| Love is the key to collecting anything be it antiques | | | | them you can learn what value is reasonable for |
| or beanie babies. When you love the things you | | | | items you want to add to your collection. They can |
| collect, you feel a passion that encourages you to | | | | also help you discover the most common flaws |
| spend your money, time and energy adding to and | | | | found in fakes or copies of the types of items you |
| caring for your collection. | | | | collect. |
| Begin your collection with pieces you love. The first | | | | Learn the distinctive qualities of what you collect. |
| step to collecting is to find something you love and | | | | Whether you are collecting antique Chippendale |
| want to surround yourself with. A healthy and | | | | furniture or Impressionist paintings your steps are still |
| inspiring collection is one you will want to live with for | | | | the same. Learn what makes items collectible as |
| years to come. The exact nature of your collection is | | | | what they are. Learn the specifics - what makes a |
| up to you. Choose art or furniture of a particular | | | | Chippendale or Hummel authentic or a reproduction. |
| period or style or select an item that is | | | | There are hundreds of books on the subject of |
| representative of meaning in your life. Consider | | | | antiques and collectibles. Check your local library for |
| collecting teddy bears like the first one your mother | | | | manuals on your chosen collectible. |
| gave you or elephant figurines after one sparked | | | | Wander in the likely places. Get shopping at antique |
| your interest at a flea market. You might have to | | | | stores, flea markets and estate sales. Haunt the |
| take a look around your home and find that a | | | | areas most likely to have the items you're looking |
| collection has already started. Look for the things you | | | | for. If that means New England estate sales then |
| love then build your collection around them. | | | | head there. If it means shopping at toy stores or |
| Do your homework and research the collectible. Now | | | | eBay, then you go where the collectibles are. You |
| that you have selected the pieces that will begin | | | | can start collecting with a single purchase and a little |
| your collection it is time to start researching. Visit | | | | research then watch your collection grow over time. |
| websites and gather reference books with the details | | | | You can begin collecting with just a little bit of time |
| and history of the items you want to collect. | | | | and care. If antiques are your love then you might |
| Remember that collections don't have to have value | | | | find your Saturday afternoons captured by |
| to anyone other than the collector. You might choose | | | | wandering through the aisles of thrift stores and small |
| to collect inexpensive items that speak to you or | | | | town rummage or estate sales. Get your friends and |
| items of higher value. Talk to the experts. When and | | | | family involved in collecting and there will be hours of |
| if your collection begins to have some value it's time | | | | fun in your future. |
| to talk to the experts. Listen to their advice. Through | | | | |