Heirlooms, Memorabilia, Collectibles, Keepsakes: Protecting What Matters

This beautiful alabaster sculpture is a treasured heirloom from the owner’s mother. It was originally bought in the 1920’s in Florence, Italy and was passed down from mother to daughter. Sadly, due to improper packing and storage, the center section broke into several pieces. This greatly saddened the owner, as this heirloom possessed significant nostalgic value.

Damage due to improper packing and storage can be attributed to a lack of common sense. For example, some clients damage pieces when they stack a heavy box on top of fragile items. However, not all potential damage is as easily avoided, and when tricky situations arise sometimes you need an expert opinion. When advice is needed for packing home items, we have found such businesses as The UPS Store are extremely helpful. Although it may cost more time and money to safeguard your valuables when packing, moving, and storing, it is less expensive than restoration. Keep in mind that extra padding on all sides of a packing box is a cheap alternative to repair and loss of value.

Although it is important to take extra precautions when packing and moving, it is another discussion for items on display in your home that can be damaged by various disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes… and grandkids!). We recommend using Museum Wax, which is an anchoring wax that can help you avoid damage to collectibles when a building starts to shake. It secures valuable items to the wall, shelves, tables, and more, which means less falling and breaking for art collectors. Once this client’s decorative plate is restored to its previous beauty, she can further protect it for further generations by securing it with Museum Wax.

This beautiful alabaster plate is shown in its entirety. 

These delicate pieces broke off due to improper storage and packing.

This resulted in significant damage.