Collecting 101: Protecting and caring for your collection - PART 1

I've seen some collectibles with more dust on them than the ending of Avengers Infinity War and even 20 years' worth of lego displayed on a short shelf within reaching distance of a curious toddler and two cats.

When you have a collection that's value has utterly punched your wallet in the throat or has the potential to skyrocket in value, you're going to want to make sure that it's protected.

The protection and the display of your collection go hand-in-hand. You cannot display your collectibles without the surety that they will be protected and you cannot protect them without ever having them on display as this will contradict the purpose they were made for.

So how do I protect my collection? What are some dos and donts in this hobby? Well, here are a few ways to protect your collection and display them the way they were meant to be.

DISPLAY CASES

Display cases are the best way to protect your collection as they are specifically designed with your collectibles in mind. A proper display case will protect your collection from dust and small hands or paws, as well as draw attention to your collectibles instead of away from them.

Be sure that you are getting the right displays. For example, some glass shelves are not made to support the weight of larger pieces and may break.

We highly recommend the ModuCase series as they are stylish, professionally, are highly customisable to your needs and come with an incredible bunch of bells and whistles (like LED lights, magnetic panels and have a belt base for a premium touch). You can have a look at them here

https://www.thebunkergaming.co.za/categories/products/moducase-stackable-displays/

SHELVING

If you can't afford a display case or find one that you fancy, you can look into shelving, whether custom or prefabricated. But before you take this step, make sure the material that your shelves will be made out of are of good quality and can support your collection. The quality of the craftsmanship that goes into making your shelving is just as important, if not more than the materials used. Tony Stark made his first suit out of scrap metal, but not even Obadiah Steyn could do it with a blank check and cutting edge resources. Know what you're capable of before putting all your eggs in one basket.

SUNLIGHT

Displaying anything in open sunlight other than the house plants that you're struggling to keep alive is a Big no-no. The sun is one of your collection's worst enemies and WILL age your it rapidly. The vibrant colours of your pieces will fade and silicone and leather pieces will crack over time. Try to display your collection away from windows and direct sunlight or invest in curtains, blinds or even tint on your windows.

SMOKE

Just like sunlight, smoke can age your Collectibles. Certain collectibles will slowly lose their vibrant colour and will start to "yellow". We're not saying you should drop the habit just to collect, you-do-you, but we are letting you know that this can severely affect the condition of your collectibles as well as their resale value.

If you are a smoker, consider keeping your collection in an airtight room that you will never smoke in or install an extractor fan if you can. Smoke damage may still present as an issue but will have much less of an effect.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 of Caring for and Protecting your collection where we'll touch on some more topics such as dusting, insurance, packaging and accessibility.