How to Display Antique Fishing Lures

Consider using individual fishing lure stands for your collection. Companies make wooden and acrylic fishing-lure stands of different sizes. Some stands display the lures vertically; others display the lure horizontally. For particularly valuable antique fishing lures, look for archival quality materials that will not damage the lures. Wood coated with an acrylic finish and plastic made from inert materials help preserve the antique lures. Be sure all edges are smooth so as not to scratch the lures.

Use tabletop or hanging fishing lure boxes to display several antique lures together. Display boxes come in different sizes with various size partitions. Hanging display boxes, backed with a soft material, allow the lures to be pinned onto the back of the box. Displays in boxes might be arranged according to size, color, material, date or company.

Exhibit larger items in acrylic display boxes. Lures collected in accompaniment with their original box require a bigger display area. Some companies are in the process of designing specialized display units for antique fishing lures and their original boxes. However, collectors find hinged boxes or a cube covering the items a workable solution. Others set the lure onto a lure stand and rest the stand on top of the original box.

Apply creative display approaches for visual impact. Use framed shadow boxes to display lures. Cover a wall in cork or fabric and tack or pin your antique lures across the wall. Build a mobile using several lures. Create a wooden or metal support for a group of fishing lures and hang it from the den or porch ceiling.

Preserve your collection. No matter how you decide to display your antique fishing lures, consider preservation issues. Wood and paint damage occurs through excessive handling, sunlight and extremes of temperature. Collectors with extremely valuable, high-end collections may choose to keep their artifacts in storage except when examining or sharing them. Other antique fishing-lure collectors may determine that the joy of display supersedes the need to keep it in storage.