Riker Mounts & Museum Cases:
You MUST know about these wonderfully easy and useful display do-dads!
Riker-mounts were invented by some guy name'a Riker for his kid's butterfly collection but they are most excellent for SO much more. The real beauty of Riker-mounts is that you can take any old thing -or a not-so-old thing- and in about 5 minutes, turn it into a valuable collectable item and display it with perfect grace.
Here is what a smallish Riker-mount looks like. The bottom is simply a high quality press-board box with a thick white poly-fill pad. The lid is much the same, but with a glass 'window' built in. All covered with black leatherette. 2 or 4 pins hold it closed once your collection is safely tucked in.
While Riker-mounts are pretty impressive to my way of thinking, they don't quite get it done hanging on the wall. This is where my Riker-frames come in. You mount your collectable(s) as usual and then simply slide it into one of my frames and display it on the wall. My Riker-frames come in two styles -traditional & contemporary- and four finishes -light & dark oak, maple, and mahogany. In addition, I include some little extras to help you mount-up your collectible.
Look what I did with some stuff out of the top drawer in my kitchen. Took about a minute.
The inside height is about 3/4 of an inch, but this is before padding & optional inserts are added.
Contemporary:
A narrow & high frame that emphasizes the object it frames. It works with the 3 smaller sizes -A, B, & C- of my Riker-mounts. It can be hung either horizontally -landscape- or vertically -portrait- from a finish nail. Notice the generous black border between the frame and the white display surface. (Shown in maple.)
Traditional:
This frame is wider and shallower and a little heftier. It pairs with the 4 larger sizes. (It tends to over-whelm the littlest one.) It 'floats' off the wall about half an inch and uses picture hangers in both the portrait and landscape position. It also can easily be hung from a finish nail, but for a heavy collection in a large frame, you want to Hang it Correctly. (Shown in natural and dark oak.)
Some Toughts on the wood I use for Riker-frames & Muesum-cases.
Table-tops and shelves:
Riker Mounts work beautifully on the wall, but If you wish to REALLY make your collection look impressive, put it out on top of any convenient grand piano! Or shelf, or mantle or what ever flat surface comes to hand. With these easels, it's easeley done. (Get it? easily - easeley !)
Actually, they are shiny brass wire stands that fit under a Riker Mount unobtrusively and securely. While they are quite strong enough, they also bend so you can set the angle just the way you want it.
I would suggest the small ones for Riker sizes A, B, and C -and the large ones for sizes D & E.
Museum Cases:
Now THIS is why I earn the big bucks as a designer (not really, but a guy has to dream, don't he?). These are not quite a drawer case -but Rikers are so perfect that they don't necessarily need a drawer. Simple, compact, efficient & handsome. These cases come with from five to fourteen Riker-mounts and slots to hold them. Order a couple of extra mounts, and you can display your very best on the wall with the ribbon handle. Or rotate them between the wall and the case your mood strikes you. Or -and this is the last word- slip one or two into a matching frame and then put it on the wall.
Museum Set #1:
A small Museum Case holding 12 B-size (5" x 6") Riker-mounts and 3 extra mounts with 3 matching traditional frames. It is shown in Natural Oak, but is available in dark oak, red mahogany, and pale maple.
$xxx.99
Weight ____ lbs.
(Freight is calculated after you hit the Add to Shopping Cart button, but for a vague idea, this case and extras run about $__.00 here in Colorado, $__.00 to New York, and $__.00 to Hawaii.)
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Museum Set #2:
A small Museum Case holding 5 C-size (8" x 10") Riker-mounts and 2 extra mounts with 2 matching traditional frames. It is shown in Natural Oak, but is available in dark oak, red mahogany, and pale maple.
$xxx.99
Weight ____ lbs.
(Freight is calculated after you hit the Add to Shopping Cart button, but for a vague idea, this case and extras run about $__.00 here in Colorado, $__.00 to New York, and $__.00 to Hawaii.)
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Museum Set #2:
A small Museum Case holding 10 C-size (6" x 8") Riker-mounts with all the trimmings, 3 extra mounts, and 3 matching traditional frames. It is shown in Red Mahogany, but is available in dark oak, red mahogany, and pale maple.
$xxx.99
Weight ____ lbs.
(Freight is calculated after you hit the Add to Shopping Cart button, but for a vague idea, it runs about $__.00 here in & around Colorado, $__.00 to New York, and $__.00 to Hawaii.).)
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Museum Set #3:
A small Museum Case holding 12 D-size (6" x 8") Riker-mounts and 2 extra mounts with 2 matching traditional frames. It is shown in Maple, but is available in dark oak, red mahogany, and pale maple.
$xxx.99
Weight ____ lbs.
(Freight is calculated after you hit the Add to Shopping Cart button, but for a vague idea, it runs about $__.00 here in Colorado, $__.00 to New York, and $__.00 to Hawaii.)
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Museum Cases:
Museum Set #4:
A small Museum Case holding 7 E-size (12" x 16") Riker-mounts with all the trimmings, 3 extra mounts, and 3 matching traditional frames. It is shown in Red Mahogany, but is available in dark oak, red mahogany, and pale maple.
$xxx.99
Weight ____ lbs.
(Freight is calculated after you hit the Add to Shopping Cart button, but for a vague idea, this weighs about _____ pounds and freight runs about $__.00 here in around Colorado, $__.00 to Ney York, and $__.00 to Hawaii.).)
