Cleaning, Culling, & Rearranging

It's started. At last. And probably after two years or more since the last time. I am cleaning and dusting my collection and it is a mammoth job.

It started because I have been taking models off of shelves as I do a major collection purge.

I'd set up a folding table and begun pulling models off the shelves that I intended to sell, leaving them there until I could photograph them and then pack them (those big boxes in the background) to take to swap meets and live shows. 

That left a lot of open space on my shelves, and before I rearranged models and put them onto that newly opened shelving, I needed to dust, both the shelves and the model horses.

The culling had begun in the sewing room where my Hartland sub-collection is displayed. A few are from my carpet herd, a few are test or very limited pieces, and many are woodcuts.

Keeping the carpet herd, Tiny Mites, woodcuts, and the most rare Hartland model in my collection, I brought the rest of the Hartlands into the horse room to prep for sales.

And the domino effect began. All that empty shelf space! I dusted and then headed into my office to look for models that could be moved onto the sewing room shelves.

I began with the Classics as they were most likely to fit the shelves the Hartlands had been on.

The space on the former Hartland shelves filled quickly, leaving lots of open space on the Classic shelves back in the horse room. And so it continued all afternoon long - dusting, moving, dusting again, and rearranging.

The former Classic shelving is now filling up with the few Classics I am keeping (my Cake horses!) and smaller Traditionals. And of course, moving horses off the Traditional shelves has left more open shelving on them.

These three shelving units are finished except for the very top shelves. I can't reach those models without a ladder, and even then, lifting models from that angle hurts my shoulder. (I damaged the rotator cuff in my right shoulder playing tug with Pepper.)

Knowing I was struggling, Craig went downstairs and got our large step stool for me. He offered to use it himself and dust those high models and their shelves, or to stand beside me and hold them while I dusted and moved things around. (What a guy; thank you!) 

There are nine more shelving units to go plus all of the tip top shelves. It's going to take some time, but to be honest, I actually find this relaxing and enjoyable. Some of these models have been with me since I was six years old and are like old friends. 

And the older I get, the more I enjoy connecting with old and dear friends, be they model or human.