I love to organize - model horses, books, sewing supplies... Everything gets its own place or tub. For organizing my collection, it takes fourteen binders to keep hobby materials clean, undamaged, and in a place where I can easily find them.
Prepping for a show means that not only am I pulling out models, pony pouches, and tubs, but I am pulling out binders, too.
Four binders are needed to keep things in place for showing, both before the show as well as after it is over and I have returned home.
The Live Show Records binder is where I put a clear sleeve containing the show packet, a list of who I entered and in what class, and the results that I record as the show progresses.
These are further organized by show - each show that I attend has its own section in the binder, and all the sleeves from that organization's shows go in that section.
Two binders are for models that have qualified for NAN - each model gets a photo information sheet, its NAN cards, and first and second place ribbons that are placed in a sleeve.
But show binders aren't my only binders. These two are where I keep certificates of authenticity or anything that came with the model and should be kept as documentation.
This way I can find them quickly and easily when I need them.
My Vintage Collectors Club binder is where the club welcome letters, membership cards, and box inserts are placed. This is organized by year, and since I have been a member of the club since its inception, the binder is pretty full. I'll need to start a new binder soon.
Some collection information is best kept on the computer.
There I have an electronic record of each show horse that is updated after returning home from a show. This is much easier than the old show records we used to keep by hand on a sheet of notebook paper.
Other binders include photos for photo showing, collectibility or breed documentation sheets to be placed with the model on the show table, value information, and very old hobby information (results sheets from photo showing in the 1970s, catalog pages from Sears, JC Penney, and Montgomery Ward with special runs, and so on.) There are binders for the shows I've held - Happy Trails and The FAMulous Collectibility Show. And so on.
Fourteen binders may seem like a lot to keep track of, but I have been using them so long that I know where to find things and don't have to paw through boxes and tubs to find what I need. They really do make showing and keeping track of my collection easier!
