COLLECTIBLES-MUSEUMS.COM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Collectibles-Museums.com Crosses 1,000 Listings Milestone

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – November 26, 2008

“The Largest Directory of Online Collectibles Museums on Earth^TM has crossed the 1000 listings milestone” Jack Straw, of Collectibles-Museums.com announced.

These are all fascinating, quality-reviewed Museum and Collection websites with online galleries of impressive collectibles displays.  The site’s listings include over 1,000,000 images of everything from high art and intriguing oddities. 

Some of the more recent additions include:

• Mark Steinmetz Escape Tools
• Chinese Classical Paintings
• Ukrainian Postcards
• AntiqueSpectacles.com
• Antique Advertising Signs
• Miami Pinball and Vintage Vending Machines
• Fruit Jar Hall of Fame
• Rare Book and Manuscript Library
• Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi Stained Glass
• Nerd Watch Museum
• National Button Society Competition Trays
• Ham Radio Virtual Museum
• New York Public Library Cigarette Card Gallery
• Vintage British Slot Machines
• Gallery of Etch-A-Sketch Art

Collectibles-Museums.com is the #1 Ranked site for Collectibles Museums on the web.  Suggestions for additions to the Museums and other Directory Lists can be made at http://www.collectibles-museums.com/.  All submissions are screened to ensure they are useful, interesting and entertaining.  Sites displaying the Collectibles-Museums.com Site Badge are guaranteed to be screened, high quality, non-commercial collectibles sites.

Collectibles-Museums.com is home to The Largest Directory of Online Collectibles Museums on Earth, The Largest Directory of Online Collector Glossaries on Earth and The Largest Directory of Online Free Collectibles Price Guides on Earth.

Contact: Jack Straw
Company: Collectibles-Museums.com
Email: tour@collectibles-museums.com
Website: http://www.collectibles-museums.com/

400+ Online Collectibles Museums Exhibits – Largest Directory On Earth Unveiled

Collectibles-Museums.com has announced the Largest Directory of Online Collectibles Museums on Earth^TM.  These are all legitimate, quality-reviewed Museum and Collection sites with online galleries of impressive collectibles displays.  The items range from the esteemed to the esoteric.  A random sample includes:

• Antique Mouse and Rat Trap Gallery
• The Eames Collection
• 4000 Years of Miniature Books
• The World of Fruit Labels
• Antique and 19^th Century Cameras
• Famous Nudes in Art
• Cuban Political Posters
• Depression Glass Rarities
• Music Box Museum
• Condom Wrappers of the 30s and 40s
• Museum Of Soviet Calculators
• 29,383 Unopened Cigarette Packs
• Vintage Finnish Pulp Paperback Gallery
• Phisick Antique Medical Collection
• Scales and Weights Over 3000 Years
• Bob Trudy’s Brand Name Pencils
• Gallery of Scary Clowns
• Queensland Aerial Service Ephemera
• Gallery of Generic Mac and Cheese Packaging
• Vintage Blue Note Records Museum

Suggestions for additions to the list can be made at http://www.collectibles-museums.com/.  All submissions are screened to ensure they are useful, interesting and entertaining.

Visit http://www.collectibles-museums.com/ for over 700 total online Collectibles Museums Exhibits, free price guides, and collector glossaries. Visit http://www.collectibles-articles.com/ for free, human-screened articles in 100+ collector fields and free Author article distribution.

Are Your Old Stock Scripophily Signatures Real

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com 

How can you determine if the signatures on a collectible stock certificate are authentic autographs?  First, there’s good news.  Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates and bonds) does not generally have the rampant forgery or mechanized signature issues of some other collectible fields (e.g., signed sports collectibles).
 
The question to be answered is whether the signature was hand signed rather than printed or stamped.  An expensive paper and ink chemical analysis is seldom needed.  The following can help in determining originality:

1. The older the document is, the more likely it was hand signed.  In fact, in the 1800s, a personal and artful signature was the norm.

2. Certificates normally have multiple signatures (President, Secretary, Transfer Agent, owner, witness, etc.).  The signatures and any notations should be in different handwriting for each person and, often, different colorations and applications of ink or pencil.

3. Research the document using books and dealers’ or hobbyist’s websites (such as coxrail.com for railroads).  You may find authentication comments or images you can compare with your document.

4. If you have more than one certificate or image for comparison, look for small variations – that’s good.  If the signatures would match exactly if overlaid, they’re probably reproduced.

5. Since older certificates are often on thinner paper, an original signature may appear darker than the printed portions of the certificate when it is viewed from the back.

