Collections

Dish Collecting	Doll Collecting
Baseball Cards	Antiques

Collection (Collecting-Stuff) has been a popular pastime. Here are some of the things that people collect: Dishes, Crystal, Diamonds, Matchbooks, Minerals, Dolls, Matchbook cars, Baseball Cards, Beer Cans, etc. Not all of these collections will gain in value, but to most collectors, that is not the object. It usually starts with a fascination for particular items.

List of Collectibles

When you are involved in Collecting-Stuff, be aware of fads! An example of a fad, was Cabbage Patch Dolls. This became wildly popular, and kids all over the world were rushing to buy the latest, and drove prices very high. Ten years later, the hobby is passe, and there is very little value for these dolls. See...Whatever Happened to Cabbage Patch Dolls

Many collectors start by accumulating stuff that is fascinating to them, and don't develop a plan or strategy until well into their hobby. However, a more systematic approach could make their hobby much more enjojable, See Wikipedia on Collecting, This covers history, strategy, etc.

Yahoo - directory on collectibles

Collecting Stuff - directory of links
This directory has a ton of links to other unique collecting sites!

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Antiques (furniture, dishes, etc)

This is a very practical way of collecting for some! I had a neighbor who had her entire house was furnished with antiques, and she spent less on furniture than we did! And she loved her furniture more than we loved ours. She made sure that what she used was strong enough to handle the usage. She even used oriental carpets, instead of wall-to-wall carpeting.

This worked particularly well for them, as they have been moved numerous times in their career, and didn't have to keep buying furniture and carpets for each house! They just used their antiques around to suit each house!

Antiques.com

About Antiques

Value of Antiques

Worthpoint - vaue of antiques

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Dishes

Collecting dishes, dolls, doll houses may not be my cup of tea, but I can see the fascination. I've seen some of the dish collections, and they are fascinating. We have a set of heirloom dishes, that are worth big bucks, but of course, they will be handed down, as they have been for many years! As a poor male, how could I understand!? These dishes are worth more than my house, but could I sell them? Don't be silly!

I can say that I have eaten a meal off these antiques!

Some tips for Beginners - collecting antique dishes

Find value of antique dishes

E-Bay Guide for Collecting Dishes

 

Stamp-Collecting

The internet has a lot on stamp collecting, check this...

Stamp collecting- from Amazon

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Dolls

Doll collecting is very popular. I live in Williamsburg, VA, and Doll outlets are popular here. We went to New York City, and saw the American Doll Store there, and I was impressed, and I am hardly a collector. Try these links for a starting point.

The Antique and Vintage Doll Collecting Start Page

About.com - Doll Collecting

American Girl Doll Collection

Why Barbie is a real doll of an investment 12-26-22 USAToday

Samantha Dolls - worth a look!

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Computers and Collecting

There are many websites related to your collection hobby.. You can buy supplies, buy and sell items that you collect, find clubs of other collectors, find exhibits of your type of collectibles.

Then you should keep track of your collection, and a computer is good for that as well. see: Asset Tracking - Coins and Stamps, and use some of these ideas for you collection.

You can also research on any given collection) using Google or other search engines. Knowledge is key to any hobby!

And finally, there are computer collectors!

IBM Museum

I retired from IBM, and I noticed that computer history sites have very little of the IBM history! So, I've added this site, because it is the real thing!

IBM Machines I could fix!

Though these models came out many years before I joined the company, I worked on later models of these that were still around in the 1960's! One of my customers had their own museum, and kept working models of these on display! In the 1960's we had these tabulating machines, as well as IBM 360 computers! I worked on them all!

Whatever happened to Burroughs (later Unisys)?

When I worked for IBM, my best friend worked for Burroughs (later Unisys). Burroughs was a major competitor to IBM. But where are they now!

University of Virginia -Computer History

I looked at this site, and can say that I worked on a lot of these!

Early Apple computer may fetch big bucks

Computer History Museum

History of Computers

A brief excerpt from my Introduction to computers class.

Computer Collectors Forum

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License Plate Collecting

 

 

 

In a recent novel I read, the "hero" was a license plate collector, and it related to the popularity of this type of collection. Many classic car buffs, also collect license plates.

Automobile License Plate Collectors Association

FAQ's for license plate collecting

website to purchase license plates

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Classic Car Collecting

I love classic cars ! It is a thrill every time I see them. I can't afford to own them, (though I have owned some for awhile.) I go to car shows, and really enjoy seeing them.