If you only read one page on this site, make it this one. Ten habits that will keep your wands safe, your glass in one piece, and your collection well documented.

1. Don't plug it in to see if it works#

Every vintage wand stays unplugged until a qualified person has been over it. "Tested and working" from a seller means it ran once, not that it's safe. More in Getting Your Violet Wand.

2. Photograph everything first#

Before you clean, move or fix anything, photograph the set exactly as it arrived: case open, every electrode, every label, the cord end to end. You can't un-clean something.

3. Check the voltage#

Most wands in the UK came from America and were built for 110–120 V. Ours is 230 V. Find the rating, write it down, and label the wand. See Do I Need a Converter?

4. Work over something soft#

A folded towel on the table saves more electrodes than anything else. Sit down, take off your rings, and move one piece at a time.

5. Never force an electrode#

Not in, not out. If it's stuck, leave it. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Forcing is how most electrodes break. See Violet Wand Electrode and Accessory Fit.

6. Retire cracked glass#

A cracked, chipped or repaired electrode never goes back on a wand. Keep it, label it, record it, and leave it in the case.

7. Keep the original bits#

When a cord, plug, capacitor or contact is replaced, ask for the old parts back. Bag them, label them, and keep them with the set. They're part of its story.

8. Short runs, long rests#

On a wand that's been overhauled and is safe to run, keep sessions short and rests long. Feel the handle. Warm is fine, hot means stop. See How Long Can I Run My Violet Wand?

9. Mind the room#

Fresh air for the ozone. Nothing flammable nearby. No pets underfoot. And nobody with a pacemaker or other implant in the room while it runs. Violet Wand Safety explains why.

10. Write it down#

Markings, measurements, condition, where it came from, what's been done to it. Write "unknown" whenever you're not sure. Good notes make a wand more interesting, more valuable, and much easier for the next owner to understand.

A bonus one#

It doesn't have to work to be worth keeping. Plenty of the most interesting sets in any collection are display pieces. Choosing to leave a wand as found is never the wrong answer.