6. Sometimes a pen signature will have left a very slight depression in the paper which can be seen from the front or back when held at an angle to a light.

7. If the placement of the signature is contrary to the layout of the print, e.g., it covers part of the design instead of being perfectly placed, that may indicate originality (though not always).

8. Early signature ink sometimes “bled” slightly out into the paper from the written lines.  You may be able to see this with a magnifier.

A couple of important final points to remember:

Firstly, it is possible to prove an autograph is not authentic, but it is impossible it prove it is authentic.  Every statement of authenticity about a signature (be it Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jordan or George Washington) is a statement of informed (we hope) opinion.

The only way to be 100% sure is if you personally watched the person sign your item and then kept the item in your possession.  That seldom is an option and never is for antique items.

Secondly, because of the first point, you should always purchase collectible items from reputable dealers who offer a reasonable return policy.  You should be happy with what you acquire.

Whether you even care about the signature is completely up to you, of course, but it can be one of the research paths that lead to a sense of discovery as you explore the historical background and personal stories behind your latest stock certificate acquisition.

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

What Makes Collectible Stock Certificates Valuable

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com

Everyone dreams of finding something in an attic or flea market that turns out to be valuable.  That something could be a stock certificate that is still valid for ownership in a company.  If you were to find one, it should be researched (just in case).  But unfortunately, that seldom happens. 

However, it still might be worth something as a collector’s item.  This article discusses the collector value of antique stock certificates.Ultimately, of course, what makes a collectible stock certificate valuable is someone’s willingness to buy it at a particular price.  The more people who want it, the more it is worth.  That’s the demand side of Supply and Demand.

But what about the supply side – the certificates themselves?  The following are some of the characteristics of the supply side of certificates that help create more value.

1. Aesthetic appeal -

Is it pretty, powerful, soothing, impressive, memorable, joyful, comforting, funny?  Do I like it?  Is it “me?”   You’ll notice these are all emotions of the viewer.   That’s what art does if it’s good – it evokes emotions.  Here are some of the decorative aspects of stock certificates that most people appreciate:

• The vignette(s). One or more of these pictures can be found on most certificates. Vignettes are usually made from original etchings and cover many different subjects and scenes. Many are so detailed that they can show a wide, complex harbor scene, a busy western town or the individual feathers on an American Bald Eagle.
• The border. Borders are often quite ornate and “frame” the certificate. They can be intaglio printed, which results in a precise 3-D effect. Some may have extra vignettes woven into the design or intertwined in filigree.
• The writing. In the old days, certificates were filled in by hand. In that period, beautiful hand writing was a source of pride, so older documents sometimes look like practiced calligraphy samples.
• The extras. Certificates may have one or more of the following: a company seal (embossed), revenue or transfer stamps (stuck onto the front or back), redemption coupons (for interest or dividend payments), an attached stub (similar to a check stub for registration), under prints (a light design seemingly in the background), sophisticated color tone usage (gradients, realism, dimensional)
• The impression. This goes back to the emotions evoked. Does the overall certificate strike you? Is it one you would be proud to own or display?

2. Signatures –

This is similar to the “writing” above, but this is special.  Who wrote it?  Original, hand written signatures of well known people (Rockefeller, Houdini, Edison, Disney…) are usually in high demand.  Even their printed signatures can have incremental value because it is a document from an organization they were affiliated with at a certain time in history.  If you research names on certificates, you will find fascinating stories behind them that you probably never learned in history class.

3. Scarcity -

This is trickier than it seems.  In general, the rarer a document is the more valuable it is, but not always.  Take railroad certificates.  There are, relatively, lots of them.  But there are also, relatively, lots of railroad certificate collectors.  And there are people who collect other types of railroad memorabilia and decide to collect a few railroad certificates.  And there are stamp collectors that also collect certificates that have stamps on them. 

There are also many people trying to fill in collection themes (geographic, company lineage, varieties, vignette subject…).  So a certificate may have more samples available than another, but still be more valuable because the demand is higher.

4. Condition -

Most of the time, as with any collectible, the better shape a certificate is in, the more valuable.  Very old certificates almost always show some signs of aging and wear (fold creases, fading, rough edges, cancellation marks or punches…).  After all, how would you look after 150 years?  But excessive marring (heavy stains, splits, holes, tears…) diminish value.

5. Age -

Usually, the older the better.  Early certificates are often rarer, have more character, have interesting vignettes and have historical significance.

