What is the best way of storing/displaying medal collections?

[Alex K]

Collection storage. This is some sort of cruel joke, right?

Just a few of the boxes that are on "home leave" now.

Looks very much like mine, although I keep my boxes under the bed . These days the average moronic burgler and thief looks for Ipods, DVD's mobiles and the like and wouldn't recognise a gong if it landed on their heads. I actually had the experience where my workroom was adorned with framed, mounted medal displays on the wall and the git only took a cheap camcorder and ignored the rest.

Alex k

Edited January 15, 2009 by Alex K

[DaveC]

Thanks, Perce, for the great ideas. I'm sorry to be a pest to all of you, but there's another question that's cropped up since I've almost completed the collection. How do I mount them? What do I mount them to? I have a flag lain over a piece of corkboard with a firmer wood backing, but gluing the ribbons to the flag isn't an option. I was thinking about drilling theough the corkboard and wiring the medals through and securing them on the back.

Again, any help would be most appreciated.

[Laurence Strong]

What would the best way be for long term storage in a Bank Safe Deposit box?

[ItemCo16527]

Collection storage. This is some sort of cruel joke, right?

Just a few of the boxes that are on "home leave" now.

I'd give my right arm to go through that box of WWI medals. Mind if I borrow it for a while? :D

[Colinf]

I have a couple of Orders that have enamel damage. Does anyone know how I could get it repaired?

eg.

Try http://enamel-auto-badge-repair.com.au/ena...on_contact.html This website, Alan has done some great jobs for me.

Cheers

[Rundberg]

I´m new to this forum and should perhaps start by introduce me on another place but for now I would just like to:

a) Thank Colinf for the tip

b) Point out that the actual link is changed to

http://enamel-auto-b...-repair.com.au/

Regards,

Chris

Edited December 5, 2009 by Rundberg

[JimZ]

Been wanting to post these a while but its only recently that I got the whole collection properly insured and photographic documentation and a full inventory thereof was paramount.

The frames are not hung on a wall (as displayed in the pictures) but are kept lying horizontally on a shelf, away from direct sunlight. Each of the frames sit on top of eachother in a pile, with each frame sealing off the one beneath it from light. The upper frames are usually the screwbacks (as they do not have ribbons that could fade) but these are nevertheless covered with a dark cloth.

Apologies about the size of the pics - but I think that the method used to attach the screwbacks and the suspension medals to the boards is clear.

Jim

[Taurus454]

Wow! Some pretty neat ways to store your items I collect primarily Third Reich items so I am not really at liberty to display them. It's not that I am ashamed of them, I could care less about what other people think. However, there is a major stigmatism associated with these items. If my children have friends over, they get the usual "are you Nazis" question. Same goes for any adult friends. So, until the children grow up and move out and I live to be a widower they stay tucked away. But, should the day ever come when I am living alone, my house will look like a museum!

Good hunting!

Tom

[Travel North]

Hello Gents,

is it safe to keep medals in contact with paper?

[JimZ]

So long as the paper is acid-free paper there should be no problems arising from chemicals that could otherwise cause corrosion to the medal.

Of course you must still be careful - in a humid environment, paper may retain humidity and this may cause other damage!

Regards

Jim :cheers:

[paul wood]

So long as the paper is acid-free paper there should be no problems arising from chemicals that could otherwise cause corrosion to the medal.

Of course you must still be careful - in a humid environment, paper may retain humidity and this may cause other damage!

Regards

Jim

I was lucky enough to purchase a 19th century rosewood collectors cabinet, with lock intact just over 3 foot high (roughly a metre for those who can't hack Imperial measures), with 9 trays deep trays with attractive light wood floral inlay on the front of the drawers and virtually perfect condition. Have lined the drawers with velvet and easily houses my 200+ medals with plenty of room for addition and as a bonus it neatly fits under my desk.. I managed to pick it up for the bargain price of £200. To have such a cabinet purpose made now would cost many time that and it makes it look like I am housing a collection of many years rather than one formed over 6 Years.

