Lots of people have spectacular photos of their collections, but until recently, I hadn’t seen a video of a collection that I really wanted to take the time to watch. What’s changed is that people are starting to post professionally produced videos of their collections which are much more compelling than home movies.

One of our Hall of Fame members, John Deere tractor collector Gordon Gilchrist of Canada, was profiled by a local news crew in a seven minute video currently posted on YouTube (antique tractor fans: see also our tractors section).

Another Hall of Famer, model car collector Ron Sturgeon, got to show off his collection in a short news segment on Dallas/Fort Worth’s Fox affiliate. Both videos have high production values and are worth a look.

Have you seen any other really well-made videos of collection like these? If so, can you send me the link? Do you think this will become a trend? Let me know, I’d be curious what you think.

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If you’re interested in antique telephones, check out our pages on candlestick telephones and Western Electric telephones. From there you’ll find 10 other pages of phones, ranging from early wood to more modern Princess, Trimline, and Ericofon models.

This circa 1910 nickel-plated candlestick intercom telephone (model 20T, transmitter model 269W) has the original green cord, and though the nickel is worn down and the receiver is cracked, it still looks ready for that important business call. For more in-depth antique telephone info, I can’t …

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If you’re into trolley and streetcar-related antiques, check out our trolley page.

I found this Johnson model D Farebox in an antique shop in Bisbee, Arizona, and it turned out to be a 1920s San Francisco Muni farebox, which unbelievably can still use the MUNI tokens sold in stores today. It was probably used on a bus line, but maybe a streetcar.

This model has the electric motor on the bottom, which runs on 12 volt DC power (my dad helped me get it working). It can also be run with the …

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Got this beauty on eBay, and love it even with the damage. Not sure what they mean by “office rates” – anybody got any ideas? If you like porcelain signs, check out our extensive signs section.

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If you’re into postal antiques, check out our postal page.

This 1940s porcelain-front stamp dispenser is a beauty, in near-mint condition. Originally stamps were only sold at post offices, but at some point the USPS branched out into drugstores and supermarkets. This machine sold four 1c stamps for 5c or three 3c stamps for 10c.

The sticker at the bottom of the machine reads: “This stamp machine today has become a civilian necessity, because it sells a vital government product without a clerk – saves manpower and aids the war program.”

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If you’re into railroad antiques like this CBQ (Chicago Burlington and Quincy) railroad wrench, check out our railroadiana pages. I picked this wrench up at Winterrail 2006 in Stockton, California, just because I liked the looks of it. Very heavy, date unknown.

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In the age of Internet, why did we decide to name a website The Collectors Weekly? I could come up with some fancy reason, but the truth is – it was available. And it also sort of fits. My collecting bug seems to surface once a week, from Friday to Monday. That’s when I have time to search eBay, go to shows, research stuff I’ve bought, and get all excited about a new find. I’m also an old newspaper guy, so I liked the newspaper-style name. And we do plan to offer weekly content such as guest columns and news …

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By Dave Margulius

Hi, and welcome to the Collectors Weekly blog – thanks for visiting! I’m Dave, the editor and chief bottle-washer.

In these pages, we’ll be featuring voices from the antiques and collecting community, both guest contributors and our own staffers. For example, check out the guest articles section for expert overviews of specific collecting areas – there’s some great stuff there.

Got a subject you think we should tackle? We’d love to hear from you… just use this page to send us email, and be sure to include your …

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