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Proper Care of Artwork
Display, Cleaning and Repair.
How to Properly Display Collectibles:
- To prevent Collectibles from being knocked over by cats, dogs, children and visitors, keep them in closed cabinets or high off the ground. Make sure the display case is well secured. This will usually involve angle irons and toggle bolts on shelving. Wall anchors in drywall are not secure enough for most shelves and cabinets.
- Display shelves should have lips on the front so pieces will not easily slide off.
- Most Art plates are displayed on small stands on shelves and cabinets but that are easy to slide and topple.
- Plate hangers with spring tension devices are safer in areas of activity from kids and earthquakes
If the wire springs slide they can scratch the rims of the plates. When done properly they work very well.
- The plate racks and rails are also designed to properly secure and display your plates. These have some advantages when you have a lot of plates and little wall space. The rails also secure the tops and bottoms in most cases, while racks usually suspend the plate inside itself.
- The best plate display is still the frame designed for the proper size of the plate. Art Plates that are fragile porcelain or Bone China, when hung, should be framed in a custom frame that allows for space behind the plate to avoid touching the wall surface. These frames are readily available and in many wood tones, color, and styles. A good frame is a good investment for the more expensive plates. They tend to hold the plate surface away from the wall and secure the plate under four springs. When properly mounted they can stand most anything.
- Some Art Plates have hanger holes in the reverse side rim that allow the plate to touch the wall. To use them, place a foam pad hung on the hook that is just big enough to separate the plate from the wall. The same kind of foam pad that electronic gadgets come wrapped in. This avoids the scratching off of porcelain around the rim that occurs on drywall, stucco and most every wall. The scratching will appears as a black "dirty" ring around the base rim.Always use a metal wire to suspend the plate that have hanger holes in the reverse side rim and twist the ends together tightly. I have found stiff Brass picture wire works best.
- Watch out for display areas located near water sources such as water pipes, fish tanks and sinks. Pipes in particular can break with age or from freezing. There is usually a lot of human activity around these areas and chances of accident increase.
- Keep collectibles away from heat, e.g. fireplaces, radiators, floor heaters, stoves and high-watt light bulbs. Heat tends to cause woods, plastics, papers and certain other types of materials to shrink and crack. It can also cause finishes on ceramic to change color. Heat can cause deterioration of the color pigments.
- Do not display collectibles near sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun destroys color pigments and organizes materials such as fabrics, wood, porcelain, china, and canvass.
Tips on how to properly clean collectibles to avoid breakage:
- Do not allow anyone other then yourself to dust or clean your collectibles. This means packer when you are moving, relatives that wish to assist you in housework, that clumsy spouse, or the guests that notice dust. They are your investment.
- When cleaning collectibles, be very careful. Do not use feather dusters unless the piece is very strong with no small parts. For best results on porcelains, spray them with dilute rubbing alcohol and then hold them upside down until they stop dripping, then allow to air dry. A hair dryer set on cool can also is an effective way to blow dust off of extremely delicate pieces.
- Never use a vacuum cleaner, especially on delicate pieces.
- Never wipe dust off of fine crystal with a cloth or paper towel, it can cause scratches.
- To dust other pieces, wipe the dust off with a small soft cloth wrapped over one finger. If you use the whole cloth it can snag small parts.
- Always wash collectibles with warm water and mild soap. I have had the best results with Dawn and Woolite. Two drops per quart, three drops for a liter. Mix a small amount as it goes a long way.
- Be sure to Rinse the soap off thoroughly to prevent a dull film from being left behind.
- Never put fine crystal or a collectible in a dishwasher. Fine crystal should be hand washed in warm water. Dishwashers tend to produce chips on the rims of glasses, plates, and bowls.
Broken and Damaged Collectibles:
- Relax; it almost certainly can be repaired.
- Find and pick up all the pieces. Protect your hands with gloves for protection from cuts and also allow the surfaces of the broken parts to avoid contact with human skin. The oils in skin will penetrate into porcelain and china, make crystal harder to repair and actually allow easier retrieval of minute slivers. Yes collect them also. Cotton gloves or latex work OK.
- Wrap the larger pieces in bubble wrap or other protective material.
- Wrap smaller pieces in paper towels and put them in Ziploc bags.
- Put the really small pieces and slivers in Ziploc bags without wrapping them. Finding them is the trick. Use a lightly damp paper towel to pick them up, works like a magnet, and then a knife blade to gently scrape them off the towel into the bag. The plastic bag should always be transparent so the repairer can view them. I do some of this and have received pieces in grocery bags, newspaper sleeves, paper bags and a lot of other opaque vessels. Price goes up far on these repairs.
- Never use silicone rubber to glue pieces back together again. If the repaired piece eventually ends up with a restorer, silicone rubber glue removal will extremely raise the repair costs.
- If you decide to bring your piece to a restorer, be sure they are members of the American Institute of Conservators (AIC). Members subscribe to specific professional protocols regarding reversibility and minimum destruction, which are vital to protecting the value of your pieces. Always get a written repair estimate and time for completion. Be sure your restorer is insured for liability.
- The best protection for any collection is a good insurance policy. Most homeowners or renters policies cover a certain amount of art and collectibles but they usually have a $500 deductible.
If you have a valuable collection you should consider extended coverage.
- If your collectable is valued at under $100, seek a replacement issue from the secondary markets that are available. The cost for restoration is too extensive and worrisome for such items. If the item is not replaceable but has a value under $100 then it's your money.
Sentiment aside, an investment in a collectable does have a limit to its monetary value.
Fisherman
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