Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions [Paperback]

Don Williams (Author), Louisa Jaggar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2005

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From a fragile antique quilt to a child's macaroni artwork, this book offers expert advice on saving those priceless objects from entropy for the "museum of you." Williams, senior conservator at the Smithsonian Institute, shares his extensive knowledge on the art of preservation, offering at-home techniques for battling damage from light, humidity, rodents and other pests, like careless friends and family members. Divided into easily navigable chapters, the book offers step-by-step guidelines, lists of supplies needed and numerous rules for preserving everything from "family treasures" to "really valuable stuff," with specifics on caring for objects including record players, political memorabilia, fine art, vintage clothing and more. Sidebars detail tips (e.g. how to turn the pages of a vintage book), bust myths (don't store silver in plastic wrap-it'll cause tarnish) and offer "Smithsonian Stories," quirky anecdotes about the Institution's collection. Peppered with personal stories by Jaggar, an amateur collector, about her past maintenance mess-ups, the book is written in clear, concise language that explains these professional techniques to any reader looking to safeguard his loot.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Saving Stuff provides a wealth of invaluable advice to anyone who wishes to care for, preserve, and display personal collections and family treasures."

-- Betty C. Monkman, Curator (Retired), The White House

"Don Williams has distilled years of research and museum experience into practical advice for anyone concerned with preserving a collection -- from the beginning collector to the connoisseur."

-- Joseph Godla, Senior Conservator, Historic New England

"I am someone to whom stuff is serious business, so Saving Stuff is indispensable. Luckily, it covers saving books, because one thing I know I'll always want to save is Saving Stuff itself."

-- Sam Posey, the author of Playing with Trains

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743264169
• ISBN-13: 978-0743264167
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caring for Your Treasures, July 28, 2005

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions (Paperback)

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.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get a top conservator for all your attic and garage junk, August 4, 2005

By 

Austin T. Bechtold "[e-mail]" (Downingtown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions (Paperback)

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.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent advice in a very readable form, August 14, 2005

By 

G. Wilfong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions (Paperback)

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.