- Adapted from COLLECTING ROCKS by Rachel M. Barker
Housing and Enlarging a Collection
The practical problems of cataloging and storing a collection must be considered by every collector. Housing arrangements can be very simple because rocks are durable and do not require special treatment. Shoe boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes are often used. Ordinary egg cartons can be used if the specimens are rather small. Shallow wall cases for rock collections are available commercially.
It is important to have a careful system of permanent labeling so that specimens do not get mixed up. Many people paint a small oblong of white lacquer on a corner of each specimen and paint a black number on the white oblong. The number, rock name, collector's name, date collected, description of collection site, geologic formation, geologic age, and other pertinent data are entered in a small notebook. If rocks are kept on separate trays, a small card containing some data is usually placed in the tray.
Extra specimens are sometimes used for trading with other collectors. Few people have the opportunity to obtain all varieties of rock types, and exchanging can fill gaps in a collection. Collectors interested in trading are usually located by word of mouth. No nationwide organization of rock collectors exists, though local clubs and individual collectors are found throughout the United States. It may be necessary to buy some specimens, but good specimens are expensive.
