How to Pack Away Your Antiques

This weekend Hurricane Irene came to town. She forced me into my basement to assess the safety of my antique lighting collection, primarily stored in the basement. If anyone out there in internet land wants to buy an antique lighting collection, just give me a holler via email or blog reply , but until that happens, I am the proud caretaker of various shades and lamp parts for late 19th and early 20th lamps. My son has been packing up his apartment to move to a new job, and he was asking my advice on how to pack dishes, which reminded me how little people know about safe packing protocol. So here are a few tips.
1) Strong waterproof containers that can withstand a flooding situation are imperative. If you buy containers that are all the same size they are easy to stack in your garage, basement, or when moving them in a van or truck.
2) You want to wrap your items in something which will provide protection and padding, so if jostled they will not bang against one another. Newspaper is the material of last resort because it turns your fingers black when packing and becomes yellowed and brittle with age. If you have the time, the best packing stuff are the hospital pads that are cotton and blue plastic–designed to protect the bed from “accidents”. You can order them online. They cost approximately $45 for a box of 200. If you can’t find those pads, then I recommend rolls of bubble wrap combined with sheets of white newsprint that are often available places that rent trucks for moving or at a printing plant. To economize, you can also use old towels, sheets, or old T-shirts.
3) Never pack the box or bin to the very top, because if you put weight on top, the items pressing against the lid will snap and break. Always try for approximately one to two inches of insulation at the bottom and the sides. I usually leave six inches at the top.
4) Label everything on the top and on the side where you can easily read the contents of what is inside each tub!

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