How do you store your maps?

Hi everyone,

Since becoming more engaged and interested in the ‘zoo world’, one of the things I’ve enjoyed doing is looking back on past zoo maps and seeing how much the zoo has changed - in both species and layout. I’d like to be able to continue to reference the maps I’ve collected over the years, but am wondering how you all store them to keep them safe from the elements and useable in the future? I’ve currently got mine all stored in a small plastic container, but would like to have them stored in something that’s able to be flipped through, while preserving the information. Thanks!

 

@snowleopard has an extensive zoo map collection and may have some advice.

 

I have approximately 2,800 different zoo and aquarium maps in 6 bins:



An 'aerial shot' of one of the bins:

 

Oh my goodness, Snow Leopard that’s absolutely amazing! I like the folder system in the bins, I’ll have a look into that for mine

 

I store my maps in Snowleopards’ bins

Nice rack you got there m8

 

@snowleopard I suppose you also maintain a sort of catalogue of all your zoo maps?

How do you collect them: only those from zoos you have visited?

 

It's kind of crazy, but I have a word document that is 68 pages long that lists every one of my maps. I actually have 2,641 different zoo/aquarium maps at the moment, a bit less than the total I quoted off the top of my head. Although some folks owe me some zoo map packages in return for parcels I've shipped overseas...

The maps are in files in each of the 6 bins, broken down by state (for the USA as I have 603 American zoo maps) and then country for the rest of the world. It's all in alphabetical order. There are loads of zoo maps that I have from places I've never been to and they are just as special. For instance, I've never set foot in Spain and yet I have 131 different zoo maps from that nation as I've traded with Spanish zoo nerds in the past. I have a ton of zoo maps from England. No money is involved, as it's usually a straight swap of one package for another and the cost is the mailing fee.

I have zoo maps from exactly 60 countries! Here's the top dozen:

#1: U.S.A. – 603 zoo maps
#2: Germany – 471
#3: England – 374
#4: Spain – 131
#5: France – 129
#6: Czech. Rep. – 112
#7: Netherlands – 103
#8: Australia – 83
#T9: Canada – 52
#T9: Poland – 52
#11: Austria – 51
#12: Denmark – 49

 

I keep in my maps in a plastic folder. But that folder issue with me right now so the two maps I currently have are hung on a wall with clamps.