Collecting is not just a nice hobby, but a way of life for some people. Collections can help curate memories and historical markers, or it can help someone feel deeply connected to their emotional truth. For example, someone may find true bliss in curating all of the baseball cards from when they were a teenager, while another may indulge in preserving retro video gaming culture. This hobby is not only an indulgent one, as high prices can be found for complete collections of just about anything with historical significance, from war memorabilia to old coin pressings.

While collections and the owners who curate them can differ in as many ways as you could imagine, there are some universal truths to this hobby/passion. One, all collectors pride themselves on caring for the condition of their collections. It’s very rare for someone to build a collection of broken, bruised or damaged goods. Second, collectors will often outbid one another, fight over rare items or salivate over one another’s collections, but there’s no doubt a hidden undercurrent of respect between people who find the same interests so interesting.

It’s this first point we would like to address, aided by your decision to utilise Self Storage in Chiswick:

Keep Them Organised

It’s important that when storing your collection, you keep it organized. You may have a ‘method to your madness’ and that’s more than fine, but when you index each individual collection piece you can more adequately store it. It may help you cycle on what shelves certain items are stored, if you should put more expensive items on lower, more sturdy shelf, or how long it may take before you need to replace a certain item’s plastic covering. Organising your collection can go a long way, even if it’s only to keep in mind just what items you have stored where, as most collectors will need more than one storage unit to house their belongings.

Use Protective Casings

Protective casings are important and must be tailored to the form and format of your collection. For example, thick and zipped card cases can help your baseball cards avoid direct sunlight. Slot casings can help old sealed action figures from being dented during transit and storage, as well as keeping said items away from heavy shifts in temperature. For instruments, you may be able to purchase hard shell casings to ensure that even an otherwise deadly knock can be shrugged off easily. These protections are worth the investment.

Handling Equipment

You can store an item for years in perfect conditions, but if you handle said belonging roughly when the time comes to interact with it, all of those prior concessions will have gone to waste. Purchasing gloves to handle your coin collection, a dust mask to prevent condensation from harming old cards in their books, or thick, shockproof briefcases to help you transport your folders could be important in your curative efforts. The correct handling equipment, even if that comes in the form of a microfibre cloth and soluble solution for immediate cleaning, can be worth its weight in gold.