Five Ways to Protect What You Collect

Illustration by Kyle Ellingson

3. Store it properly

Heat and light are not your friends. Raleigh, North Carolina, physician Perico Arcedo, 55, has a collection of about 1,000 bottles of perfume that he keeps in rooms that stay cool and dark most of the time.

Perico Arcedo has a perfume collection of about 1,000 bottles!

Cornell Watson

Even if you’re the type of collector who likes to display your items, putting some real thought into where you do that can preserve their value. Experts advise shielding valuables from even indirect sun exposure by using covers or a UV glass case. A basement can be a good place to set up displays and avoid sunlight, but be aware that humidity can cause mold, mildew, rot and warping. “The ideal temperature for just about any collectible is about 70 degrees, with lower humidity (35 to 65 percent),” says Colleene Fesko, a fine arts appraiser from Boston and 20-year veteran of Antiques Roadshow. If you do keep collectibles in your basement, running a dehumidifier can protect them from the dangers of dampness.

The items aren’t the only things you should store. Receipts and original packaging can make a collectible worth much more than it would be alone. “The original box for a fine piece of jewelry can add 10 to 20 percent to its value,” says Rosalie Sayyah, a Seattle-based jewelry expert who goes by “Rhinestone Rosie” on Antiques Roadshow.

Jastrem says he devotes more storage space to his model soldiers’ packaging than to the soldiers themselves. “To preserve their long-term potential value and keep them nice, you have to keep all the boxes,” he says. “It’s a little ridiculous.”

Illustration by Kyle Ellingson

4. Keep it clean (but carefully!)

A little dust won’t hurt anything. But removing it could. Abrasives, waxy polishes and chemical cleaners are universal no-no’s; even soft cloths or dish towels can degrade some surfaces. You should refinish at your own risk and repair with caution. Original condition for a collectible is ­almost always most desirable. “Repairing can be a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation,” Fesko says. “I say if you’re interested in reselling, just don’t.” Some collectors will never buy a piece that’s repaired, agrees Peggy Schroeder, manager of Mellwood Antiques and Interiors in Louisville, Kentucky: “But the proper thing is to disclose it, don’t hide it. And keep your records.”

5. Plan its future

You might be one of the few lucky collectors whose children cherish the collection. But don’t count on it. “I don’t think you can expect your children to love what you love,” says Linda ​Krasner, who runs Vintage Repairs by Linda in Queens, New York. Your heirs would benefit more from written ­information about the collection.

David Seufer has a collection of fountain pens, many of which have significiant meaning to him.

Matt Nager

David Seufer of suburban Denver details his fountain pen collection in his estate-planning documents, telling his family what pens he has, why they are important to him and what they might do with them. “One of them, a Visconti pen made from Mount Etna lava, was given to me at the birth of my first son, and I would want him to have that pen,” Seufer says. “I’ve also left information about where to liquidate the bulk of the collection.”

One thing not to do is stress over your collection’s value. The going price for all but the highest-quality items can be unpredictable. Unless you own a timeless piece like a Picasso, the collectibles markets are subject to the whims of popular culture. One TikTok video can drive the demand for a vintage toy for a month—then interest moves elsewhere. Or one billionaire’s preference for, say, Shaker furniture can cause a sudden spike and then a likely downturn.

The bottom line: Care for items while they’re in your possession, but if stuff no longer brings pleasure, sell, gift or donate it. “It served you well,” Fesko says. “Let someone else treasure it while you enjoy having one less thing to care for.”

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Collectible Care Specifics

Artwork: The safest place to display is on an interior wall. Avoid the bathroom (humidity), kitchen (heat), foyer (outdoor elements) or spots near radiators or air conditioners. “One of the last places you should hang a painting is over your fireplace,” Fesko says. “You think, It’s so wonderful to have this American landscape above the fireplace, but you are frying it from above, below and behind.”

Precious paper: Unframed art, photos, prints, maps and trading cards are fragile, with pastels and watercolors being difficult to preserve or restore. “A watercolor that has lost its color is just gone,” Fesko says. The only truly safe place is in an archival box, where items are separated with acid-free ­paper, foam core or cardboard.

Antique furniture: “The best way to clean is with a soft, damp rag,” says Clare Horvat, owner of Excel Shop Furniture Restoration in Louisville. For intricate carvings, Antiques Roadshow’s Austin suggests a dry, soft brush. “Don’t vacuum under furniture with aprons or drop pendants unless you move it,” she says. “You can always see gouges where the vacuum has bumped it over the years.”

Jewelry: Avoid the urge to polish and clean jewelry, and never soak it, which can loosen stones or cause discoloration. “The only thing I tell people to do is to clean with a soft, dry toothbrush or a Q-tip dipped in alcohol,” Sayyah says.

Silver: Austin suggests polishing once or twice a year and storing in flannel chamois bags, never in plastic wrap. The plastic adheres to the silver and damages the finish. —C.F.