By Eric Beeson (Copyright 2008)

In this article, Eric Beeson talks about collecting vintage cigarette lighters, including brands such as Zippo, Ronson, and Dunhill. Eric is a frequent contributor to The Collectors Weekly, and will be starting his first year at the University of California Santa Barbara this fall.

Cigarette lighter collecting is a hobby that never gets boring. Just by browsing eBay auctions for ten minutes, for example, I recently …

By Maribeth Keane, Collectors Weekly Staff (Copyright 2008)

In this interview, Gary Goff talks about collecting antiques telephones, including wood, candlestick, and rotary desk models from Western Electric and other makers. Based in Orange County, California, Gary can be reached via his website.

How did I get started collecting antique telephones? As a kid I always liked phones, using them, talking on them. As a teenager I had some …

By Bruce Wayne Schank (Copyright 2008)

In this article, collector Bruce Wayne Schank talks about collecting antique Ball jars (fruit jars), and the history of the Ball jar. Based in Pompton Plains, NJ, Bruce can be reached via his website, Balljars.net.

One of the most common fruit jars ever produced is the lowly Ball jar. Historical figures show that from between Sept 1, 1894 until Dec 31, 1961, 41,256,856 …

We recently got an email from a friend who wanted advice on how to sell his collection of old 45 RPM records. (Note that we here at Collectors Weekly don’t buy items, and can’t help you sell your items or tell you what they’re worth).

The email read as follows: “I was cleaning out my attic and found a whole box of used 45 RMP records, including Johnny Cash & …