Tips on collecting from Terry Kovel

By Jennifer Wolcott Feature writer of The Christian Science Monitor

July 5, 2000

*Buy what you like.

*Buy the best you can afford. No less.

*Let an item call out to you.

*Start with a limited view, looking for just one thing.

*Ask lots of questions.

*If you're shopping at a large antiques fair or flea market with friends, agree on a time and place to meet.

*You can't learn from a book, much as I like to sell mine.

*You can't learn everything

at once.

*Price items against gift shops.

*No matter how reliable, dealers can be wrong.

*Consider where you live and whom you live with.

*Keep the scale of your home in mind.

*Don't walk away from something you love.

*Be willing to wait.

*Don't worry about how to get an item home. There's always a way.

*Get rid of one thing to make room for another thing.

*It's never too late to start a collection.

*Always bring a magnifying glass and a ruler. (If you forget to bring a ruler, remember that a dollar bill is exactly 6 inches long.)

*Wear sensible, comfortable shoes.