Miniature collections begin when you realize you spend time looking for particular objects. You may want to find another tiny zebra, a match for a Christmas village house, a wargaming piece which has just come out, scenery to finally start putting that model railway together. The chance remark I like pigs can lead to others creating a collection for you. Analyzing what you have starts you seeing yourself as a collector, so now that you're looking for something, how does it become a collection?
1. Collections Should be Personal
Choose miniatures that match your interests, they will give the collection more meaning to you and relate to the broad circle of your friends and family. Analyze the space you have to store or showcase your chosen objects and make sure what you choose will complement other parts of your life. Collectible items are not a replacement for an investment portfolio. While many news articles focus on valuable discoveries, the majority of collectors gather things because they love them.
2. Choose Miniatures that Draw Your Eye
Analyze the miniatures you are drawn to in magazines, in shops, at shows. Do you want a collection that represents a special period of history, a moment of family life, the passing of a local landmark? Do you want to collect within a particular model line, from a singular artist, to fit in with a club collection or is a collection of miniature travel mementos your special thing?
3. Create A Collection to Use or Display
Many gamers collect or create three identical pieces at once; one to use, one to trade and one to save in a collection. If your collection will live in a bright sunlit location, it will need to be made of materials which light will not fade or age. If your collection will focus on living miniature plants, it will have special growing requirements. If your railway club have individual modules they bring to meetings, yours will have to fit with the guidelines.
4. Plan your Additions
Once you know what you will collect and where you will store it, you have the fun of adding that next piece. Research your topic. Establish a want list which will grow your collection in a particular direction. Try to set some boundaries, not every piece of Dicken's Christmas Village, but the five pieces and related accessories that will tell a story or relate to a theme and make a spectacular display on your side table.
5. Research Your Field
Learn as much as you can about the items on your want list. Talk to other collectors and try to find the highest quality you can afford. Be selective, good collections are based on completeness or quality. Be patient and prepared to look hard. Instead of buying five easier to find and less expensive examples, budget for a better quality. Join a club and share the search and the resources! Of course, some collections only have one quality, and collections of new objects have a current fixed price!
6. Document your Collection
Where and why did you buy it? How much did it cost? Who was the creator? This information becomes part of the records and provenance that are an important part of a collection's value for replacement or insurance purposes. It will also help you if you need to repair or replace items.
7. Keep Original Packaging
Often the box or certificates that come with a collectible miniature are more valuable than the miniature itself. If the miniature was signed for you, try to get a photo of the moment of signing, or a photo of the artisan with your miniature. Refer back to tip #3. If this is a collection of NRFB never removed from box miniatures, make sure you aren't tempted to open the box! If these are MIB Mint in Box items, store the packaging and the miniatures separately so that the packaging won't damage the miniature.
8. Consider Storage and Display
Determine what materials your miniatures are made of and store and display them based on the requirements of those materials. Avoid storing anything in PVC (polyvinyl chloride ) or vinyl containers (usually soft plastics), unless these are NRFB miniatures. PVCs are unstable plastics which will corrode items over time. Acrylic or polyester (polyethylene and polypropylene) materials are safer.
Store your miniatures in a way that will keep them safe from environmental pollution (smoke, dust etc.) and try to keep them in a stable environment (not too hot, too cold, too dry, or humid).
9. Show them Off!
Set up your miniatures so that they are displayed to their advantage. You will get far more enjoyment from viewing them on display than you will get from knowing they are in boxes under the bed. Displaying them also helps to fine tune your urge to collect! The best collections tell stories which engage the observer, so work out the story you want to tell and how to best display it.
