Memorabilia Historian

Collecting old streets signs is a hobby for many people. If you choose to deal in old street signs, there are some collection tips and tricks that you’ll want to follow.

Avoid collecting modern/current street signs. Collecting them is a crime, as is selling them, so stay away from teens offering you the latest I-15 highway sign. Chances are they’re vandals trying to profit from their misdeeds.

It may be a good idea to decide on a group of old street signs you’ll be working with. For example, you may want to collect a certain type of signs.

Maybe you want directional arrows or signs with directional arrows included on them. You may want to collect regulatory signs, which are always popular with collectors. Stop signs, yield signs, merge and other regulatory signs are popular among many collectors.

You may also want to collect signs based on time period. Some signs are uniquely individual to a particular time period, and collectors may focus on those from the 40s or the 70s or 60s.

You could also collect street signs from a particular place or area of the country. If you become a collector or a dealer and specialize in a certain type of sign, you can build up a reputation and a returning clientele or build up a stunning collection that becomes a standard for the genre.

If you are planning to keep and display your collection, then consider where the signs will be displayed. Interior walls require you to use extra care, as they may need reinforcement to hold heavy metal signs.

Garages are a popular place to display old street signs. Be sure there is an area that is away from tools or cars so that the signs won’t be damaged by a stray rake or the back fender.

Cleaning or not cleaning old street signs is another decision you’ll make as a collector or dealer. Some collectors like their signs to look bright and new, while others want a little dirt or grease as a way to preserve the nostalgia.

If you decide that cleaning is the way you want to go, then be sure to use a soft cloth, very gentle cleanser, and a hose with low pressure.

Develop a relationship with all the departments of transportation and the traffic control authorities in the area. They generally have the responsibility for all road signs, and may have retained some old street signs as they replaced them.  It’s possible that they are not aware of the value of such signs, and may sell them to you for a low price.

Other places to search are antique shops and flea markets. Sellers at the flea markets who specialize in old street signs will likely charge more for their items, since they are aware that they have a good selection of what collectors want.

However, if that’s how to get old street signs that complete the collection or will make you buyers happy, then it may be the ideal way to expand or begin a collection.

Photo Credits: mosmi

Originally posted 2009-06-07 05:02:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Dealers -> Musical Instruments -> String

A Fender guitar is one of the best guitars you can purchase in the world today, whether it’s a new instrument or a vintage one. Fender began with Leo Fender releasing the Esquire model guitar in 1950, but production only lasted for about 4 months before the model was discontinued. The Esquires had no truss rod, and the necks warped quite quickly and easily, causing problems with the need for returns and repairs. Fender then fixed the truss rod problem and released a new guitar model called the Broadcaster, which became the famous Telecaster, the following month.

By the following year, guitars were rolling out at a good pace, despite begin handmade by craftsman, even down to hand-wrapped pickups. But in 1954, the Fender guitar that became the instrument that all other guitars would thereafter be compared to was created. The Fender Stratocaster was an innovation in the arena of the solid-bodied guitar, and brought that type of instrument into the popular consciousness.

The Stratocaster is the Fender guitar that has been manufactured steadily since it was introduced. The name Stratocaster can still make guitarists’ mouths water today, particularly those with custom color finishes. While they’re valuable collector’s items, they’re also superior instruments, and some say they’re the finest guitar ever created.

If you’re interested in purchasing a vintage Fender guitar, look for those created before 1966. While instruments after that are still collectible and highly valuable, earlier guitars benefit from handcrafting and detail. CBS purchased Fender in 1965 and introduced profit-maximizing systems like mass production assembly and cheaper materials, which did change the sound and the quality of the guitars. The shape changed a little from the contours Fender fans were used to, cheaper wood was used, and the machine-wrapped pickups didn’t offer each guitar a slightly unique sound as the hand-wrapped wire once had.

A vintage Fender guitar from any year is valuable and worth owning, but those manufactured before CBS made its changes are more valuable and have what some believe to be the best guitar sound in the world. If you can find an early guitar made with Brazilian rosewood, you should be aware that its highly sought out by collectors because of the ban on importing and using that wood in the United States today. This wood was used before CBS purchased the company as fingerboards on some Fender guitars, but not after, replaced by cheaper, lower quality woods.

Aside from the date of the Fender guitar, you’ll want to ask the seller if any parts have been replaced. While often the original pegs and pickups would wear out over a period of years, it’s best if these pieces are intact and have not been replaced. A refinished guitar is also less valuable than one with the original finish, even if it looks bad. If you plan to play the guitar rather than display it, you’ll also want to look for vintage strings rather than modern strings, to give it that authentic vintage sound.

Originally posted 2008-11-14 14:00:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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