Storage:

You MUST store you precious antiques carefully.  This demands drawers if the items are of a small size, and more creative solutions like display cases or curio cabinets if they are large.  But be carefull.  Many an antique has been ruined because it was packaged carelessly, or stored away carefully, but in the wrong sort of material, for example, acidic paper.  Read up on acid free packaging / storing issues at   UPPER MIDWEST CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION.

Check out Shadow Boxes or  Display Cases for your larger antiques.  

If, for example- you collect antique jewelry, an elegant finished Jewelry-Box makes is perfect to protect your collection. 

A Display Cases for your Antiques:

Antiques tend to be larger -in general- that the smallish knickknacks that make up other collectables.  This being the case, you are probably going to need custom cases or curio cabinets and you might benefit from my thoughts on Hiring Carpenters -and other useful things.  If you do collect the smaller stuff, a simple display case  -with careful arrangement*- can be absolutely elegant.  My point here is that with a little imagination you can make nice display cases or curio cabinets out of many things.  It may need the help of a carpenter / cabinet maker, but it's easily doable.  Don't forget the home-center store for buying custom glass cabinet doors.  A pair of these and you can make nice display cases out of an old orange crate or curio cabinets out of small tables.  Be imaginative with whatever odd old thing you have at hand.  For example, have an old tube-tube radio that hasn't worked in years?  -the kind that comes in a big cabinet?  put doors on it and you have a killer curio cabinet for your antique jewelry, glass figurines, or even small antique radios.

* My article on Shadow Boxes explains this "arranging" carefully.  

For a large collection or your best stuff, consider putting it in a display case or series of display cases -and if it is specially valuable --  I make a display cases that lock too.

Interesting Links:       

The Heritage Bookshop and Bindery is a wonderful site all about books, and books is what I collect.  Probably a good thing I don't live in LA where these folks have their shop.  I'd be broke and destitute an living on the street -pushing a grocery-cart full of beautiful first edition books.

For the last word on the science of conserving things, -acid free'ness etc, the Upper Midwest Conservation Association will tell you more then you want to know.

Antiques do not have to be strictly dainty-girley-things.  The folks  at Antique Lures and Lure Boxes take their subjects very seriously indeed and I'm pretty sure some of them are men.  Fascinating site.