Top 10 Ways to Protect and Care for Your Glass Collection

Thursday, January 31, 2013
1. Never let anyone borrow from your collection. If it disappears, breaks, or is otherwise damaged, not only your collection will be ruined, but possibly also your relationship with the borrower. Letting people borrow expensive stuff may be a nice thing to do, but sometimes people are irresponsible or things that they cannot control could happen.
2. Do not put your glass collection in direct sunlight or under direct heat. Also avoid sudden temperature changes.
3. Always use both hands when carrying or moving the pieces to prevent dropping them. If you do not want to leave fingerprints, use gloves that do not slip.
4. Be there when visitors take a look at the collection. Do not leave the collection unattended. (Especially around children.)

5. Display your collection in a cabinet, or something else that will provide some physical protection for it. Also, place the cabinet in an area that is not frequented by lots of random people to avoid any accidents.
6. Purchase some museum gel. This will bond the glass item to the shelf without permanently harming it, so that it will not tip over. This is handy because the whole shelf is less likely to fall than individual glassworks.
7. Store all items together whenever possible. This way you can easily keep track of where each piece is, and you will also notice right away if something is wrong with it. However, do not stack the glass pieces together, since that could potentially cause permanent scratches.
8. Check whether each piece in your collection is authentic. Most of the more expensive pieces of art glass should be numbered, have a signature and/or have a certificate coming with it. By having such "proofs," you can protect the authenticity of your collection. (However, also know that in some periods in specific areas it was not common to sign the work. So do your research before buying a glasswork - a perfectly legitimate looking signature may be a scam depending on the work.)
9. Always keep your collection clean. Regularly dust them. Keeping the collection clean at all times is much easier than cleaning them later after the damage has been done.
10. If you need to use other methods of cleaning, use synthetic microfiber wipe and household glass cleaner without ammonia. Use gloves to avoid fingerprints. Wipe gently. Do not use acidic cleaners and do not use regular paper towels.

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