How to Buy or Sell — Medical and Scientific Collectibles

Antique microscopes, telescopes, medical apparatus, and much more are included in scientific collectibles. Of special interest are quack medical machines. These all require specialists to do restoration and repair. Sometimes a local expert who works with modern microscopes or telescopes can help. (SCALES are listed in their own section.) The best customers for medical and […]

How to Buy or Sell — Insulators

Telephone and telegraph insulators, as well as other types of insulators, have been collected since the 1960s by serious collectors. Glass, especially colored glass, and pottery was used. Beginners usually just want any insulator. Serious collectors learn the makers, use, and patent histories of the insulators. Be sure to keep a record of the price […]

How to Buy or Sell — Carousels, Carousel Figures and Amusement Park Collectibles

There was a difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round in the past. A merry-go-round had a variety of carved animals; a carousel had only horses. Today, people use either name for the amusement park ride. The hand-carved, wooden charging horse or prancing pig that was part of the amusement park merry-go-round is now classed […]

How to Buy or Sell — Coin-Operated Machines, Jukeboxes and Slot Machines

There is a corollary to the joke among antiques dealers that anything that moves or makes noise has a value. They say that there is even more value to anything with a money slot. This includes most types of music-making machines, from nineteenth-century Swiss boxes to 1950s jukeboxes. Slot machines, gum-ball machines, and the myriad […]

How to Buy or Sell — Transportation

CARS, FULL SIZE The larger an antique, the harder it is to sell to an out-of-town customer. That is the general rule, but for cars the rule does not hold. A car in working condition can be driven or hauled to its new home with a minimum of problems. This means that antique and classic […]

How to Buy or Sell — Telephone Collectibles

If you have anything old that has the word “telephone” or the familiar “Bell” symbol, it can be sold. Everything from telephones to telephone booths to telephone insulators are collected. The highest-priced phones are those that look old, unusual, or decorative because of the color of the case. A telephone made after 1940 can be […]