6. History -

Every old stock certificate is literally a unique piece of history.  Many collectors become history buffs in the process of researching the people and stories behind their certificates.  You can learn how towns were named, the quirky way newspaper stories were written long ago, why the mining labor disputes erupted, how railroads became the arteries and veins of America, the trials and joys of Old West living, the crazy inventor ideas that birthed major industries, and lots more.

So these are six major stock certificate characteristics that create value.  Add in the overall fact that there is a finite supply of antique stock certificates and, currently, a growing demand, and you have a beautiful Supply/Demand scenario – that’s how value increases.  (Disclaimer: No one should promote stock certificates as an investment.  You should collect them because you enjoy doing so, and if they happen to increase in value, that just makes it more fun.)

Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates) only got its name and wide recognition as a legitimate collecting field about forty years ago.  So, while there are plenty of high-value certificates, there are even more that are very affordable.  Enjoy them.

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

Caring For Antique Stock Certificates

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com

Scripophily is the collecting of antique bonds and stock certificates. Enthusiasts vary widely in how they take care of their documents.  Some actually just stack them together in a folder or drawer (cringe).  Others treat them like the irreplaceable historical artifacts and works of art they really are.If you spend time and money acquiring collectible certificates, you should know how to care for them to retain their appeal and value.  Here’s how:

• Sleeves -

Clear semi-rigid holders are the best.  The documents can be handled and stored without them being bent, rolled up or “dinged,” yet they are easy to inspect and admire.  Since most certificates were folded at one time, semi-rigid sleeves have the added benefit of tending to flatten and smooth out any fold remnants.  Sleeves should also be non-reactive chemically.

• Gloves -

If you want to handle certificates outside of a sleeve (as when inspecting with a magnifier), put on a pair of non-powdered, non-latex exam gloves.  Powdered versions leave a powder residue and latex causes an allergic reaction in some people.  Exam gloves are very inexpensive and will keep skin oil, finger prints and other chemicals off of the paper and printing.

• Intermingling -

Certificates vary in the chemical makeup of the paper and inks used, as well as the elements that have been deposited on them over time.  To prevent these various materials from interacting with each other, certificates should always be kept one certificate to one sleeve.  Besides, you normally want to be able to see both sides.  Many certificates have writing, signatures, transfer records or stamps on the reverse.

• Elements -

Always keep paper documents away from excessive heat, light and moisture.  The key word is excessive.  Normal room temperatures, lighting and humidity are fine.

• Display -

Collectors that have certificates special to them in some way, and people who give, or have been given, a certificate, often like to display them for others to see.  A common way to do this is to mount and frame them for wall display.  As with any artwork, you should avoid using tape or glue to mount them and use non-reactive matting.  Also don’t place them over a furnace vent, by a window that allows direct sunlight or near a humidifier.

• Repair -

Pros:  Some people feel taping together fold splits or erasing pencil marks helps to preserve and restore something that otherwise might end up in the trash.

Cons:  Others believe antique items should remain precisely as history created them and “repairing” opens up a Pandora’s Box with the potential for misrepresentation.

What you do with your possessions is certainly your prerogative.  Regardless of which camp you fall into, though, if the certificate is conveyed to another person, you should always make clear its condition and what you have done to it.

Collectible bonds and stock certificates are not so delicate that you can’t touch or show them.  After all, many of them have survived a century or more already.  Just take common sense care of them and maybe they’ll last another hundred years.

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

Scripophily Collecting Themes – Part III

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com

Many collectors of antique stock certificates collect by acquiring certificates with shared characteristics, or themes.  In prior articles we discussed themes of Industry, Geography, Vignette (picture), Family Relationship, Time Period, Event, Firsts, Famous Names, Unissued and Extreme Numbers.Here are ten more popular collecting themes:

1. Celebration -

Examples:  World Fairs and participating companies, construction (Panama Canal, landmarks…), Disney (characters on war bonds, Magic Kingdom, Euro Disney…), sports (teams, player restaurants…), Transcontinental Railroad contributors

2. Personal Years -

Examples:  Birth year, when you met, marriage, child’s birth, military service, first car, graduation, family members’ important years (especially for gifts)

3. Befores -

Examples:  Territories before they were states, before modern papers and printing, financial instruments from before we went off the Gold Standard, pre-modern transportation (paddlewheels, steamships, stagecoaches…)

4. Signatures, hand signed -

This category includes any hand written names (owner, company officials, bankers, witnesses…).  It can be further segmented into well-known name signatures (John D Rockefeller), lesser-known (George Wingfield – miner and banker) or unknown (little historical information).

