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

By Don Williams and Louisa Jaggar (Fireside Books, 2005, $16)

Nostalgia and a desire to document our personal past for posterity makes us hoard boxes of toys in the basement, store old uniforms in the closet and stack photographs, letters and comic books in plastic bins in the attic.

Yet the extreme environmental conditions often found in these common storage spaces can warp granddad’s vintage Johnny Cash vinyl LPs, allow silverfish to feast on Sally’s kindergarten artworks, and cause mold and mildew to attack mother’s World War II-era wedding dress.

But there is good news.

Simple rules anyone can follow to ensure that their treasures stand the test of time have been folded into a new book, Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms and Other Prized Possessions, by Don Williams and Louisa Jaggar.

As senior conservator in the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education, Williams has consulted on the preservation of such artifacts as President Franklin Roosevelt’s desk and Archie Bunker’s chair from the television show “All in the Family.”

Jaggar is a columnist for Washington Parent magazine and has contributed articles to Diversion and the Family Travel Network Web site.

Saving Stuff is written in an enjoyable, engaging style and is packed with many straight-on facts about how to preserve everything from old photographs to football jerseys and even animal specimens.

For example, Williams recommends making copies of your most prized photographs for hanging on the wall and everyday viewing. Keep originals in a cool, dry place where they won’t be exposed to extremes of light, temperature and humidity.

A cherished high-school football jersey may look more authentic with its sweat and grass stains, but it should be professionally washed to remove them. Evidence of past gridiron battles makes a good dinner for all manner of fabric-munching creatures. Once the jersey has been cleaned, give it form by stuffing polyester or acid-free paper inside. Then mount it on a backing board using velcro before placing it in on display in a glass-front shadow box. (Instructions for making a shadow box are outlined in Chapter 5.)

The opening section of Saving Stuff, titled “The Museum of You,” is essential reading. It explains how to minimize the harsh effects of extreme light, temperature and humidity on collectibles.

Williams and Jaggar also walk readers through the critical task of deciding what to save. “Prioritize what’s worth preserving and do it right instead of indiscriminately hoarding every memento,” they advise. Worksheets are provided to help decide a top-10 list of what to keep, based on who owned it, its financial and emotional value, when it was made, where it came from and the action needed to preserve it.

Other chapters serve as a reference for all the best practices in saving photos, films, books, paper dolls, silverware, bronze, electrical devices, sculptures, wedding dresses and even insect collections.

In the margins, both writers offer anecdotes, real-world wisdom and time-tested rules for preserving precious personal goods. Throughout the book, Williams offers helpful tips by relating fascinating “Smithsonian Stories” of famous American artifacts and gives details of how they were professionally preserved. In addition, the authors debunk some old-wives’ tales, such as one that antique furniture needs to be “fed” with special oils and other nutrients to keep it in good shape.

“Let me break it to you gently in hushed tones,” Williams writes. “Furniture is dead. Dead, I tell you. Dead! What furniture does need is to be protected from the elements and, to be perfectly frank, you. Traditional furniture polish mixtures of linseed oil, turpentine, beeswax and vinegar are especially bad, because they darken with age.”

The proper care is simple, Williams writes—clean and wax, no matter what your grandmother said.

Saving Stuff offers rare access and advice from a master Smithsonian conservator. Just as important, readers learn what not to do from a number of unfortunate, yet entertaining, collectors’ mistakes.