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Riker Mounts -without frames:
| Item: | Nominal Dimensions: Outside Dimensions: |
Inside Dimensions: Window Area: |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riker A | 3 x 4 3 1/4" x 4 1/4 x 7/8"" |
3 1/8" X 4 1/8" 2 3/8" X 3 3/8" |
$20 pack of 10 ($2 each) |
| Riker B | 5 x 6 4 7/8" 5 7/8" x 7/8" |
4 7/8" x 5 7/8" x 3/7" 4 1/8" x 5 1/8" |
$28 pack of 7 ($4 each) |
| Riker C | 6 x 8 5 7/8" x 7 7/8" |
4 7/8" x 5 7/8" x 3/7" 4 1/8" x 5 1/8" |
$30 pack of 5 ($6 each) |
| Riker D | 8 x 12 7 7/8" x 11 7/8" |
4 7/8" x 5 7/8" x 3/7" 4 1/8" x 5 1/8" |
$24 ($8 each) pack of 3 |
| Riker E | 12 x 16 11 7/8" x 15 7/8" |
4 7/8" x 5 7/8" x 3/7" 4 1/8" x 5 1/8" |
$27 pack of 3 ($9 each) |
Frames -with the Riker-mount:
Fames without the Riker-mount:
I'm hesitant. The problem is that there are more then one manufacturer of Riker-mounts and this leads to different sizes. Additionally -at least one manufacturer has changed his sizes at least once in the past. This rather leaves those collectors who have been using Riker-mounts for years out in the cold, but it also saves my customers and me the confusion of figuring out what year, make, & model we are talking about. Not fair, but whad'ya gon'na do?*
BUT -if you insist -and promise to have used a ruler or tape measure very carefully, I will sell you empty frames. PLEASE note carefully the inside dimension of the frame. This must match -or be slightly bigger than- your mount.
| Inside Dimension:* | Style: | Outside (overall) Dims.: | Price: | ||
| A size | 4" x 5" | Contemporary (only) | 4 ¾" x 5 ¾" | $5.00 Buy It Pack of 6 $25 Buy It |
Single pix of.... Cont. A Cont. B Trad. B |
| B size | 5" x 6" | Contemporary | 5 ¾" x 6 ¾" | $6.00 Buy It Pack of 5 $25 Buy It |
|
| Traditional | 6 ¼" x 7 ¼" | $7.00 Buy It Pack of 4 $24 Buy It |
|||
| C Size | 6' x 8" | Contemporary | 5 ¾" x 6 ¾" | $6.00 Buy It Pack of 5 $25 Buy It |
Pix of C size -cont & trad |
| Traditional | 6 ¼" x 7 ¼" | $7.00 Buy It Pack of 4 $24 Buy It |
|||
| D Size | 6' x 8" | Contemporary | 5 ¾" x 6 ¾" | $6.00 Buy It Pack of 5 $25 Buy It |
Pix of D size -cont & trad |
| Traditional | 6 ¼" x 7 ¼" | $7.00 Buy It Pack of 4 $24 Buy It |
|||
| E Size | 6' x 8" | Contemporary | 5 ¾" x 6 ¾" | $6.00 Buy It Pack of 5 $25 Buy It |
Pix of E size -cont & trad |
* Here is a suggestion. You have a bunch of old Rikers holding your collection? Do they need a little organizing and updating? Do you know a child of some age who is fascinated by your collection? Get all new Rikers and give the kid your old ones and any redundant collectables. Not cheap, but not expensive either -particularly when compared to the value of your collection. And the value to the kid? You know the answer to this question. If you are not sure, read my article on Children and Collecting.
Can't find the perfect Drawer Case for your collection? Check out....
Collector's Drawer cases:
All the way from jewelry boxes up to big chests -but with lots of little drawers.
Architectural Drawer Cases:
Adaptable, modular, and strong enough to hold up desks, countertops, and work surfaces.
Fully Custom / Period Drawer Cases:
Get EXACTLY what you want in a drawer case.
Semi-Custom Drawer Cases:
Lots of options, but a more economical then the fully custom option.
Can't find the perfect Display Case for your stuff? Check out....
Shadow Boxes:
Variously sized shadow boxes that let you do it your way.
Riker / Museum Cases:
Part of a complete system to both store & display small collectables.
Doll Displays:
Simply the best way to both display and protect Barbie-sized dolls.
Jersey Cases:
Big flat shadow boxes to protect & display even the biggest athletic jerseys.
Document Mounts:
Got stuff you need other people to read? Use these small cases to get it out there, and protect it too.
...and don't miss these miscellaneous items for the collector:
Jewelry inserts:
They fit perfectly into my jewelry boxes and help you organize your jewelry.
Pen Inserts:
Sized like the jewelry inserts, but for pen & pencil collections:
Specimen Boxes:
A little like Riker-Mounts, but bigger and stouter. They display and protect larger items.
Finally, for the very best of your collection, consider...
Coffee or Sofa Display Tables.
Some thoughts on the wood I use.
The oak and maple I use are grown and harvested in America or Canada. Key word here is harvested -from managed forests where trees are growing faster then they are being cut down. (Did’ja know that farms have become so efficient in America that what was farmland 50-100 years ago is growing back into forests?)
Mahogany on the other hand –is a tropical wood and North America is poorly equipped with tropical forests. Most of them are in parts of the world where people are poor and feeding the kids is more important then protecting the environment. Yet they do need –and perhaps deserve- to sell their wood. And I like mahogany. So I face something of a dilemma. I resolve it by using what is essentially re-cycled mahogany. I use wood that has been used as pallets to ship other wood and products to America. While this wood is cheaper –please understand that by the time I fuss it up to make my products, I am NOT saving any money by using recycled wood. But it pleases me to sort of do my bit for both the environment and the foresters in the tropics.
Now this wood is more varied in color and the grain often more vivid. Personally I like it this way. Occasionally, I even let a nail hole go by if I find the piece is particularly pretty otherwise. But if you want evenly matched frames etc. you might want to consider oak, and perhaps a custom piece from either select mahogany or oak stained to match the deep red of mahogany.