Curio Cabinets...what's the best brand? (1 Viewer)

[Lo1863]

Hello all,
I have been in the shop for a nice curio cabinet to display my collection so far. For those of you who already have curio cabinets I was wondering what your thoughts were on the best overall brands? Thanks for any help!

 

[thebritfarmer]

Although I do not have them yet, the Billy bookcase system made by IKEA is what I will be going for.

 

[zblang]

Billy works well - price and size wise. Just make sure you attach it to the wall - they are very top heavy (at least mine was). It all depends on what you are looking for...

Much nicer and MUCH more $$$$, I have a few Howard Miller cabinets. Mine are much deeper then the Billy though too, so for a big diorama they are better, but for single figures, they get lost in the back.

These are in one of my Howard Miller (you can see how individual figures would get lost), but you also can get many sizes.

The other thing I use, which can be gotten fairly cheaply is Barrister Bookcases. Mine are antique and can often be purchased cheaper then the new ones.

 

[Lo1863]

Zach,
I have seen the Howard Miller cabinets in my online research. Are they constructed really well? Do they seal up nicely? Also, I have seen some other curios wobble due to their height, but I think that's because they are cheaper and not as firmly constructed.

 

[zblang]

They are built really well and are solid. That being said, the one I have still lets a bit of dust in. There's a light at the top, drilled in, and i think that's how it's sneaking in

 

[Sahara]

I have a Howard Miller as well. I am very pleased with it. The sliding front door with key lock is also a nice option to have.

 

[Lo1863]

They are built really well and are solid. That being said, the one I have still lets a bit of dust in. There's a light at the top, drilled in, and i think that's how it's sneaking in

Thanks so much! So, they do not wobble or rock at all when pushed against at the top with your hands? Also, I would love to know which Howard Miller cabinets you own? I know they make some that are pretty large.

 

[zblang]

I'll look it up and let you know.
Those sliding fronts are great, but I have three together and with the sliding front, you can only have one. The salesman and I thought we could slide them all together, but the have to be lined up perfectly for that and we both decided it'd never work.

 

[wadepat]

Hi Cameron,

I use Pulaski Curio Cabinets in which I display my collection. The particular models of my cabinets include a sliding front door. And, I am very, very pleased with them. They are lighted and they have adjustable shelves. Each cabinet stands nine feet tall and the shelving in six of them is ten inches deep and twelve inches deep in two of them. They are not cheap, but they are exceptionally nice.

When considering your choice of cabinets, please take some time to think through how you want to be able to access the interior of the curio. For example, if you choose front sliding doors as I have, you must allow ample room between the cabinets or the walls to fully open the doors. If you choose a traditional front swinging door, you must also make certain you can fully open the door. Finally, there are cabinets that are side loading. I used to have one that only opened on one side and placing figures on the far end of a shelf was a serious undertaking. At any rate, study the space in which you intend to place the cabinet, decide on how you want to access the interior of the cabinet, and how you wish to arrange figures in it. Further, I would strongly recommend you purchase lighted cabinets with adjustable shelves. The Miller cabinets that have been recommended by other collectors are great as well as the Pulaski cabinets I have purchased. You cannot go wrong with either brand.

Below you should find a photo of one of my Pulaski cabinets. This cabinet is one of those with 12 inch deep shelves. I hope the photo helps with your decision making.



Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[sammy719]

Now that I read this thread I'm not sure if mine is the Miller or Pulaski??, but has the same wood work, sliding glass door and small 2 way dim switch light inside at the top, either way both curios look great!...Sammy

 

[Andanna]

Th see are all great collections and very well displayed.

 

[sapper]

All stunning cabinets gents, and fatastic collections to go with them. Any one of them would take pride and place in any one's collection. Thanks for showing something of real class that us others can hope to achieve.Regards Greg.

 

[wadepat]

Now that I read this thread I'm not sure if mine is the Miller or Pulaski??, but has the same wood work, sliding glass door and small 2 way dim switch light inside at the top, either way both curios look great!...Sammy

Hi Sammy,

You have a beautiful collection housed in that terrific Pulaski cabinet. Your cabinet is a duplicate of mine, but yours has the lighter finish. In many cases, Pulaski provides you with a choice of light or dark finish. At any rate, you have good taste when it comes to curio cabinets! ^&grin

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :wink2:

 

[jazzeum]

Some very nice cabinets by those who posted photos. If I can ever convince my wife to give me more room, I may invest in a Pulaski.

I bought a nice small wooden cabinet from Raymour Flanigan years ago. Unfortunately, they no longer make it. However, if you're looking for a small cabinet and perhaps don't have a lot of room, this one looks nice and is not terribly expensive, http://www.raymourflanigan.com/sutton-curio-with-lighting-in-cherry-374212137.aspx

 

[7th OVI]

Very nice cabinets and collections from everyone, I have my ACW relics in a Pulaski cabinet with a sliding front door and a smaller Miller cabinet with opening front doors. Very happy with both. As others have mentioned the sliding door takes some planning since when open it will increase the size needed by the case by almost a third depending on the design. As far as dust, I still get dust regardless of the case. I even looked at commercial offerings and all of them will allow dust to a certain degree. Dust levels will also depend on the room environment and HVAC. Just be aware. For my figures, I took a different route when my wife allowed me to use some a bonus room as a studio in our new house. These are IKEA cases that gave me a open look while moderately protecting the figures at a reasonable cost. They cover most of the usable wall space. forgive the open cases as we are still moving in and the cases are in the process of being filled. I also installed a vent less HVAC system to cut down on the dust levels. I am just offering this as an alternative. All of these cases were less than a single moderate Pulaski/Miller case for obvious reasons. Hope this helps. Chris

 

[jazzeum]

Are those the Detolf cabinets all put together. They look nice displayed that way. I have three of them. They are definitely a less expensive option.

 

[7th OVI]

Yes, those are Detolf cases from IKEA. There are 10 of them in the picture. They also fit with the rest of the studio furniture which was also from IKEA. Chris

 

[ivanmoe]

As regards these curios being "airtight," I don't believe that most/any of them truly are. Certainly, the ones with light cans at the top are going to have to be vented to avoid heat buildup. The resulting thermal exhaust creates creates a vacuum which sucks air in through nooks and crannies, most often around the door casing. IMO, this is probably a good thing. Between the chemicals cooked into the cabinet and those present in models and figures, there exists the possibility of an interaction which might damage valuables if gases can't be vented off. I suppose that a little bit of dust is just something that we have to live if we want to display our collection.

One other comment...

Things may have changed in the last two years, but the last curio that I purchased came with incandescent lighting (as has every other lighted display case that I've ever purchased). Before setting your collection up in a new case, I'd suggest investing in a compatible LED bulb. Not only will it last a LONG time and save you some $$$, but you also ought to experience less discoloring and fading of your figures and other items. I'm not an environmental nut, by any means, but LED lighting is simply awesome. It's an ill-wind that blows no good.

-Moe

 

[7th OVI]

Moe, totally agree with your comments on venting in cabinets with heat generating lights. I am still working on the lighting in the cabinets as you can see, trying to decide if I really need any in case lighting but if I did, LED is the way to go for all of the reasons you mention. Chris

 

[Andanna]

Slightly off topic as IKEA is probably not he best brand. But their glass display cases are very "light" and affordable.