by Rex Coker

Created on: November 01, 2007   Last Updated: July 20, 2010

 A serious collector will show off his or her collection of rare action figures. They will also know how to best present their notable collection to friends, family and the occasional collecting prospector. Whether it be for just a hobby or to show case for other collectors to see depends on how well you protect and display the items. 

 My son collects NASCAR drivers figurines and die cast cars. He has built up quite a collection and to keep them safe and dust free. I built him a glass curio show case to display his collection. The glass shelves are adjustable and it has lights top and bottom inside. The glass shelves have green felt cut to just cover the glass shelves in the center and allow the light to flow through. I have a friend that does graphic imagining and he did the back drop of the curio in a transparent Dale Earnhardt Jr poster with a three dimensional coloring to make it jump out at you.

 The out side of the curio is done in white and red color paint. The colors his grandfather used when he use to race. My son and I used 1957 Chevy door handles for the side doors that open out ward from the curio and we bought some adhesive hooks from a local store and stuck them to the back glass of the curio. This gave my son a place to hang banners from race tracks we had been to. The hooks also come in good for key chains and lots of other things that are small that you do not want on the shelves.

 The best and most impressive item in the curio is the right back tire sidewall, with Dale Jr's Dad's picture on the inside. This was auction off at E-Bay for five hundred dollars and it looks absolutely outstanding in side the curio. This hobby can get quite expensive at times, so you need to protect your items from dust and wear and tear. It is a pleasure to look at and we have got many a complements on the appearance and style. 

 To me the curio is more than just a display. It is something my son and I did together and I will always treasure that when I look in his room at all the items he has collected over the years. Just like the NASCAR driver figurines that stand beside the die cast cars in his curio. It will be something he will treasure for a lifetime because of the effort and love of collecting he and I share. To my son the items are priceless and it is through his love and care of the die cast cars and figures that have made the collection so valuable.

 The collection display illuminates the bedroom of my son and it is the first thing anyone sees when they enter there. By making this curio for him and his collection. It has made him the envy of the neighborhood with his friends and other collectors. The display not only represents how valuable his collection is but for the love of the sport it represents to all collecting fans abroad as well.

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