and Statistics of Hobbies:

So who spends what on their hobby, do men or women spend more, and how old are they when they do the this spending? What hobbies? Find some of the answers here. And what I don't know, I make up.

TOP 10 ways to Help your Kids Collect:

Like to take credit for this article, but I can't. It's from a wonderful site about doing stuff with your kids. And I mean things kids actually might WANT to do! If you have kids, or have any dealing with kids, or know how to spell KIDS, you must check out Dad-Can-Do.

Cleaning Antiques Part II: -How-To

Once you have gathered up just the right tools'n stuff to do it (almost) like the pros do it, here is HOW the pros do it -to SPECIFIC artifacts.

Cleaning Antiques Part I: -What to Use

Isn't there a book out that will tell you how to clean ANYTHING? This ain't it, but I do have some advice on just what to use to get-'er done -without destroying a priceless do-dad.

Collecting for Profit:

Collections as Investment Vehicles.

Is your collection going to put your kids through school, let you retire graciously, and cure cancer?

The Psychology of Collecting:

Where-in the Author explores collectors in four flavors: the Clinical, the Nut-Case, the Victim, and the Accidental Collector.

Advanced Shadow Boxing:

Showmanship is the keyword here. Lighting, color, and composition can make all the difference.

Children and Collecting.

Collecting bugs, rocks, leaves, baseball cards, stamps, coins,

or who-knows-what is apart of childhood. Here are some

thoughts on how to make it educational too!

PRESERVATION:

Bio-hazards

-the vile little things that eat valuable items.

Security

-what to do about vile people who might steal your collection.

Archival Materials

-to try to address -once again- acid-free issues and all that it entails.

Desiccants

-one of the easiest and best first steps is to KEEP IT DRY

Light and Radiation

-perhaps the most destructive force on your collection might be nothing more then stuff you see with.

Safe Fabrics

-something as simple as luxurious velvet can be a threat to valuable collections.

Gift-Giving for the Collector in your Life.

There is something special about gifts that lead to the gifter and giftie spending time and doing something together. And if this something benefits the giftie's hobby or collection, we have a wonderful and memorable gift. (And if it tidies up the clutter, so much the better for all concerned.)

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Collector -and for the Kid Collectors too!

What to do about your spouse or child who insist on bringing home every what'sits he or she can lay hands on? And what to do in the weeks before the holidays? Put yourself into the mind of the collector and use a little imagination and you can pull off a terrific gift for next to nothing.

Easy Home-made DISPLAY STANDS

So you say you have something that is special and beautiful but it just sort of sits there? Perhaps it needs it's own display stand. Here is an easy way to make something simple and EXACTLY the right size, shape and color.

Riker Mounts -how to use them to easily high-light your collection.

Riker mounts are the easiest possible way to protect and show-off your collection of smallish items. Simple elegant boxes, -padded inside and with a tempered glass window.

Displaying Collectable Athletic Jerseys, your hero's or your own:

Where-in I explore how to go about displaying the numbers in the manner they deserve.

A Visit to the Fabric Store

In witch we learn that even a ham-fisted cabinet maker can understand and do lovely things with cloth.

FAUX FINISHING and CASEWORK:

There are some great ways to make even ugly old particle board look beautiful. And it you do it this way, it's quick and easy.

FRENCH LINING DRAWERS:

No matter how oddly shaped or fragile the items in your collection, here is a technique you can use to make drawer linings that perfectly match your stuff, -and do so with only the tools in your kitchen and a few simple supplies.

ADAPTABLE DRAWER LININGS:

While a drawer with a French lining is fixed for permanent collections, some collections are growing and changing. Adaptable linings are called for in this instance. Here’s how to make an adaptable -compartmented drawer lining that you can chance with your collection.

PART 1

Designing Custom Display Cabinets

PART 2

Building Custom Display Cabinets

The smallest and most delicate collections may well belong in drawers. Bigger things need to be displayed, perhaps on a pedestal. Somewhere in between however, are those things that want to go into display cases, -on the wall, behind glass even. Here is how to go about getting yourself custom display cases.

Displaying A Knife Collection

Arguably knife making is mankind's first art. Beautiful things, knives. So beautiful that they deserve a special display. With one of my cases -or one of your own- you can build a custom museum piece. Or for the collection that wants to be tucked safely away in a drawer, French lining drawers is a great approach.

Hanging Things on the Wall CORRECTLY:

If you spend some time on a nice shadowbox, or put cherished collectables in a display case, you MUST hang it on the wall correctly. Here's how.

The Collector and Hobbyist's Toolbox:

So what do you need to have on-hand to be able to fiddle about with your collection? For that matter, what do you need on-hand to get to the bottom of your TO-DO list? Have a look here to find out and get an idea what it will cost you. (And if you aren't a do-it-yourself kind'a person check out the next article.)

HIRING CARPENTERS

....and other useful things:

Hey, lets face it, even museum professionals hire carpenters and/or cabinet makers. Here is how to get exactly what you want, and get the most for your money.

Enjoy a wonderful old fashioned hobby that does scrap-books one better. You can easily showcase your heirlooms in classic Shadow Boxes

I wrote the following articles specifically for my products -particularly my architectural casework. None the less, there is value to the collector of hobbyist who is building a Home-Museum from any casework etc.

Designing and Building Desks & Counters with Architectural Casework.

Think of my Architectural Drawer Cases and big building blocks. (This is the way I designed them after all !) If they are blocks, it should be easy to stack them up into interesting and useful shapes, shouldn't it? Indeed so. Here is how to do a professional job.

(This is a longish article -give it a minute to download.)

Fast and Dirty PAINTING and FINISHING

There are few topics as widely misunderstood as painting and finishing. I know the topic very well and still am learning. Here are some easy and idiot-proof ways to make your casework beautiful. (And you know what they say -"When you improve something to make it idiot-proof -someone else finds a way to improve the idiots.")

The Ergonomics of Desks and Work-surfaces.

Do you have a body? Does it seem to fit into the world? (At least most of the time.) This is because of good ergonomic design. Here is how it's done.

It's a series of drawings as pdf files -give Acrobat a minute to open them.

Design Worksheet:

This is literally a cut and paste design worksheet. Print it, cut out the various shapes representing my drawer and display cases, and design your own PERFECT Home-Museum.

IDEA Slide show.

No words -just pictures of the many possible ways you can get the best possible use from my casework.

Why, you ask, do I have a link to another web-site here on my table of contents page for How-To articles? Gaylord Brothers has a free on-line book, Book Craft with excellent advice on caring for books ----and books are a very worthy collectable. In fact, if you were to ask me what I collect, I'd have to say I collect books. (And tools, but this is another story.)

Marcia

	Americana:	Antiques:	Art:	China & Porcelain:	Crafts:	Coins:	Collectibles:	Dolls:	Guns:	Jewelry:
	Knives:	Military	Models:	Political Buttons:	Rail Road:	Sports:	Stamps:	Toys:	Watches / Instruments:	Weird & Wonderful:
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