Our Catalog Method
How System Maple Path builds offline inventory records for rare wallet collections — from intake to bound ledger delivery.
Why Paper Persists
Collectors who have lost digital records understand the appeal of a volume that sits in a safe. Our method follows museum registrar practice adapted for private leather goods.
The Five Stages
1. Intake Interview
Before we handle any wallet, we record your acquisition history, storage conditions, and any known repairs. This context appears on the ledger’s front matter page.
2. Controlled Photography
Each piece is photographed on a neutral grey backdrop under 5000K LED panels. We capture front, back, base, interior, stamp locations, and hardware close-ups. Prints are made same-day in our office.
3. Measurement & Annotation
Dimensions (length, height, depth at base and opening) are taken with calipers. Hardware type, stamp year, leather variety, and colour are noted in standardised fields developed over our first decade of work.
4. Condition Sketching
Min-jae or Soo-ah draws a line diagram of each wallet marking scuffs, corner darkening, handle wear, and interior stains. These sketches accompany the wear scale in condition reports.
5. Binding & Indexing
Pages are collated, indexed by maker and year, and bound in cloth covers selected from six archival colours. A duplicate index card set is prepared for separate storage.
Materials We Use
- Acid-free 120gsm ledger paper (ISO 9706 compliant)
- Archival photograph mounts and PVA-free adhesive
- Cotton handling gloves (changed between clients)
- Cloth covers with reinforced Smyth-sewn spines
Visit Our Archive Room
Collectors may view sample ledgers during our quarterly open mornings (announced in Field Notes). To schedule a private walkthrough of the method before booking, contact us.
Available on the Microsoft Store
Our field code reference for ledger abbreviations is available as a Windows reader application.