Hi, Jill --

The gauge (I believe that's the correct term) of the steel used in the fabrication of the map cases is very important. So are the bearings and other moving parts that allow the drawers to be opened and closed easily. A flap that prevents the top map from curling up and catching as the drawers are accessed can add to the price.   

Depending on the type of map, its size and its year of printing, a single map can be surprisingly heavy.  The weight of a stack of maps in a drawer is considerable and the entire weight of the paper plus drawer has to be moved every time the drawer is opened and closed.  If the maps are not uniform in size, there may be some shifting, especially if the drawers do not roll in and out smoothly, further creating stresses. Poorly constructed cases on uneven floors can lead to warping and drawers that are nearly impossible to open or shut. 

If these maps are important to preserve for the future (as opposed to a collection of road maps that will be updated every year or so, or work-in-progress that is cleared out when the project is done), invest in the best possible map cases you can afford.  Opt for more shallow, rather than deeper drawers to keep the number of   
maps per drawer manageable.  You can pretty much predict that the specific map you are trying to find will be near the bottom of the stack in any given drawer.

You're right to be suspicious of a product of that is considerably 
below the prices being charged by other vendors.  I would ask all vendors to supply references -- names and phone numbers or email addresses of customers who are using this product and check with them to see how they are using the product and if they are satisfied.

It's possible you're being offered a perfectly good but slightly used product -- say map cases that were repossessed from a firm that went out of business or returned to the vendor because the color didn't match but it's worth checking because of the investment being made.  I would not automatically assume the Purchasing Dept. is checking references or if they are, that they are asking the same sort of questions a curator or archivist would ask.

Judy Turner
Whitefish Bay, WI

 
--- On Thu, 7/3/08, Sommer, Jill M Ms CTR USA IMCOM <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

<snip>

> I was informed that the price difference may be from the
> steel composition; so I will be looking for more information on
> that aspect.
> 
> Thanks again!
> Jill


      

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).