Free Downloads Saving Stuff: How To Care For And Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, And Other Prized Possessions
The most comprehensive book on preserving every type of collectible -- from the sentimental to the valuable -- from the Smithsonian's Senior Conservator. For both the serious collector and the sometimes sentimentalist, Saving Stuff explains -- in plain language -- how you can use the techniques of museum professionals to keep your prized possessions in mint condition. You do not need deep pockets or oodles of time: using Don Williams's simple instructions, you can preserve anything quickly and inexpensively. In Saving Stuff, he demystifies preservation and presents easy, foolproof methods anyone can use to save nearly everything, including: Photographs -- in print and digital form Stuff only a parent could love -- from baby teeth to old blankets and first artworks Furniture -- whether it's painted, varnished, or upholstered Family heirlooms -- from silver to rugs to wedding dresses Sports and political memorabilia -- trading cards, posters, equipment, buttons, stickers Attic leftovers -- scrapbooks, military uniforms, medals Musical instruments Fine art -- oil paintings, etchings, lithographs Printed matter -- comic books, magazines, old letters And much, much more With step-by-step instructions, detailed illustrations, tips for making the things you use every day last, and stories about how the Smithsonian takes care of our national treasures, Saving Stuff is the only book you need to take care of the stuff you love.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Touchstone (June 2, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743264169
ISBN-13: 978-0743264167
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.3 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #295,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #23 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Antiques Care & Reference > Care & Restoration #9292 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies
The Smithsonian name (author is senior conservator there) ensures you're getting top quality advice. The instructions are detailed and straight forward, making this a great reference book. The boxed sections give Smithsonian stories of rescuing artifacts and also "Don's Tips" to supplement the text.Browsing through this book, you'll find ways to take care of everything precious to you from your vintage comic books to Grandma's quilt to your tattered teddy bear.The book helps you decide which of your items are worth keeping, and how to decide what should be given away or just junked. It gives advice for saving photographs and films and how to save toys. It covers preservation of furniture, fine art, musical instruments, textiles, sports and political memorabilia, and coins and stamps. If it is books, comic books or newspapers you want to save, it gives advice for that as well.I find this topic fascinating and have created my own web page about saving World War II letters.
Being a lover of auctions and yard sales, I have found some great furniture and old prints that needed some restorative attention. I often used traditional cleaning methods, thinking I was doing just fine. This book keeps you from making good-intentioned destructive "repairs" to your potential treasures. The author's experience at the Smithsonian and the other great enclave of American arts restoration, Winterthur, should convince readers that this guy knows his stuff! I like diagrams and how-to photos to reassure me that I am doing things right. The lack of these is my only criticism.
Saving Stuff has excellent advice by the senior curator of the Smithsonian Institiute on how to care for collectables and heirlooms. It is written in a very readable, chatty way and can be used as reference without having to read the entire book but I'm glad I'm reading the whole thing, anyway. Often, he will tell you several ways of preserving an item, depending on how much effort or expense you wish to go to. I initially bought this for the genealogical collection for our local library but may buy myself a copy as well.
"The most comprehensive book on preserving every type of collectible..." Don Williams, Senior Conservator of the Smithsonian Institution, has written a concise volume dealing with how to preserve everything from baseball cards to furniture. Easy to understand preservation practices. No hard to understand museum jargon. An excellent work for anyone who collects anything or the small museum.
If you're a collector or just a hoarder, this book will provide you with everything you need to know to both rescue and protect your treasures. From great-garandmother's crocheted popcorn stitch bedspread to that newspaper with the story of the Hindenburg disaster, learn how to treat them in the best possible way using commonplace tools and materials. Worth every penny!
The graphical promise of the cover does not translate to the inside of the book; illustrations would have been very helpful.I also would have liked more specifics in the area of cleaning things.... but the Do/don't organization is helpful and there is a lot of valuable information about taking care of your treasures, from a person who apparently has been charged with taking care of some of the world's treasures...If you need a book that covers caring for a wide variety of items, this is a great general reference.
This will tell you what you need to know in order to preserve family items as well as how to decide which of those items are important enough to preserve....."importance" is in the eye of the person using this book. A great reference for sure, and tells you where to buy the speciality items needed to properly store and care for your"stuff". Love it.CSAWGEN
This is an invaluable reference book co-written by a Senior Conservator at the Smithsonian Don Wiliams and journalist Louisa Jaggar. If you ever were wondering out to save those family heirlooms, hobby collections or sentimental items, to prevent decay from the ravages of time, this is the book for you.Bringing together his extensive experience at the Smithsonian, Don Williams covers a huge swath of ground on how to preserve, clean, and display to your valuables.This book covers diverse assortment objects you might want to store. From the obvious art, photographs, and magazines to toys, children's artwork, cast-iron cookware, furniture, musical instruments, and much, much more.Since a lot of this is how-to, it can get dry, so the authors liberally sprinkle stories from the Smithsonian. Before, you get started, there is a list of supplies that will you need for that type of item. They then walk you step-by-step on what to do. Often, the book will show you 3 different levels of preservation - Quick 'N Dirty, Middle Road, and Pharaoh's Tomb.If you have anything that you want to preserve or store safely, this book is a must!!
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