[meteorite-list] Traveling Meteorite Mineral Displays

From: EL Jones <jonee_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:06:59 2004
Message-ID: <3DA65D3E.70508_at_epix.net>

Hello Listees and Affectionatos,

Ed's post on meteorite lectures prompted me to to pass along something I
have discovered with respect to displaying ones collection in exhibits.
  I have been asked to set up an exhibit for local libraries and nature
centers. I loathed the idea of leaving my specimens in open and loathed
setting up a different arrangement at each location. I was shopping at
 Ames Department Stores, a chain now liquidating in the northeast, where
they were selling store fixtures. They were selling off nice jewelry,
turntable glass and Plexiglas tabletop cabinets (from $5-$25-$50 or so)
which are well suited to traveling exhibits. They are lockable,
securable, and offer space for 20-90 micro boxes. The internal turntable
allows a viewer to look upon all the specimens, yet only take up a 15x15
inch footprint. The breadbox-size lockers can hold all but the largest
whole meteorites. All the cases have security cables and can be
discretely locked together.

The Ames liquidation only has about 10 more days, but the rumor on the
street is that November-January, K-Mart will be closing several stores
nationally. So if you anticipate needing a traveling display --or want
to put up something in your den which doesn't look like a high school
shop project, keep an eye on the types of display cases they have at the
jewelry counter. If one bought these new they would list for $150-$350.

Regards,
Elton

PS: Commercial displays revolve around modular and pegboard systems not
available to consumers for the most part or cheaply anyway. But if you
are an organization freak--or your spouse thinks you NEED to become one,
don't miss the little adjustable plastic pegboard trays/boxes they put
CD's and Nintendo Game Cartridges in. They can be used at home for
computer disks, sewing sundries, batteries, computer parts, ebay
auction, etc. They fill a gap on the garage tool board to keep things
together which you can't otherwise hang on a pegs directly-at 50 cents
they are cheap!.

 Some of the tool pegs from the garden wares section are heavy duty
enough to hang my hard hat, rock hammer, metal detector, geiger counter,
bino's, camera, and UV lamp on and still leave room for a field pack.
 Makes me feel like a fireman-- I can be out of the house, equipped to
hunt any rock in under 2 minutes!
Received on Fri 11 Oct 2002 01:10:22 AM PDT