What do you collect?

I think every forum should have a thread like this. They make for interesting reading.

So basically - What do you collect? If anything at all? (I suppose this could include WWII memorabilia)

I have inherited the hoarders & collector's bug from my grandmother. Gran was a great hoarder - dictionaries, bibles, balls of wool (About 200 at last count)...you name it.

My various collections include...

Jazz-music. Anything from 1900s ragtime to 1940s WWII/big-band era jazz.
Old-time radio shows. Several hundred episodes dating from the 1930s until the 1950s. (Some fascinating and interesting references to WWII in there).

Soundtrack/filmscore music.

Hardcover books (Collection since ended. Oldest specimen - "The Old Curiosity Shop" by Charles Dickens. Published by Chapman & Hall. Inscription dates book to 1911).

Steel dip-nibs (about 100 so far).

Fountain pens:



My prides and joys. My preciouses. Nobody shall take them from me!! Some of the older members on this forum might recognise some of these pens from their childhoods or early adult lives - 7th from left: Parker Duofold 'Big Red' two-bander button-filler, made in 1928. Next to it, a Parker '51' Flighter aerometric filler from 1949. Next to that, a Parker '45' from the mid 1970s. All pens are restored, working, loaded and ready for use...and yes, I do use them. Won't touch anything else for handwriting other than a fountain pen. The big red thing in the corner is my rocker-blotter, also in constant-use. It dates from 1940.

You could say I've saved my favourite collection - my fountain pens, for last.

What do you fellows collect?

 

I have opened three threads with some of my collectibles. These include my WWII stamp collection (new additions on this forum today) , my WWII archives and my Napoleonic figurines (yesterdday) . I have also posted many items of my militaria collection in others threads. Finally I collect coins. Oh yes , I also have afew 1/48 scale aircraft models.

 

Strange. I did a search for collection-threads...didn't find anything. So I opened this.

 

Books on WW2 history mainly, and during the last few years some medals and autographs.

 

Recently I have been very interested in WWII maps, but honestly nothing specifically. I like items that have a personal touch to them, caps, letters, maps with something written on them, that sort of thing!
Nice pens!!

 

I have a huge bottle cap collection and I might start a WWII militaria collection soon. I also collect military miniatures and rare magazines.

 

Third Reich

 

Mostly WWII stuff, most of which has been discussed on this Forum from time to time.

Outside WWII - books by and about T E Lawrence and Ernest Hemingway.

 

I collect bills, does that count? I have not had the time to get into collecting. What I do collect is only valuable to me. I try for the unique route. Aiming to collect cars now. Nothing classic or valuable. Just what I like. I do have a good collection of books. I can reread a good book anytime

 

The only things im collecting right now are: Prescription Medications with a little Militaria and DvD's thrown in.

 

I have got an impresive collection of bills, they go back a good way and my collection is growing by the day

 

type Hurtgen forest, Fliegerhorst Gilze Rijen, Romeo and Juliette, showing my stamp collection, showing my collection, show my militaria etc...

These are all great threads . They are mostly in the militaria section.

 

I collect original wartime British home front publications- ARP, Police, AFS/NFS booklets, HMSO books on industry etc and any military manuals which relate to the subject.
Outside of WW2, I collect books on mediaeval history.

 

WWII mostly, however I do have a little from WWI, and I just purchased one from the ACW.

 

Cameras & associated ephemera.
Here's some:

Though they're currently all heaped in a corner due to decorating.
I seem to have become a book-collector too in the last few years, wasn't quite sure when it became 'collecting' rather than just 'buying a book', but I think it's the point you start buying many more than you are actually reading.

Cheers,
Adam.

 

I have added another pen to my collection. It's a Waterman junior-size lever-fill fountain pen with a bent nib. I've hammered and twisted and yanked and whammed...and I think the nib is finally straightened out now (At least, enough to write with). Next stop - Fixing the filling-mechanism...

 

Shangas: Nice pen collection. Have you got any Mont Blancs?

Von Poop : great camera collection, you've got some pretty old ones too!

 

Hi Skip,

I have two Montblancs, to the left of the Parker Duofold (the big red antique in the middle). The one on the immediate left is my 145 Chopin meisterstuck fountain pen. A Christmas present. The one to the left of that is my father's 1993 Montblanc ballpoint. He never used it, so I took it.

This is the latest addition to my collection. It's a 1940s Canadian-made Waterman junior-size lever-filler. I am currently restoring this fountain pen:

As found:




After hammering out the kink and realigning the nib-tines:



After opening the pen and removing the petrified rubber ink-sac:



Removing the nib and feed from the pen-section for polishing and cleaning: (This was the hardest part. Two hours of hot air, boiling water, hammering, more boiling water, more hammering, plenty of swearing...and hey presto):



And after the cleaning...:



By this time next week, the pen will be re-sacced, reassembled, filled and ready to write with. Yay me!!

 

I recently bought a book called The Vietnam War Experience that contains many reproduced documents and memorabilia that were from Vietnam, so I might start a document collection.