By Maribeth Keane

In this interview, Sue Knous discusses railroadiana collecting, the various types of railroad collectibles and memorabilia, and the best ways to get involved in the hobby. Based in Colorado, Sue can be reached via her website, Railroad Memories.

My husband Bill always loved trains and my grandfather had been an executive with the Denver and Rio Grande here. We opened up a little store in Georgetown, Colorado and sold railroad stuff. The Georgetown Loop Train was in that area, so we thought it might be a good spot. A gentleman walked in the store one day and …

continue reading | 20 Comments

By Rod Starling (Copyright 2009)

Rod Starling, based in Reeders, PA, is a long time collector and authority on early United States playing cards, and one of the founding members of the collectors club 52 Plus Joker. This article was originally published in the club’s Clear The Decks newsletter, Vol. 22, #2 and is reproduced courtesy of 52 Plus Joker.

Collecting facsimile playing cards can be an interesting window onto the world of historic and antique playing card decks. In a recent article dealing with fortune telling cards, I wrote approvingly of facsimile decks and most of the decks featured, …

continue reading | 4 Comments

By Maribeth Keane

Bobby Liao discusses collecting Coca-Cola commemorative bottles and other memorabilia, and discusses vintage Coke advertising items and the history of the company and its bottlers. Based in Palo Alto, California, Bobby can be reached via his website, Bobby’s Coca-Cola on the Web, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I started collecting Coca-Cola in 1994. The World Cup soccer games were being hosted at the Stanford Stadium and I saw Coke bottles commemorating the World Cup games on the shelves. I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty cool,” so I bought a six-pack. I noticed …

continue reading | 126 Comments

By Maribeth Keane

Paul Edie talks about collecting antique Victor Victrola phonographs, including inside and outside horn models, the history of the company, and the evolution of the phonograph machines in general. Paul can be reached via his website, The Victor-Victrola Page, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

When I was around 10, my grandfather passed away, and my dad brought home his Victrola and stuck it under the stairs in the basement. He didn’t want it or care about it. It was a 1917 – my grandfather bought it right before World War I. One …

continue reading | 27 Comments

By Eric Beeson (Copyright 2007)

Eric Beeson is a frequent contributor to The Collectors Weekly.

Ever wonder about that box of vintage Christmas decorations in the attic? From wooden nutcrackers to glass Christrmas tree ornaments to 1930’s Lionel model trains, this article can help you identify what vintage or antique Christmas items might be in that box. Your cherished decorations might be valuable, and even if not, you can sure have a whole lot of fun decorating with them!
Christmas Trees: From Simple to Space Age
…

continue reading | 20 Comments

By Maribeth Keane

Jack and Beverly Wilgus discuss photograph and camera collecting, from daguerrotypes to contemporary photographs to their very own camera obscura. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, they can be reached through their website, Collection of Collections, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

We both come from families that had collections and we both had collections as children. Jack lost his when his grandmother threw them out at one point. His grandmother collected china and glass. My parents had collections. When we married, we had both studied photography. In Chicago, we hardly ever …

continue reading | 10 Comments

By Maribeth Keane

In this interview, Paul Holstein talks about collecting Star Wars cards, from finding obscure cards to completing and grading full sets. Based in Michigan, Paul can be reached via his website, Vintage Star Wars Cards, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I was 10 when the movie came out and I went to the store and bought a couple of packs of Star Wars cards. But I ended up trashing all the cards I had when I was a kid, and in my collection today I have none of the cards that I …

continue reading | 4 Comments

By Dave Margulius

In this interview, George Gruhn talks about collecting vintage electric and acoustic guitars. A well known author, dealer, and frequent contributor to Vintage Guitar magazine, George is based in Nashville and can be reached via his website at http://www.gruhn.com.

I started out primarily as a collector and the business aspect of it evolved over time, almost by accident. I didn’t start out with the intention of being a vintage guitar dealer. As a college student, Mom and Dad were willing to buy me one good guitar, and a good guitar back then didn’t cost near as much …

continue reading | 21 Comments

By Maribeth Keane

Barbara Meek talks about the history of cut glass, the patterns, and the major turn-of-the-century manufacturers. Barbara is the president of the Florida (Sunburst) chapter of the American Cut Glass Association, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I started collecting cut glass when I was about 18. My sisters were married, and during the summer, I would go out and stay with them in the Midwest and work. That was back in the late ’70s when you could go to flea markets and you could find wonderful things. Every weekend I would go …

continue reading | 24 Comments