Recently a customer brought what he thought was a painting to an appraiser for evaluation. The framed artwork was a landscape, signed and titled at the margins, apparently painted in soft, muted colors.

As early as the 1890s, Americans began reading about the new “moving pictures” in general interest publications. A few short-lived periodicals devoted exclusively to “the flickers” appeared and disappeared in the opening years of the 20th century.

From calendars and serving trays to advertising signs and of course bottles, the world of Coca-Cola collectibles has room for everyone to join the collecting community. The 1970s happy hit, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” seemed almost like an invitation of sorts to become part of the community, and 30+ years later people are still celebrating this classic collectible.

Collecting antique typewriters from the 1880s and 1890s has been a wonderful experience for me over the years. My collection is really just the tip of the iceberg though, as literally hundreds of distinct collectible typewriters were manufactured during this time.