Wednesday, July 3, 2013 — I know that I am not the only key collector who has a great many keys, which leads me to a general query to those who may read this blog: How do you store your keys so that you can also enjoy using them/seeing them in your shack or office?
I have struggled with finding the ideal solution since my key collection outstripped my operating desk’s ability to hold them all. Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
SUBDIVIDED BOOKSHELF. I have to tall bookcases in my shack/office, and as an experiment, I cut a new shelf from a blank shelf I purchased at Lowe’s, and then installed it as a “second shelf” in the book case. This gave me two shelves on which to display keys. I can get 7 or 8 keys per shelf this way … a normal bookshelf opening can display 16 keys. I had to put all my books someplace else, which was another problem altogether! This works, but you can’t really see the keys well inside the book case. It is very safe storage, however.
NASCAR COLLECTIBLE CAR DISPLAY CASE. My wife ran across a guy selling out his inventory of NASCAR collectible display cases; she bought two 8-slot acrylic display cases with mirrored backs. They are designed for 1/24 scale collectible NASCAR models. The guys who collect them probably think I’m as crazy as I think they are for collecting toy cars, hi!
The slots are a little short in height for some keys, but adequate for most Vibroplex keys. These things are expensive, too — but my wife got two of them for $25 each, which apparently was a steal. One issue with the cases is that they aren’t designed for the weight of eight bugs — they are designed for a 3 or 4 pounds total load, not 30 pounds. The case holds up well, but I wouldn’t dare trust the mounting slots in the back to hang them on the wall. I have two of them, but I’m not likely to buy more of these unless I get them for a good price.
WOODEN SHOE RACK. I can’t remember what Big Box Store these came from … Lowe’s? Target? Kmart? But these are fairly sturdy wooden cases with dividers. They will hold 25 keys in safe storage. The downside is the keys will still collect dust, and they aren’t very visible or accessible. I have two of these wooden racks and they are very satisfactory. One modification I’m considering is a sheet of plexiglas to serve as a “door” of sorts; simply attach it in several points with velcro, and it will minimize the amount of airborne dust and dirt.
The cases are substantially cheaper than the acrylic 1/24 scale car cases, and they provide a lot more safety for long-term storage. Once I get my shack in order, I’m going to stack the two cases I have and consider adding a couple more. Safe storage for 100 keys — even if it isn’t an optimal way to display them — would be a cheap investment in organizing my collection.
The other “option” I haven’t really considered (but perhaps should consider) is first document and photograph each key I own, then get rid of all but a handful of them for my actually on-the-air enjoyment. I’m going to continue to work to document my keys, but getting rid of them … well, that’s not a bridge I’m ready to cross!
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT? I would love to hear your thoughts on displaying and storage ideas for your key collection. Is there a better solution out there? I’ll keep searching for more options.
73 de KY4Z … dit dit