Climate-Controlled Storage for Your Collectibles
At UOVO, we are committed to preserving the integrity and value of antiques and collectibles with our expert storage and services. While we are best known for our work with the world’s most notable fine art collectors, we also offer ideal conditions for an extensive list of collecting categories including: antiques, antique photographs, coins, costumes, decorative arts, historic manuscripts, Hollywood memorabilia, posters, rare books, vintage guitars, and musical instruments—just to name a few.
Whether collecting is a hobby or an investment, your belongings need to be stored in an environment that is conducive to their preservation. While many collectors protect their collections by storing them in their homes, this can be problematic. Space can quickly become an issue, but, more importantly, the longevity of your precious items may be at stake: improper storage compromises the condition of your collectibles.
Even if you have extra space in your home, protecting collectibles requires conditions that homes cannot offer. Extreme, fluctuating temperatures, humidity, improper handling, and even light can cause irreversible damage to your valuable items. The solution: climate-controlled storage units, expertly trained art handlers, and dedicated account managers.
UOVO’s climate-controlled units accommodate collections of nearly every material. Maintaining consistent temperatures is crucial to properly caring for valuables. A controlled environment helps to protect fragile materials like paper and photographs. Fluctuating temperatures cause thin material to rapidly deteriorate, so comic book and stamp collections must be kept in a cool, dry place. Even sturdy materials like wood and vinyl are susceptible to undulating temperatures. Extreme heat can cause these components to warp, permanently damaging both the item and its value.
Humidity levels are also important to the preservation of collectibles. Rare coins will tarnish if stored in high-humidity, so it’s critical they are always kept in a space with little moisture. Vintage guitars, on the other hand, require more of a balanced environment. Higher humidity levels will melt the glue that holds the guitar together and cause your guitar to swell and warp. Under low humidity, the frame of the guitar will start to splint and crack. Both of these not only alter the appearance of the guitar, they alter its tone as well. In most instances, these damages are irreversible, but if repairs can be made, they are extremely costly.
Even light can be damaging to your collectibles. If exposed for too long, light can fade upholstery and paint, while long-term exposure to fluorescent lighting can cause discoloration on vintage toys. Our storage units have built-in museum-quality lighting to ensure items aren’t displayed under harmful rays, which will dull and fray delicate materials and mediums.
Our art handlers are expertly trained to safely transport items to and from our facilities and are knowledgeable on what materials should be used in preserving and storing each collection. Our account managers take a detailed inventory of every single item in your collection, which are digitally archived and kept on file at the facility. We offer clients all of these services because protecting valuable collections goes beyond providing climate-controlled storage units—it requires the expertise of the entire UOVO team.