How to pack and catalog a collection

[JohnD1956]

I have a question that is so silly, I almost can't figure out how to even ask it, so let me just blurt it out. How do you keep track of and store all the stuff in your collection?

You see, up to now I haven't had a lot of trivia to store, but as I look around I am finding I have stuff all over the place and it would be nice to draw it alltogether over the winter, so I have things consolidated by spring. I saw Keiths post regarding having all his 67 stuff in a 4 drawer file cabinet. That's a pretty good idea. But what else is out there for ideas?

I appreciate any help on this.

JD

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Compared to Keith (and probably others), I don't have much stuff. That beins said, the books are on a bookshelf, so semi-organized. For the miscellaneous paper stuff, I have a 3" binder (need to expand to a second one soon) divided by year and for some of the miscellaneous stuff. Anyway, I went to an office supply place and picked up some of those plastic sleeves that fit into a 3 ring binder and that is what is protecting them nominally at least.

Perhaps I can use Keith's example so that my wife is thankful my collection doesn't take up much space.

[Pete Phillips]

For years, I had a difficult time figuring out how to store my antique auto sales literature collection. Some of it is too tall to fit in a filing cabinet drawer, and flat shelves don't help if you have about 2000 brochures, as I do. When I lived in coastal Massachusetts, I picked up what they call a "fish box", which is a large, fiberglass tub about 4 or 5 feet long, 18 inches deep, and about two feet wide. I petitioned it off with large pieces of cardboard, a section for each make of car. I store the brochures standing up in this fish box, and it is just small enough that I can pick it up and carry it, if I have to move it. 99.9% of my sales brochures fit into this size. But I'm still keeping my eyes out for a better way....and my collection outgrew the fishbox several years ago--wish I had another.

A collector I know in Dallas has several thousand 1932 Buick parts. He keeps most of them in filing cabinets--has dozens and dozens of cabinets that line the walls of his workshop (and, no, he won't sell any of them!).

Pete Phillips

[Bhigdog]

Some in the shop covered with overspray and sanding dust, some piled high in my office, mixed in with old Hemming's, falling over and getting lost behind the book case and desk, a lot in the store room, unmarked, and all mixed up as to make and year, my pictures are all still in the envelopes from the developers but they are getting all mixed up too. AAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHH..........Bob.

[Guest my3buicks]

The three ring binder/clear plastic sleeve method is what I use for all the stuff that will fit in them - you can get them in diff configurations also that will hold several smaller items on one page or postcards etc. You can use USPS priority envelopes or similar (not that I would ever use USPS envelopes) to slide larger items in to protect them, also makes a good place then to write on the outside exactly what is inside. Just make sure wherever you have the stuff stored it's dry but not to hot. Some of this stuff we collect is just way to scarce to take any chance of destroying it.

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

Bob, YOU COPIED MY STORAGE SYSTEM!!

[Guest Silver Arrow]

Here is one of the built-in showcases I completed this summer for my Buick '59 Collection.

The drawers along the bottom are 9 full suspension hanging file drawers which house the photographs, ads, and articles related to THE CAR. Above the showcase section are 9 bookshelves to house the books, manuals, and non-display items. The unit is 14 ft long and 8-1/2 ft tall in total. The showcase section for the toys, models, memorabilia and such, sports glass shelves with blue granite base and top, and it features hidden recessed flouresent lighting. The drawer/cabinet faces and showcase backround is ribbed aluminum formica laminate.

I'm currently working on a matching room divider that will house 300 more files and provide three separate seating cushions in red, yellow, and blue to match the tri-diamond '59 Buick signage.

Last to do will be the flooring, silver slate in a checkerboard pattern using smooth honed and rough un-honed slate to effect the checks.

Hope you like!

Al

_____________________________________________

Al Casby

BCA #34651

silverarrow@att.net

1959 Buick 4439 LeSabre 4-Door Hardtop

1959 Buick 4635 Invicta 4-Door Estate Wagon

1959 Buick 4867 Electra 225 2-Door Convertible

1959 Comet-Buick Panoramic Landau Ambulance

[Guest norb]

Beautiful collection,Al. Wheres the big 59?

[JohnD1956]

Al, I am amazed. That unit looks a tad larger than I need for the paltry items I have, but it is awesome.... And you need more space than that? Maybe I ought to get buying more stuff...

I appreciate the responses here so far. I think I have the beginning of a plan now. What other ideas are out there?

JD

[Guest Silver Arrow]

Norb:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wheres the big 59?</div></div>

Its presently front and center on a Buick dealership television console cabinet on the other side of the room. I'm still getting the Philco Predicta television unit in it working right, and soon will have original '59 Buick advertisements playing while the Lido-Lavender-Lady gently rotates above it!

I'll have to take some more pics when I get home.

Thanks again Norm,

Al

[brad54]

For tech and other magazine articles, I make a color photo copy (heavier paper than the magazines), 3-hole punch them, and put them in a binder labeled by subjects: engine, transmission, brakes, rear end, etc. This saves me the hassle of trying to rummage through ten years of magazines to find one article. All my "good" info is at my fingertips! And means I don't have to hang on to all those magazines, so there's a ton less clutter. If you think about it, we typically keep a magazine for one particular article, unless we collect them "just because."

I have a book case out in the shop with my books in it. It's a metal office book case with three shelves. Innexpensive, but sturdy. I added plexiglass doors to it with hardware stoor hinges, latches and pulls. Always put doors on your book cases, as it keeps dust out. (same thing with your bolt bins). Shop dust will really make things grimey. You can also display a few pieces in your bookshelf, with clear doors on it.

Parts go on shelves, in big blue tote boxes with clam-shell lids. SAM'S club had heavy duty storage boxes for less than $5 each when we moved to Georgia three years ago. Smartest thing I ever did was buy $125-worth of those boxes! They hold a lot of parts, stack (in a moving truck!) very nicely, and organize and give you maximum storage on your garage shelves. Label what's in them, and you're good to go.

I've also got a horizontal metal filing cabinet. Two large drawers, with the files hanging sideways left-to-right instead of front-to-back. They're adjustable to use letter or legal sized papers. Excellent for literature and sales brochures. Only being two drawers tall, it fits under a table/workbench/desk.

-Brad