All the best,

Paul

[JimZ]

Pictures please Paul...of both cabinet and content :)

[paul wood]

Pictures please Paul...of both cabinet and content

When the photofairy deigns to come into my office. She tends to disappear for two weeks on the trot

Paul

[Travel North]

So long as the paper is acid-free paper there should be no problems arising from chemicals that could otherwise cause corrosion to the medal.

Of course you must still be careful - in a humid environment, paper may retain humidity and this may cause other damage!

Regards

Jim

Thank you, Jim!

[Phil2012]

Hello!

Here is my collection of badges and medals about "Typhoon" submarines:

The support on which are attached the badges and medals is a material called "carton-plume" in french (if I translate word-by-word: "Feather-cardboard") :

It's a kind of sandwich, made of stiff foam between two sheets of white and smooth cardboard. In France, it's available in 3mm or 5mm thick. It's very light, and very easy to cut out.

I cover it with adhesive film which looks like velvet. I prefer dark green color for elegance:

Most of my badges have screwbacks. I just have to make a hole in the support and to screw the disc on back:

But it's different about the medals. In this case, I use a piece of stiff plastic. This attachment can hold the object perfectly flat on the support:

And here are some pics to show how I achieved the frame:

Et voila !

[Stuka f]

I like those old frames with convex glass, usualy holding a crusifix, very commoun to find on Flemish flee markets for very little!

[Stuka f]

Still have thise old museum display, I used for a while.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Still have thise old museum display, I used for a while.

That is seriously sexy!

I love old oak....

[Odulf]

My experience with oak is, that it tarnishes the silver medals black (has to do with the acids in oak, so I was told).

A collector friend, who had an oak cabinet made from old oak planks by a shriner had the same experience.

[Brian Wolfe]

My experience with oak is, that it tarnishes the silver medals black (has to do with the acids in oak, so I was told).

A collector friend, who had an oak cabinet made from old oak planks by a shriner had the same experience.

That can be very true, tannic acid, I think. Possibly the off gassing of acid fumes would be over for older cabinets, but that's just a guess.

I have used oak in display cases and cabinets for medal collections for other collectors/customers in the past and I would suggest using several coats of clear be applied to help prevent the off gassing of the acid. I've always preferred to use pine in cabinets, well coated, for my own collection.

Regards

Brian

[Spasm]

Here's some display cases that I have. Bought in the UK but am now unable to find the supplier here, I expect they are around somewhere. They are available in the US from

www.shadowboxonline.com

I haven't had any from this site so no experience of them but the display boxes are pretty good.

They come in various sizes to suit, oak, walnut or cedar with a foam insert and a felt backing in a choice of colours.

I remove the foamy stuff and use mounting board as a backing. Mounting board is stuff friendly and comes in any colour you want from your local arty shop. The back is hardboard so easily drilled to take dowels, mounting etc for your big boys toys.

Good thing is that they are hinged and have a lock clip that has a key (keeps those little prying fingers away).

[Broletariat]

Should you keep the medal separate from its presentation box and in a medal wallet? Or is it fine to just leave it in its proper box?

[Broletariat]

So have I not followed proper decorum or are you not that social?

[Greg]

Broletariat, this is an old topic. Before your message, the most recent message was 4 years ago. Please don't be put off because no-one replied so far. It may take months for someone to find your message and reply.

I keep my original medals in their presentation boxes and have noticed no damage over the last 20 years of collecting except that some of the Australian official presentation cases themselves have deteriorated. I want to display some and have made or bought jewellery display cases and they work well. I have many other medals that do not have presentation cases and I store them in food quality plastic boxes in individual purpose made medal sleeves/envelopes that are readily available at medal shops and on line. I hope this helps until those more knowledgeable and experienced find your message.

Greg.

 

[peter monahan]

A few of us are on the GMIC on a daily basis, many more weekly or monthly and some only when we have a question. Probably none of us read every post in every sub-forum, so new posts do get missed.

That said, welcome to the GMIC.  Your question is a perennial one, to which there is no 'right' answer.  Displaying the award in its original box is nice but often unwieldy, so many of us mount them in frames or, depending on numbers, in 'wallets', often wth the boxes stuck away in a drawer.  However, if the box is more than plain cardboard, it adds a nice formality to the award.  Your choice, and happy collecting!