guest columns

Guest Column: Understanding Antique Radios

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

By Phil Nelson (Copyright 2008)
Phil Nelson runs Phils Old Radios, a member of our Hall of Fame, and a great resource for information on antique radios.
You’ve just acquired an old radio, but apart from the manufacturer’s name on the front, you don’t know a blessed thing about it. Learning more about your radio may satisfy [...]

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Guest Column: A History of Dimestore Christmas Village Houses

Friday, March 28th, 2008

By Theodore Althof (Copyright 2008)
In this article Ted Althof, also known as Papa Ted, provides an in-depth history of decorative dimestore Christmas village houses and other vintage Christmas decorations. His site, http://www.papatedsplace.com, is a member of our Hall of Fame.

The following is a history of these wondrous little artifacts called cardboard Christmas village houses - [...]

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Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Souvenir Snowdomes

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

By Andy Zito (Copyright 2008)
Andy Zito’s site, andyzito.com/snowdomes is a member of The Collectors Weekly Hall of Fame.
These wonderful snow-filled objects are a world of fascination in themselves. Just shake one and see if you can resist the silent magic it evokes, not unlike an actual snowfall. Then notice if they don’t evoke the indelible [...]

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Guest Column: Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs From 1770 to 1820

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

By Graham Hodges (Copyright 2008)
Graham Hodges’ site, silversugartongs.com is a member of The Collectors Weekly Hall of Fame
The period of English history from 1770 to 1820 was a time of great change and great prosperity for England. As a result it was a growth period for silver table-ware, much of which still survives today. This [...]

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Guest Column: The Secret Language of Antique Hand Fans

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

By Anna Checcoli (Copyright 2008)
Anna Checcoli’s Ventagli.org, an antique and vintage hand fan gallery and information site, is featured in our Hall of Fame.
Many people ask me about the “language of the fan”: how hand fans were used in earlier times to communicate. And in fact, the role of the fan was not only for [...]

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Guest Column: Bookplate (Exlibris) Collecting Basics

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

By Lew Jaffe (Copyright 2008)
Lew Jaffe’s Bookplate Junkie blog is a member of our Collectors Weekly Hall of Fame. For more information on collecting bookplates and an incredible array of beautiful bookplates, visit Bookplate Junkie.
Bookplate mania in America and England peaked from 1890 to about 1920. That’s when the really great collections were formed. Most [...]

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Guest Column: An Overview of Railroadiana Collecting

Monday, March 17th, 2008

By Paul Koren (Copyright 2008)
Paul Koren is the webmaster of Railroadiana Online, a resource site for railroadiana collectors and a member of our Hall of Fame.
Many people are fascinated by railroads. At one time, railroads were connected to most aspects of community and economic life, and almost everyone had the experience of taking the train [...]

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Guest Column: Getting Started With an Antique Letterpress

Friday, March 14th, 2008

By Elizabeth Nevin (Copyright 2008)
Online since 1995, the Briar Press Museum (a member of our Hall of Fame) is dedicated to the history of the printing press. Here, founder Elizabeth Nevin explains to collectors the basic facts to consider when buying/selling/restoring an antique press.
If you are thinking of getting into letterpress printing or [...]

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