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Over
the years, individuals and households accumulate possessions that are
important to their owners. Some objects are carefully chosen to build
or enhance a collection; others are purchased as needed for daily living,
and some are inherited. Additionally, antiques, art, and collectibles
are being acquired by more people than ever before. Some owners have cataloged
and organized important information about their possessions, but most
people have not, because they do not know how . The DocuMentor
Collector's Record is designed for collections large or small and for
articles of diverse types and values. In addition to being useful to individual
collectors, it is applicable to the collections of small museums, historic
properties, and corporations. Whether your possessions are as costly as
collections of silver, porcelain, art, or furniture; or as sentimentally
valuable as Aunt Millie's teapot; or whether you collect a single type
of object, you should describe, record, and assemble relevant documents
about these objects for several important reasons.
INSURANCE
In case of theft, loss, or damage, you need to prove ownership and provide descriptions with supporting information in order to be compensated for your loss or to help the police identify and recover your stolen valuables. The DocuMentor Collector's Record provides the means to readily supply that information.
PREPARING FOR AN APPRAISAL
If you insure antiques, fine art, jewelry, or other objects, your insurance company will undoubtedly require a professional appraisal. By providing your documentation, you will spare the appraiser from certain tasks, resulting in dollar savings for you, since appraisers usually charge an hourly fee. The DocuMentor Collector's Record is invaluable for thorough documentation.
TRANSMITTAL OF FAMILY HERITAGE
Family pieces are often carelessly disposed of simply because succeeding generations are unaware of their actual or sentimental value. In addition to such standard information as measurements, dates, and purchase prices, your DocuMentor Collector's Record can capture the family history and provenance of things you care about all in one complete package.
ESTATE PLANNING
In time, each of us will leave our treasures behind us, for the use of others. The DocuMentor Collector's Record can help you with decisions about which objects you will leave to specific heirs.
TAXES
If you sell an object or give it to a museum or other institution, the DocuMentor Collector's Record can give detailed information from acquisition to sale or gift, thereby providing you with a factual basis for tax benefits.
CONNOISSEURSHIP
Documenting is part of caring for your collection, in addition to your own knowledge of how to clean, store, display or use your objects. It will enhance your own and others' enjoyment of your treasures. The DocuMentor Collector's Record was designed to help you care for and acquire more knowledge about your objects.
THE DOCUMENTOR FORMAT
The
DocuMentor Collector's Record is a flexible, looseleaf package
that was developed by Elizabeth Poel, a collector who is a retired
professional archivist, librarian, and teacher with many years of experience.
By adapting museum practices to individual collections or households,
the DocuMentor Collector's Record enables you to better control
and manage your possessions. The DocuMentor Collector's Record
has archivally-safe, standardized, detailed worksheets to document information
about your objects, along with archivally-safe, permanent document protectors
to assemble each worksheet and other related documents into one concise
and comprehensive "object record." This unique format allows additional
information, such as photographs, bills of sale, and reference materials
to be added at any time without reorganizing the volume. Tabbed dividers
enable you to logically organize your completed object records, and special
forms enable you to create simple indexes for quickly locating an object
record. Additionally, a compact disc (CD) containing the catalog and index
forms is included for those who wish to do their cataloging on the computer
rather than filling out the forms manually. Central to the DocuMentor
Collector's Record is the manual of instructions that explains how to
proceed with documenting. To start using the package, instruction is helpful
but not necessary. DocuMentor offers workshops, individual instruction,
and personalized service.
This package includes:
1 Looseleaf Binder
1 Manual of Instructions
1 Sample Documented Record
30 Acid-free Cataloging Record Sheets
10 Acid-free Index Sheets
30 Archivally-safe Polypropylene Document Protectors
10 Tabbed Index Dividers
1 CD for cataloging on the computer