Storing medals and awards

If you follow me over on Instagram, you'll already have seen part of this, as one of my "MEDALS Monday" posts. And if you don't follow me on Instagram, maybe you should start? 😀

Today, I want to talk about storing your awards and decorations. It's tempting to put them in a display case, like the ones I use to exhibit the MEDALS archive at MicroCon:

MEDALS display at MicroCon 2025

However, I strongly recommend against storing them this way for extended periods - while it looks nice, it does expose the awards to light, and strong sunlight can cause the ribbons to fade over time. Additionally, if the cabinets aren't locked, anyone viewing them might be tempted to open them and pick up the awards, getting grease/oil/dirt from their fingers on the awards.

The MEDALS archive "permanent collection" (anything donated to the archive) is stored in labeled padded envelopes, which are themselves stored in plastic "ammo cans", as seen below. (Both the labels on the envelopes and the identifying stickers on the ammo cans were custom-printed for me.) Storing them this way allows me to transport the collection for display elsewhere, and labeling the envelopes is essential to be able to find the right award quickly.

The permanent collection of the MEDALS archive

My personal awards, both the Slabovian ones and those given to me by other micronations, are stored in a set of "artist supply chests", originally sold on Amazon for artists to store their paint brushes. I like these because each award has its own divided section within a drawer.

My personal collection of micronational awards

Storing these awards in a safe and secure manner helps to maintain their integrity and beauty.