Mar 22, 2023 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
Regular readers may notice the by-line of David Hamilton, mostly on articles relating to trains, appearing from time-to-time in the Collector. He, like his old man (me), is a collector. His primary collecting interest has been in railroad-related antiques, though it...
Feb 23, 2023 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
There is no question the antique auction business has changed. The increasing use of internet bidding has left many auction galleries with empty seats yet more bidders. We miss the camaraderie of the “regulars” at local auctions that often attracted standing-room-only...
Jan 23, 2023 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
Many of us may have some recollection of playing a “78” audio record; that is 78 revolutions per minute, as opposed to a “45” or “33.” The 78 conveyed the popular music of the day until the early 1950s when the more durable 45s with better sound quality...
Dec 8, 2022 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
Those of us who were born in the 1940s and early ‘50s are likely to relate to at least some of the scenes in the movie A Christmas Story. Nostalgia runs pretty deep throughout the tale of “Ralphie’s” quest for a BB gun for Christmas. Personally, I never...
Oct 26, 2022 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
For collectors of antiques the old adage “history repeats” is often evident in objects. For example the rush to market electric vehicles came first in the early 1900s. Cost and short range, two of the concerns of modern would-be EV buyers today as well, eventually led...
Jul 21, 2022 | By Grant Hamilton, Publisher's Message
I’ve been asked about the impact inflation has on antiques. At one time I would have had an easy answer, and that would have been that holding (or buying) antiques is a good bet in inflationary times. For most real antiques there is a limited supply, so demand...
