Just thought I would share a recent purchase (sort of Astronomically related). For Fathers day I decided to treat myself to buying a glass cabinet to show off some stuff I have collected... Although my collections are small I love em... I also needed somewhere to show off some of my meteorites, Halley's Comet Collectors plate and some hot wheels stuff....
The cabinet is a $167 Glass Cabinet from IKEA called a Detolf.. I have also included some lighting for it, thanks to some LED strips that change colours, but I prefer keeping it pure white.
I may add more shelving in the future, but have some plans for the meteorites..
Been looking for a display cabinet for my wife to display her Swarovski collection. This might even get me some brownie points toward my next scope purchase
Sounds like a great plan, Adrian, I had to look up what a Swarovski was... nice little collectible.. The cabinet will work great.. Just be careful, it's not all that heavy ~30kg but awkward..
I have the exact same cabinet and it's full of meteorites too, well not exactly full, just a few.
Also a couple of NASA things and bits and bobs.
Must find more stuff to put in it.
Just showed the cabinet to wife who thinks its a great idea as long has I put lights in it to show off the tea pot collection and swarovski crystals. Not sure how many brownie points I got but it all helps ��
Gosh Andrew what a terrific collection displayed so beautifully!
I'm finding myself getting addicted to collecting myself, tho I only have just a few now. But it seems the more I get, the more I want. Does anyone actually just get one meteorite and then stop there?!
I'm a little fascinated with earth rocks as well. Now whenever Russ goes overseas or around Australia he brings me back a rock. And some jewellery to balance it out .
What's that BIG flat one on the right towards the back of the cabinet?
Not wanting to resurrect the thread but....
Thanks for the tip went to buy a tv unit from IKEA and as we walked passed the cabinets I said "I think your crystal collection would look great in one of these, don't you think?"
"Yes nice I think I'll have 2 one for crystals and one for my tea pot collection, thanks" she said
So glad I don't have a credit card I'd be forever in debt...
I don't have a problem with it Andrew.
I never buy more than I know I can pay off within the 55 day credit free period. I use the banks money, have purchase protection, the convenience that a card gives me and a record of all transactions, whilst paying no fees or interest.
It just takes discipline, but, I admit that that isn't that easy, but then, I have no debt anyway, which probably helps.
Hi Andrew
That is a very nice little collection. Not many people can appreciate such items. However any astro nuts would certainly talk with you for hours.
In my teenage years I acquired meteorite pieces and semi precious gem stones, like opals.
I even had some pearls from the local beaches around Adelaide. Yes you can find them. That is another story.
I used to frequent dumps and various places. I think wives used to throw the deceased husbands' hobby items out.
My gain and I kept all the rocks, gems, meteorites and jewellery in discarded shoe boxes.
Without going into details I was an electronics technician in the Army
That took me away from my home state. For years at a time. Most of my treasured possessions remained in my parent's home.
My sister had moved out. She returned. Big clean out
I found some of my "stuff" in the furnace and the rest had gone to the dump.
I would have loved to eventually have a display case such as you have.
It takes a certain type of person to recognise the real value of such items as has been illustrated by my experiences.
Some of what appears to be worthless can have values beyond belief.
My sister? She lives in her own little world, still oblivious to what she had done. I concluded it would achieve nothing to tell her.
Anyway, very good show Andrew. Who knows, It may inspire me to collect again.
Nice little story Marty, sorry to hear about the collection going AWOL. I have a few more pieces in the collection now, but mainly stuff like Pyrite and Copper Ore, which looks pretty cool, so only value is it looks cool to me... I also have a piece of weathered Bassalt with Quartz embedded in it, my son found it and it looked cool so I kept it Must get more Meteorites one day, but Telescope purchases are keeping that on hold for now
Nice little story Marty, sorry to hear about the collection going AWOL. I have a few more pieces in the collection now, but mainly stuff like Pyrite and Copper Ore, which looks pretty cool, so only value is it looks cool to me... I also have a piece of weathered Bassalt with Quartz embedded in it, my son found it and it looked cool so I kept it Must get more Meteorites one day, but Telescope purchases are keeping that on hold for now
hmmm opals you say [rubs chin]
Here are a couple of examples of Pyrite crystals, one, which naturally form into cubes in the substrate material, that come from Spain. The others where they cube together.
Marty, I know how you feel, when moving my mineral collection, via rail, the two wooden crates disappeared....very disheartening. But then, having lost a substantial collection, although I did keep the most valuable samples with me, including the gold nuggets that I had found, I moved back to my first love Astronomy, so something good came of it, maybe? I moved away from fossicking and back to serious astronomy which ultimately led to doing professional work at Perth Observatory. That wouldn't have happened if I was still grubbing around in the dirt. But, I still collect meteorites and the more interesting crystals; now, just not an avid collector that I once was.
Stunning specimens of iron sulfate crystals, Peter
Thanks Marty.
I bought that in Old Town, San Diego, where there is a great mineral and gem store and their prices are quite reasonable, for the most part, and they have some very interesting stuff from all over the world. I simply could have gone mad in that store, if I had no discipline. I saw a much larger specimen in LA, but I just couldn't justify the very high asking price.
I also picked up a decent piece (approx half kilo) of Iron/Nickel meteorite from the Canyon Diablo fall from a small store in Flagstaff Arizona. He had three pieces at very reasonable prices. I got this pieces because it had character to its shape, whereas the other were just round pieces, and I got it at less than half the cost I would have elsewhere. I also went to the Barringer crater too.
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And some jewellery to balance it out 
But then, having lost a substantial collection, although I did keep the most valuable samples with me, including the gold nuggets that I had found, I moved back to my first love Astronomy, so something good came of it, maybe? I moved away from fossicking and back to serious astronomy which ultimately led to doing professional work at Perth Observatory. That wouldn't have happened if I was still grubbing around in the dirt. But, I still collect meteorites and the more interesting crystals; now, just not an avid collector that I once was.
