Don’t be afraid to use your collections. My 2-year-old granddaughter plays with some of my old kitchen tins. I have an old railroad train bench I inherited from my grandmother, and we sit and stand on it every day. Don’t forget that they are all tough stuff that has survived this far with everyday use—they are built to last.

Tailor your displays for the needs of your collectible. I have a collection of vintage paper mache Halloween decorations kept in a glass cabinet. I had the room to fit it, and they are protected there.

Determine what your lifestyle is, and choose items that make sense with how you live. Rethink investing in a delicate collectible if your household would be likely to destroy it.

Make them meaningful, and keep them where you can see them. I wanted a piece of my house to remind me of my shop, Country Roads. I was trying to do something a little bit like that with my yellowware by displaying it in open shelving.