Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle
or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety
”clutter.” One man has a love of photography and takes pictures
of everything. Another woman buys more shoes than she could ever
wear, to make up for having hand-me-downs as a child. Someone else
might keep all of her mother’s old clothes and papers after her
death. Whether we love hats, unicorns, or butter tubs that we "might
use someday," collecting makes us feel good -- it fulfills some
NEED in our lives. What do you love to collect?
However, as much as we love our keepsakes and mementos, any collection
can become overwhelming if it isn’t kept in check. One of my clients
actually considered building on an extra room to house dozens of
antique cups -- until she realized it was a choice between the renovation
and her son’s college tuition! Another client spent hundreds of
dollars a month on storage units, because she couldn’t bear to part
with any of her children’s clothes or toys. The trick is to establish
a set of RULES for sorting, storing, and purging your mementos.
Even if you aren’t buried in memorabilia, it’s important that you
properly store and protect your keepsakes -- after all, your treasured
memories deserve some respect!
SETTING PHYSICAL LIMITS
You may decide to establish a physical limit for your belongings.
Perhaps you tell yourself that you will keep no more than 10 ceramic
frogs, setting numerical limit. Or, you could determine an acceptable
spatial limit -- I won’t buy any more shoes than will fit on this
shelf. Finally, you might decide that you work better with an in
/ out ratio -- you get rid of one magazine every time you bring
a new one home. Either way, you are creating a very specific method
for keeping your belongings in check. You never need worry about
losing control again!
THE DISCRIMINATING COLLECTOR
Collecting, like everything in life, should be about quality --
not just quantity. Resist the urge to own every colored glass bottle
on the planet -- be DISCERNING about your “favorites.” Perhaps you
can select a few representative samples of your collection, display
them beautifully, and discard the rest. Take some time to examine
your treasures, asking yourself which ones really mean something
to you. You may find that a once beloved collection has lost its
appeal. Take picture or shoot a video tape of your collection for
posterity -- then you will feel more free to let go of the past
without completely discarding years of memories.
STORING YOUR KEEPSAKES
The first rule for protecting your memorabilia is to select a space
that is accessible, but not part of your active storage. If you
clearly separate mementos from those items you use regularly, they
are less likely to get damaged or lost. You may use any kind of
container, but one with a lid will keep out dust. I happen to prefer
a cedar chest, because it insures that no creepy-crawlies will decide
to munch on my keepsakes. Insect infestation is a particularly important
concern if you are keeping old clothing or dried flowers. You may
want to have that baby blanket or wedding gown professionally cleaned
and sealed before you store it away.
And be very careful about storing treasures in your garage, attic,
basement. Never store anything in an unprotected area if it might
be damaged by moisture or extremes in temperature -- if it might
melt, freeze, warp, fade, or crack. Finally, be careful about the
kind of packaging you use -- acid-free tissue paper is a better
choice than packing peanuts, which can melt over time.
GETTING YOUR PICTURES IN ORDER
Going through years of backlogged pictures and putting them in order
can either be a nightmare or a fun trip down memory lane -- depending
on how you approach it. Before you do anything, go wash your hands.
The oils on your fingers can permanently damage your snapshots.
And remember that even Ansel Adams threw away the bad pictures.
If it’s underdeveloped, fuzzy, too bright, or you’re making a goofy
face, you can toss it. You won’t go to hell. While we’re at it,
let’s talk DUPLICATES -- why do you need 6 sets of prints from the
company picnic? Keep one and give the rest to the other people in
the picture.
The easiest way to begin is to sort your snapshots by date. You
can get a general idea of the time period by the film grain (black
and white, sepia, full-color) and the paper on which the photo is
printed (white edging is older than no edging, textured paper is
older than smooth). Other clues can be found within the pictures
themselves. Are those hotpants from the 1960’s? Perhaps you remember
that you took that cruise to Nassau in 1993. You may only be able
to remember the occasion -- that must have been a family reunion
because there’s Aunt Marge! Separate your snapshots into piles according
to the time period and the occasion. Then, label each photo on the
back with a crayon or special grease pencil -- a sharp pencil or
pen will damage the picture. And don’t forget to label the negatives,
as well.
STORING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
Once your pictures are in chronological order, you’re ready to store
them away. Always use ACID-FREE pages, mylar / polypropylene pockets,
or an acid free box -- never magnetic pages, which will eventually
destroy your snapshots. You will probably want to put some identifying
labels on the pages or box dividers as you go along, so have a pen
and some stickers handy. Keep your negatives in the original packaging,
labeled in chronological order, in a photo box -- or you may buy
special negative sleeves that fit into a ring-binder.
And keep in mind that both photographs and negatives are easily
damaged by moisture and heat. The attic or basement probably is
not the best place for them. You may opt to keep your negatives
in a fire safe or safety deposit box, in case your photos are destroyed.
After this point, be sure to keep some extra photo albums and blank
pages on hand, and reward yourself for organizing your pictures
and negatives as soon as you bring them home.
Ramona
Creel is the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com
-- offering "a world of organizing solutions!"
Visit OnlineOrganizing.com
for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau -- and even
get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you. And if you
are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, we have all
the tools you need to succeed. (Copyright 2001, Ramona Creel)
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