5. Cancelation Type -

Examples:  stamped “canceled” or “cancelled”, hand written cancel, check mark or lines, scribbles through the signatures, hole-punched, issued but not canceled, canceled but not issued, marked VOID

6. Punch Type -

Examples:  large circles (1/4 inch), small circles (often spelling out the word “canceled”), squares, odd shapes (horseshoe, cross, star…)

7. Color -

Examples: Certificates from the same company were often printed in different colors if they were used for a different amount of shares (example: printed for “100 Shares” or “Less Than 100 Shares”).  Common stock and preferred stock certificates usually were in different colors.  Certificates from some companies came in several colors.

8. Misspellings, or variant spellings -

Examples:  An Odd Fellows Hall Association certificate from the 1860′s spells “Fellows” both with and without an apostrophe on the same certificate.  Railroad was often spelled differently (one or two words, capitals or not).

9. Stubbed -

Some stock certificates still have a registration stub attached (either all of it or a remnant) to the left edge (similar to check register stubs for recording the payment details in a checkbook).  It may be filled in or may not.  Stubs on certificates can either be flat and showing as part of the complete document (as a framed wall display, for example) or it can be folded under to show just the actual certificate. 

Some stock and bond certificates have partial or full sheets of dividend coupons attached like a stub would be, but may be on the bottom or the right hand side.

10. Ornate -

Some people take the designation of stock certificates as artwork to heart and go for the very decorative ones. Examples: The 1969 Ringling Bros. – Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows specimen is very colorful and full of circus characters. The Boston and Albany Rail Road of 1892 has detailed train and harbor scene vignettes that spread the width of the certificate.

It sometimes can be challenging to find certain certificates to fill in a theme, especially if it is a very narrow or rare theme.  But the bigger challenge can be in choosing only one theme, because there are so many from which to choose.

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

Scripophily Collecting Themes – Part II

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com LLC

Most people collect antique stock certificates by type, or theme, to give a common thread to their collection and to add passion to the search for specific certificates (though most of us also “cheat” and collect others just because we like them). Collecting themes also provides a logical way to organize or display your favorite stock certificates.

The “Part I” article before this one discussed themes of Industry, Geography, Vignette (artwork), Family Relationship (name) and Time Period.  Here are some other popular themes:

• 1. Events, or some portion of one -

Examples:  Civil War, Confederate Institutions, Volunteer Bounty Bonds, Veterans Organizations

• 2. Firsts, or among the firsts -

Examples:  Experimental Aircraft (Custer Channel Wing), Steam Locomotives (Tom Thumb), seminal autos (Willys-Overland Jeep), first electrically wired cities (Cincinnati Edison), current companies over a century old (Wells Fargo)

• 3. Famous Names, issued to or signed by -

Examples:  Rockefeller, Disney, Remington, Pabst, Houdini, Rothschild, Chaplin, Buick, Gimbel. Ames, Lorillard, Pullman…

• 4. Extreme Numbers on the certificate -

Examples:  Bonds for $1,000,000 or more, stock certificates for more than 10,000 shares or less than 10 shares, company capital of less than $1 million, low registration number (three digits or less)

• 5. Unissued (the printed date usually has a blank in it, such as 187_) -

These are certificates that were never authorized, filled out and given to a share owner.  They have usually come from storage and archives of the companies, banks and printers that were involved with the issuance process.

Some people prefer unissued documents because they often are in better condition than “used” certificates.  Other collectors prefer issued ones because the names, writing and wear show they were held in people’s hands and used in commerce a century or more ago.

There are literally millions of permutations possible by crossing themes.  For example, if your family can be traced to Philadelphia, you might collect issued, canceled (the word is usually spelled with one L, but not always), green certificates that have one- or two-digit registration numbers with portrait vignettes from the 1800′s.

Or, maybe not.  If your family name is Miller, you could just buy Grandpa a “Millerstown Iron Company” stock certificate, have it framed and give it to him for Christmas.  Guaranteed, he won’t get duplicates of that gift.

So you can decide on a theme(s), or just browse and absorb and maybe a theme will develop as you learn more about what’s available and what strikes that special cord in you.  If nothing else, you will find fascinating insights into the people and things that made this country.

—–

Visit http://www.realstockcertificates.com/ LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit http://www.collectibles-articles.com%22%3ewww.collectibles-articles.com%3c/a for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

Scripophily Collecting Themes – Part I

By Larry Crain, CEO RealStockCertificates.com

There is a thriving market in old stock certificates due to their beauty, uniqueness, historical significance, rarity and, surprisingly, their affordability.  Though most certificates (even from a century ago) can be purchased for under $100, the sheer number of different certificates available (thousands),  not to mention the expense of the rarer ones, precludes anyone from trying to collect them all.

For that reason, and due to personal preferences, people tend to give as gifts or to collect stock certificates by theme.  These are a few of the more popular themes:

1.       Industry – Railroads are popular industry themes.  There were a great number of them and they literally created the infrastructure that allowed the United States to develop into a unified economic, cultural, political and societal entity  Even within the Railroad category, however, most  people focus on sub-segments such as the first electric traction railways ( trolleys) from a hundred years ago or all the small lines that consolidated to create a larger Railroad system.  Other industry examples are aircraft, mining, oil, autos, retailers, banks or any “industry” you define.

2.      Geography – It is fun to see the name of your city or state on a certificate.  These collectors usually enjoy doing a little research and reading up on companies and locations they recognize or identify with (http://www.realstockhistories.blogspot.com/ and http://www.realstockcertificates.com/ contain extensive company and industry histories).  There are many hundreds of old certificates with town, county or state names in the company name, e.g., Maricopa Mica Mining Company (1890′s) or Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company (1927).

3.      Vignette – “Vignette” is the collectors’ term for the picture(s) on most certificates.  They are usually quite detailed artwork created from etchings.  A collector might choose, for example, animal vignettes (including American Eagles, foxes, dogs, horses, cattle, doves, cats and many others).

4.      Family Relationship – If your last name is Morrison, you could have a beautiful, framed, authentic certificate from 1865 for “The Morrison Family Oil Company” hanging in your den.  How about the Long Dock Company (1860′s) or the Custer Channel Wing Corporation?

5.      Time Period – Lovers of the Old West might like The Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, The John B. Stetson Company or the Abercrombie and Fitch Company (they were actually important purveyors in the old days too).

There are many other possible themes (autographs, famous people, famous events, years…).  And many certificates can fit in more than one theme, so there is no end to the satisfaction of creating a fine collection, but also the excitement of picking up on a new direction.

In any case, the collecting of these increasingly rare historical documents is a growing, rewarding pastime that is fun to share with others (as you show them your 1865 Barnstable Bank and expound on commerce during the Civil War).

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.

10 Reasons For Scripophily Growth

By RealStockCertificates.com LLC

Scripophily is the collecting of financial documents such as bonds and stock certificates. Such documents, even from a century or more ago, have been preserved and collected by thousands of people who love them. Though less well known than numismatics (coin collecting) or philately (stamp collecting), Scripophily is a growing pursuit for a number of reasons. Here are some of them:

1. Developed Marketplace

Scripophily is a well-developed area of the collectible world, with prominent collectors, dealers and industry associations to help people learn about the different certificates available and the companies behind them.

2. Variety

There are so many variables to each certificate that it is engrossing and downright fun to analyze, categorize and pursue them. You can always find a personal connection to some of them.

3. Historical Significance

Many certificates are legitimate antiques that were made, used and passed down by our ancestors. They were personalized and prized possessions of hard working ranchers, brave miners, steel tycoons, manufacturing innovators, brilliant inventors, oil drilling dreamers, and millions of others.

4. Aesthetics

Certificates generally have vignettes (intricate artwork, usually from etchings), ornate borders, elaborate calligraphy, company seals and a size (about the size of a sheet of paper) that makes them ideal for framing for display or as a gift.

5. Rarity

Though there are lots of bonds and stock certificates available to collectors, there are far fewer of them than there are of other financial collectibles such as coins, paper money or stamps. As a group, certificates are becoming rarer as fewer companies issue paper in this electronic age.

6. Affordability

Because this section of the “money” collectibles is not well known to the masses, most certificates, including very nice ones can be had for less than $100.

7. Collector Value

Though no one can predict the future, it is possible, as with any collectible, that some stock certificates may increase in value over time.

8. Ease of handling

Since certificates are essentially thick pieces of specialized printed paper, they are easy to store, ship, look at, and handle while keeping them protected in clear, flat sleeves.

9. Uniqueness

Every certificate is a unique document, sometimes similar to, but never exactly the same as any other. Just like people!

10. Giftability

Certificates can be the perfect unexpected, yet personalized, gift for that hard-to-buy-for person. Someone whose first car was a Packard, for example, might get a kick out of receiving a stock certificate from the Packard Motor Car Company (and it is nearly impossible someone would give a duplicate of that gift).

The specific reasons for appreciating collectible antique stock certificates are as broad as the thousands of collectors. For you, browse and learn – you may secretly turn out to be one of them.

Visit www.RealStockCertificates.com LLC for images, values and research tools for Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit www.Collectibles-Articles.com for free articles in 100+ collectibles fields.