How are you? I hope you and yours are coming through this craziness in good health. Being sequestered for so long has been a challenge to those of us who like to go out to antique shops, malls, and auctions on weekends. For those of us who are hardcore collectors, it has been serious deprivation. During the COVID-19 downtime, I did focus on some long-needed projects. While I hope everyone is soon able to spend some time away from their homes, I do offer these as suggestions of things to do if you are caught up, by accident or choice, with being in your home again for a period of time. Sort the Collection Almost every collector I know of has poor record keeping for their collections. The best have files or computer records showing the item and where purchased but often without research notes. The worst are those who rely upon their own memories. So, I purchased, online, mylar sleeves and began to sort and file my disparate documentation files out according to the pieces in the collection. It needed to be done, and thanks to my subscription to Ancestry.com, I was able to spend some time chasing down loose ends on a few items. Write Up the Family Stuff I have done this several times in the past, but as my daughters get older, I realized the need to regularly update this. Its not complicated but simply my notes on what family treasures I own and their histories. This time, and it was invaluable, I had moved some things around in a rush, and so several items were missing. They were not completely lost, just sort of lost! Anyhow, I spent a chunk of time chasing the wayward items (deeds, jewelry, family photos) and made sure to get them in order and notes written on things. Reframing So I am not a framer by any stretch of the word, but I took my time at home to order some foam core and start removing cardboard from old images. This is truly necessary, and I am always shocked at the damage done to works on paper because of poor framing. I spent several days with a cutter, straight edge, and framing tool to remove wooden and cardboard backings and replace them. I also made pencil notes on the reverse of many of the items about the works. One of my interests is Japanese prints, and so adding artist names and dates is helpful for future owners and viewers. Culling I have grown and shrunk and moved my library more times than my buddy Josh Unruhs back can stand it. Books are the lifeblood of collecting even in an internet age because so many references are not online and only available as print copies. I found myself looking at the double rows of books on my shelves and realizing that I probably had an issue. A local bookseller who had reopened was more than happy to take them as trade. I dropped 16 cases of books and ended up getting a handful of super rare volumes that I will use. Peter Seibert, a native Pennsylvanian, grew up in the antiques business and remains closely tied to auction houses, collectors, and dealers. Professionally, he has served as a museum director and public historian in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wyoming. He holds a Master of Arts in American Studies from Penn State and has authored two books and numerous articles on decorative arts, interior design, and history.