Using Vintage Wooden Boxes And Crates to Display Antiques And Collectibles

Vintage Wooden Boxes Help To Organize Your Displays And Showcase Your Antiques And Collectibles

Wooden boxes of all sizes are an antique shop owner's best friends. I cherish my vintage boxes and have a hard time passing up any of these great finds at tag sales or Flea markets.

First let's go over the common type vintage boxes and crates you will find that work well in your shop for displaying and organizing collectibles and antiques. Remember it is important to have on hand a variety of sizes and shapes. Some boxes you will sit on the floor, while other boxes might be used on a table top for use as a riser or to contain smaller collectibles such as post cards or vintage dish towels.

Types of Common Vintage Wooden Boxes Or Crates
1. soda boxes with compartments
2. soap boxes
3. fruit boxes
4. cigar boxes
5. food boxes
6. advertising boxes
7. cream cheese boxes
8. tool boxes
9. Champagne boxes
9. Milk boxes
10. Coca Cola boxes
11. Seltzer Boxes

Tips About Using Wooden Boxes Or Crates For Display

It seems that when you go shopping for old boxes the prices are all over the place. Yes indeed there are boxes and there are boxes. This article is about common boxes not the very old antique ones that have fabulous advertising and fetch big bucks. I am talking about equipping your shop for an assortment of different style boxes that are $5.00-25.00. Sometimes you have to put up with a very dirty box to get a real bargain...but that is ok...many of my lovely boxes have had a bath or two.

Tidy Up Your Boxes

So start off by cleaning your box and removing any exposed nails. Also hammer in any loose parts and inspect the box for dangerous splintering.Some boxes have metal banding which can be dangerous if not carefully secured to the box.

Vintage Cream Cheese Boxes

I use smaller boxes such as Cream Cheese boxes upside down as a "riser" to help create different levels for my kitchen collectibles. Cream cheese boxes also work well right side up or (upside down) for displaying small juice glasses such as Swanky Swigs.

Vintage Wooden Soda Boxes

Wooden soda boxes are perfect for displaying mounted vintage magazine advertisements or framed pictures. Sometimes I turn an olden wooden box upside down and use to elevate another box so customers to not have to bend so far. Besides stacking boxes is a great way to save space. Oh, I almost forgot, soda boxes stacked one on top of each other make great cheap shelves for books.

Vintage Coca Cola Boxes

Coca Cola boxes turned on their edge are charming as a smaller shelved unit for vintage tins or small advertising boxes. The yello box shown is a Cocal Cola box that has been painted. i got it that waY. Salt and Pepper shakers also work well displayed on the shelves created when you stand the box upright.

Vintage Cigar Boxes

Cigar boxes are very handy. I use smaller wooden cigar boxes for post cards. Other types of cigar boxes can be used also as riser or platforms for collectibles or with the lid open to display hankies, jewelry, scarves, textiles, doilies etc.

Photos taken at my shop Kitsch n Stuff (Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford).

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

Photos taken at my shop kitsch n Stuff (Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford).

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.