The Joy of Antiques

I love old things. I love the joy of finding something that was once important to someone from long ago. When I walk into an antique shop, auction hall or yard sale I get oh so excited and try to keep my eyes open for all of the right deals! I am told that sometimes I get too excited and that I should appear less interested when it comes to deal making, of course I know this is true, but I cant help myself! One of my favorite things to collect is military. I find that the most interesting of  items are the ones that might have taken part in the end of someones life. I have found a lot of bargains at places like George Cole auctions in Red hook NY and at large antique gun shows in Springfield MA and Hartford CT. In march I will be heading south to the Baltimore Antique Arms Show  where I hope to get myself another civil war sword to add to my collection. Which is quite modest. An officers sword, and a musicians sword.

 

I also hope to add a bayonet or two to my little collection of short blades. I have one from just about every American war. People find in very odd that a girl like me collects these sorts of antiques but I love it! Not only do these pieces make great wall hangers but people naturally want to talk about them when they come for a visit.   

 

Another thing I like to collect, is related to my job and one of the main people I study, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I have a modest collection of presidential campaign memorabilia. This man ran four times and was elected four times so there seems to be plenty of FDR related items out on the market and its amazing how many little booths at antique shops have pins just randomly sitting in cases. So I have both pro-Roosevelt and anti-Roosevelt pins like "No Third Term" which I couldn't help but add to the collection just to show how the pin clearly didn't get the message across!