Keep the label.
Future you will thank you.
The specimen usually gets the attention. The little piece of paper deserves some too.
An old label can preserve a locality, a previous owner, a dealer’s description or a clue worth investigating. Even when information needs checking, the original is part of the record.
Keep the original. Make a copy.
Photograph both sides of the label, keep it with the specimen’s records, and connect it to a stable collection number. Store the original safely.
Record what you actually know.
Keep documented facts, seller descriptions and your own observations distinct. If a detail is uncertain, say so. A clear question is more useful than a confident guess.
Give the next person a starting point.
Note when and where you acquired the specimen, retain relevant documents, credit photographs and back up your digital records. The next person studying the piece may be you, years from now.
