Gary has the right idea. Wanting a low maintenance affordable way to enjoy his collection everyday he chose riker mounts. What a great looking collection of birdwings Gary!

Being a favorite customer for years we asked him why he prefers rikers and he wrote in part;

"I chose the riker mounts because I want to be able to SEE my collection all at once. I also like the nice flat look they give the wings. Just a personal preference I guess. I’ve heard people down south have trouble with mold or pests in rikers due to locale and climate, but where I live it is bone dry during the winter, and I crank up the air conditioner 24/7 during the summer. I also keep the room they are in blocked from direct sunlight.
I have been addicted to the hobby for years so I have rikers from floor to ceiling. Rikers allow me to display my favorite butterflies, ‘the birdies’ in various sized mounts so I can show a mating pair or a series of male variations etc. They also camouflage repairs and hide many imperfections - sometimes I save a few bucks and buy A- or A2 or even good 2nd quality and I repair them. I have actually never repaired any wings yet but I know repaired chips would be undetectable and so would any slight wear and fixes to antennae. What I do most times to fix my birdies up when I am bored, or when a butterfly has been bugging me, is to degrease them. I have really started to hate greasy abdomens. Acetone is my friend. Although I have purchased some other butterflies, its just the birdwings that get me going. Total impulse buying, unbridled. It really isn't about rarity or prestige, they are just simply GORGEOUS. During the summer I fish, and have had some taxidermy done, but that is all paint. With butterflies, they are the real, natural colors. Thanks for letting me share.

Tip: For those females with extra plump abdomens I remove some of the cotton behind the abdomen to prevent the body from crushing.

Tip: Although A- specimens for the most part are still extremely nice bugs, birdwings can be a crapshoot. They may look A1 unspread, but the minute you open them up they have a giant grease stain, or splits in the anal folds, etc. I do like spreading my own, but don't mind buying them spread either because then I can see the wing surfaces. Plus I can simply reset them the way I want. Also, a true A1 specimen is really hard to find and although mine look terrific I would rate only maybe half of my collection as TRUE A1. Rikers show mine off so well!
 
 
 
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