‘The Essential Collection Management Kit’ by Godfrey Harris has been eagerly awaited by everyone from appraisers and auctioneers to individual collectors and even insurance companies looking to better understand and appreciate the importance of objects in any collection. Using a few simple forms, individuals and organizations can now better protect artifacts that are vital to society. The book is due to launch in November, in conjunction with the 2014 Collectors' Conclave in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWire) -- 10/30/2014 --While a collection of artifacts or objects may look like a jumble of objects to the untrained eye, those responsible for such collections are acutely aware of the hundreds of hours often required to assemble, categorize, compare, display, value and safeguard them. To date there has been no accepted ‘model’ to record this information, but a new book and practical kit by Godfrey Harris could be about to change that situation for good.

‘The Essential Collection Management Kit’ streamlines each of these tasks, and can be adapted to the needs of each collection and/or individual/organization. In short, the Kit will help collectors organize a comprehensive record of the totality of their collecting experiences.

Synopsis:

The Essential Collection Management Kit provides collectors — those who are part of the first line of defense in preserving and protecting the artifacts of our society — with a way to conveniently categorize, compare, describe, display, inventory, safeguard, and value all the elements of their collection. The book provides 11 easy-to-understand and easy-to-use forms that will assist appraisers, auctioneers, curators, other collectors, governmental authorities, heirs, insurance companies, relatives, and outsiders in understanding and appreciating the importance of the objects in a collection.

“Individual collections span everything from personal items to objects of a vital national significance. The problem is that there’s no standard model for cataloging and managing these collections,” says Harris.

Continuing, “That’s the entire point of this book; to span every task a collector faces and walk them through each one using a set of forms that ensure accuracy, consistency and process. To my knowledge, it’s the first time something like this has ever been introduced to the market.”

Pre-release versions of the book have already seen much critical acclaim from collectors across the board. Netsuke collector David White writes, "Inclusive and well done, valuable to the beginning collector in particular. The concept is great, the tools will work well, and the idea is a very good one."

Guitar specialist George Gruhn saw great potential for the book in all industries. He comments, "An extremely helpful organizational guide to help collectors manage, catalog, and systematically organize knowledge, including the provenance of a wide variety of collectible items."

November of 2014 will see Harris get the book on the market, due to be launched at the Collectors' Conclave, an exhibit and banquet honoring all those who preserve and protect the artifacts from society. Every attendee will receive a copy of the book as a souvenir of the occasion. This event will be held on November 30, 2014 at the Sportsmen's Lodge, an event center in Los Angeles.

‘The Essential Collection Management Kit’ will be published by The Americas Group. For more information and news, visit their official website: http://www.americasgroup.com.

Review copies of the book are available from The Americas Group, on request: hrmg@mac.com.

About GODFREY HARRIS
GODFREY HARRIS has been a public policy consultant based in Los Angeles, California, since 1968. He began his consulting career after serving as a university instructor at UCLA and Rutgers; a U.S. Army intelligence officer; a U.S. foreign service officer in Bonn, London, and Washington; an organizational specialist in President Lyndon Johnson’s Executive Office; and a program manager for an international financial company in Geneva.

He has actively collected objects made from, with, or related to ivory since a boy of 10 when he accompanied his father on an antique buying trip to England. His extensive collection focuses on the practical uses of ivory and now numbers more than 700 pieces. He is a member of the International Ivory Society and the Managing Director of the Ivory Education Institute.

As President of Harris/Ragan Management Group, Harris has focused the firm’s activities on projects that offer alternative solutions to matters of societal concern. In fulfilling that role, he has specialized in political and economic representation and analysis; marketing public and private sector services through word of mouth advertising; developing new environmental and commercial products; promoting international tourism to various destinations; and creating commemorative, enlightening, and educational public and private events.

Harris has written more than 70 books on his own or with associates. He holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles.