Not Just the Ticket

By Paul Dunwell, writing for EasyFrame
© Copyright EasyFrame 2019

What This Article is About

This article is designed to provide the EasyFrame readership with ideas as to what kind of collection they might wish to accumulate and frame. There?s no way that I can encompass, in the limited space that we have here, every possibility. So my choice is a little eclectic but spans a selection of items which are not necessarily costly, with tickets being a prime example (hence the title).
It is worth adding that collectables ought to be preserved within frames because not doing so ultimately exposes the to the risks of fading, mould, dust, mildew, discolouration and more. So collectors should start framing early - before the rot sets in. But importantly they should plan ahead, anticipating how the collection might grow and how they may wish to continue to present display items bought in the decades to come within matching frames that may not continue to be available.

A Word on Authenticity

Let?s be right, most people would like to know whether the Picasso they?re hanging in the front room is an original or a print. But that?s because of the disparity in values. Yet for what are essentially cheap-but-intriguing displays the owner may not be genuinely concerned as to whether their piece is the genuine article or a knock-off.
With that in mind collectables (UK English; the US tend to use the word ?collectibles?) may often come with certificates of authenticity that supposedly underpin their value (assuming the certificate itself isn?t a forgery!) For the collector who is unprepared to compromise then such certificates themselves have an intrinsic value that may make them worthy of framing alongside the item they purport to validate. But be aware that ?authentic? can refer to not the true original but to a movie prop (those above are all from the 1997 film). You might want only a prop from the biggest-grossing movie of all time, so in that connection it?s maybe worth saying you shouldn?t be duped into acquiring a prop from an also-ran production. There have been other films, documentaries and TV series about ?Titanic? including ?In Nacht und Eis? (1912), ?Saved from the Titanic? (1912), ?Atlantic? - retitled in the US as ?Titanic: Disaster in the Atlantic? (1929), ?Titanic? (1943), ?Titanic? (1953), ?A Night to Remember? (1958), ?The Unsinkable Molly Brown? (1964), ?S.O.S. Titanic? (1979), ?Raise the Titanic!? (1980), ?Titanica? (1995), ?Titanic, (1996), ?No Greater Love? (1996), ?Titanic: The Animated Movie? (2001), ?Titanic II? (2002) and ?Ghosts of the Abyss? (2003).

Reliable Sources

You should be fairly safe, if you want to know the provenance, in using sites like that at www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/columbus-zoological-company-1903-issued-stock-ce-04b45cd8c2 where we found some of the items below up for auction. Here we have genuine antiques (by virtue of their being over a century old) that easily lend themselves to framing.
If you are interested in picking up frames from the world of animated entertainment then you could have a look at www.invaluable.com/animation-art/cc-5FFNCDPPYM/ where some of the pieces (and apart from the examples below I saw Betty Boop, The Pink Panther and Pinocchio) are really very affordable though instantly recognisable rather than obscure.

Documenting Your Life and Loves

Meanwhile, if you patiently keep and preserve tickets and programmes from events which you attend, you can quickly accumulate quite substantial collections of ephemera that are witness to memorable occasions in your life. Pop concerts are a case in point. The tickets per se cost nothing.
And, tickets apart, Peter Blake?s ?Sergeant Pepper?s Lonely Hearts Club Band? wasn?t the only album cover in town. There were many more, especially during the heady days of the 70s when a cover could sell a record, which are eminently frameable.

Accumulating with a Theme in Mind

But popular culture isn?t just about musicians. Class acts such as Elvis Presley (see below) have always had to compete with the likes of escapologist Harry Houdini and the greatest (and prettiest and smartest) boxer ever, Muhammed Ali. Stores such as www.fishpools.co.uk are ready sources of affordable prints like these. Moreover if you plan a themed room or an entire venue then, thanks to the Internet, you can quickly locate and source just about anything you want. And, often, pulling together pieces to build on a theme is going to be inexpensive.

Matching Frames to Eliminate Incongruities

One definite consideration is the need for matching frames. It is not vital that frames match, since sometimes one can get away with frames in proximity to each other that are as different as the work they hold. Yet it is definitely worth thinking of frames as a unifying factor. So, however disparate the sources of the material you wish to display, you might do well to have all of the pieces framed using the same materials and logic. In this way you can pull a theme together and give it some integrity.
And, just to remind readers of a point I made early in this piece, this is one area where a collection could well expand to proportions that make it difficult to match frames. Plan ahead!

Conclusion

Collectibles that would lend themselves to framing as decoration can be immensely affordable and provide an unusual focus for any home or workplace. And prints are likely to retain value but often you?ll be able to secure originals if you are able to identify something that?s seldom collected though nonetheless aesthetically pleasing.
You?ll need them framing. Unless you know your stuff when it comes to picture frames and mounts it?s always worth going to experts. EasyFrame is an obvious and affordable supplier, whether you want to source all you?d need to do the job yourself or have them do it for you.
Any good framers will be able to show you a vast range of different solutions and advise on what might be the most suitable given the work and its proposed location.
EasyFrame is on 01234 856 501 and / or sales@easyframe.co.uk and they?ll always chat even if you don?t want to buy!

Article Posted: 16/05/2019 15:04:13