Fun With Nostalgia

when in the antique/collector business , profit overshadows the importance of the item itself.Thr business part tuns and finding interesting nostalgia and selling it for a good profit to make money to continue to do the same thing over and over. It was a satisfying model. But in hindsight, as this business model winds down, one looks back and thinks, wow if I still had that.

I can give you many examples of how that has occurred to me.

There was a time when finding a newspaper with the headline of the sinking of the Titanic was extremely desirable. Yes, I bought and sold several copies that had that headline over the years. The profit could end up being obverse $100 each. But there was the time that I found a copy of the London Daily Mirror with the headline that said, Mighty Titanic Sinks. Everyone Saved! Because of the slowness of communication n those days, it was easy to u derstand how this could happen in the initial reports. I ended up sell that paper for undfreds of dollars which seemed great at the time. Imagine though having that paper today. What value? What a conversation piece. I now wish that I had kept it!

Then there was the time when I was doing a showin a mall. A nearby store employee showed me a book which was a children’s reader in Germany during or before World War 2. It showed the propaganda which words and pictures depicting how a dictator could brainwash the youth of that time. It was a fascinating piece of history which I wish I still had.

There was also a time when a lady at her garage sale said that she had N interesting cupboard in her basement. Upon looking at it, I saw that te inside of a daoor had been used as a diary kept by the mother of a soldier who served in the Furst Workd War. Everything that had happened to her son was recorded in writing on that door. What a lue e of history. What a piece to have today!

There was also the time when I bought and sold a very old world at

as with original maps from the late 19th century. Theses were rare and very interesting to see how the world has changed. It was a wonderful treasure to have kept.

There was also a time when I purchased a rated mint tin truck made in the 1950’s. The company no longer exists. It was a beautiful large mint toy worthy of being on display.

The list goes on. I have gravitated towards collecting paper items or ephemera. I have had many old photos, postcards, documents, letters etc, all sold off but would be an interesting collection to have today.

As they say, one cannot cry over spilled milk. They all served a purpose at the time. If you are a buyer, seller, collector, it is a decision you have to make. How long do I want to keep these things? Do my children have any interest in inheriting them. Is the money more important than the item..

It can be an interesting dilemma.