PROFIT IN COLLECTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1937, Page 9

PROFIT IN COLLECTING

THINGS THAT BECOME RARE. The collectors of stamps who arranged to have letters sent to them on the first transpacific air mail knew beforehand that those letters would be valuable. They could not tell how valuable, but, knowing the fundamentals underlying such matters, they could make a shrewd guess, says John R. Marey, in the ‘Christian Science Monitor.’ If we were able to guess half as accurately in regard to the future value of other everyday things, that would bo a useful bit of knowledge. And we can do just that, for the same rules that underlie stamp values also apply to all collectors’ items. The only remarkable thing about it is that they are so seldom applied. What makes any object a collector’s item? First, scarcity. If we had the commonest belongings of our ancestors of two or three hundred years ago, they would all be collector’s items, for it is the common, everyday things that are not preserved, and for the simple reason that they are common. However, there is little present satisfaction knowing that in two or three hundred years a collection will become rare. We must be able to select objects that will become rare quickly. That is not difficult to do. but there is also something else. Most common things without great age are of no in- 1 terest to the collector. We must, then, I try to foresee what will be. | In a general way this is the guide: I Anything that throws light on the political, historical, artistic,' or scientific aspects of an era probably will be of value in the future. | Anything that throws light on historical events has potential value. Let-, tors written from the scene of a bat-1 tie, a historic gathering, posters or pamphlets concerning such events — such things are worth saving. War posters were displayed everywhere during the World War. but so far as I know only one man today has a complete collection. Perhaps there is more rapid development to-day in the mechanical and •

scientific fields than in any other. Appliances and machines that are in use to-day are obsolete to-morrow. New inventions create a whole new industry. It has been only a few years since there were no such things as ’ automobiles, electric lights, radio, 1 phonographs, but already it is impossible to tell the complete story of ■ the development of these things with the things themselves. Mr. Ransome ’ Matthews, curator of the mechanical department of the Los Angeles Museum, informs me that certain types ! of old auto headlights cannot be obtained, and that specimens of photo--1 graphic, electric, and mechanical de- > velopments of many kinds, as well as ■ technical magazines and books on 1 then are very hard to find. To com- ' plete his collection illustrating thje i development of the incandescent lamp, : for example, he had to till in with models, because no actual specimens ' were available. 1 > Radio, Diesels, sound pictures are : still new. Television is on the hori- ; zon. Dozens of other mechanical in- ' {volitions that will affect our lives as I • profoundly as any in the past will see,' the light to-morrow. They will offer!* an unlimited field to the collector for; 1 the future. 1 1 I <

TRANSPORTATION RELICS. ' 1 The Pony Express Museum near-! Pasadena is filled with relics of that ’ brief epic of transportation, and Henry Ford has spent’ thousands of dollars 1 ion his collection showing the develop- ( incut of transportation. A map of the 1 I old Overland Trail brought £l5O. Mod- ( !ern road maps immediately suggest themselves. A map of to-day resembles 1 one of 15 years ago about as much ‘ as one ot 75 years ago. Air routes, j* (timetables, brochures, posters, and the ‘ same for other methods of travel will be of great interest in the future. 1 1 Perhaps you may have a piece of * cotton print that, belonged to vonr 1 great-grandmother, depicting Washing- r ton leading his men or Lincoln delivering his inaugural address. If so. it’s ' probable valuable, certain Washington 1 ju into bringing as high as £lO a square ' foot. Lindbergh prints are already 1 valuable, and will become increasingly so. These cotton prints, picturing 1:

current great men and events, are still being made. They sell cheaply, and a few of them, wisely selected, are likely to be a good investment. Likewise. Spode china is still being manufactured. Eighteenth and nine-teenth-century Spode is museum material. It was just household ware when it was new. but a platter that cost originally a shilling may now be worth £3O. These old patterns are being revived, and have every chance of becoming as valuable as the old ware. Mr. Norman Wilcox, of the Los Angeles Museum, who is authority for the above statement, also gives as his opinion (hat certain decorative glass and tableware, of old and modern design, will very likely be desired by future collectors. This ware is not so cheap now that you can afford to be careless with it, but that is all the more reason why you should keep it intact if you possess some. A friend of mine recently disposed of several old magazincs : containing pictures of early automobiles. They brought. £1 each from a designer of automobile bodies. Early fashion magazines are also at a. premium.

Movie studios use them in designing costumes of an earlier day. but what is more difficult to get is authentic pictures of everyday dresses. What lady ever posed for her photograph in anything but her Sunday best? This suggests the camera. A collection of pictures ilittfetrating the clothes of every day, if.added to down the years, would be prized by future costumers. Indeed, your camera has great possibilities if used with an eye to the future. Pictures of your changing city, of memorable public occasions, will tell an interesting talc. A photographic record of all the amusements or all the sports that have intrigued the public from time to time and then vanished into oblivion -some future wealthy sportsman would give a lot for the latter. When using the term "value” in reference to collectors’ items, a distinction should be made clear between tv. o meauiugs. These are the value to the collector and the monetary value. Every’ collector considers his particular collection priceless, even though it

be buttons, matclinoxcs. or spark plugs. He may have an item as rare * as a dodo, for which he would not 2 take £2OO, but for which he could not get sixpence. ’ Demand is the factor that largely determines price. It may bo out of jail proportion to the actual significance of an article, as because of a ; current demand. But the true collec- ’ tor derives his satisfaction from his ' collection, whatever it may be, and not from its monetary value. Condition also affects valuo-r-both kinds. Individual specimens should ’ be as nearly perfect ns possible, and an entire collection should be carefulJ ly selected and arranged, not a mean- ’ inglcss jumble Chiefly for the latter reason, anyone starting a collection should choose a subject in which he ’is interested and about which he knows something. For the collector of antiques this means a great deal 1 of training and specialised knowledge, bn' for the collector for the future it is a very different matter. For him it means only the application of gdod common sense to his present knowledge and interests. The opportunities are ail around him; he lias only to choose.