AmeriCollector.com

If Great-Granddad was a ship captain – or just an armchair adventurer with a real nice library – and you have old nautical books, logs or charts that you want to sell, Greg Gibson of Ten Pound Island Book Company (www.tenpound.com) of Gloucester, Mass., may be the man to contact: He’s looking to purchase good, [...]

Having just entered my bids in Railroad Memories’ auction no. 76, which I wrote about on June 7 (“Trainspotters: Railroad Memories auction leaves the station on Friday, June 18”), I thought I’d remind my fellow railroad enthusiasts that a specialized auction like this is the ideal way to build a collection or get a unique [...]

It’s here, and just in time for Father’s Day: Ol’ No. 76, billowing steam, boiler clanging and ticking, is waiting at the platform, doors open and waiting for railroad enthusiasts to climb aboard for one wild ride … Actually, it’s the NEW No. 76 – as in Railroad Memories’  (www.RailroadMemories.com) auction no. 76, featuring a [...]

I just got word that the 1,421 lots that the Alexander Autographs auction of Jan. 20 and 21, blogged on AmeriCollector.com on Jan. 19, realized more than a million bucks. “Once again we saw very spirited bidding for fresh, high-quality material,” says Bill Panagopulos, president of Alexander Autographs, located in Stamford, Conn. “Collectors and investors [...]

Thanks to you, AmeriCollector.com now has a loyal readership, and it's growing daily: We had over 18,000 visitors last week, which is hugely gratifying. At a juncture like this, I can’t help but think it’s the ideal time to reaffirm our mission: to provide a fun, interesting, informative venue of interest to collectors in a [...]

If eBay is any indicator, the collectibles market is heating up again: I’ve noted a lot of interesting stuff and some vigorous bidding of late, a sure sign that the economy is improving. And while a lot of folks aren’t out of the woods yet, financially – many are downsizing their collections because they were [...]

I love auction catalogs: Even if I can’t afford to bid on what I really want – how many collectors can? – the catalogs make for fun reading. Catalogs are also a great resource for collectors. Over time, they can give an idea of what’s out there on the market and – if you bother [...]

Seven things I LOVE about eBay 1. It’s the world’s largest flea market. Virtually EVERYTHING shows up there sooner or later. If you’re patient and experiment with keywords, you can find some great stuff at incredible prices just because other eBayers miss them. 2. Entrepreneurs of all types can sell online and even make a [...]

You gotta hand it to the great state of Colorado: It produces some REAL SERIOUS collectors of railroad memorabilia. It’s not surprising: Railroads played a huge role in the state’s history, especially during that iconic and conflicted era we call the Wild West. Sure, trains were essential to the development of other, arguably tamer parts [...]

Last week I stumbled across an auction to be held later this week by Bridgeport, W.V.–based Signature House, www.signaturehouse.net, which specializes in autograph material and which I knew of but never seemed to connect with in time to bid on something I was collecting. Which underscores the importance of getting yourself on as many dealer [...]