We soon found out that some collectibles are not really as rare as we thought and, conversely, discovering rare items we had no clue existed. On the downside, reproductions, fakes and fantasy items have always been around, but the huge Internet market has given birth to many more unscrupulous dealers selling or making anything for a buck!

Let's take a look back at how my world of collecting and collectibles has changed.

Then
.....Finding a few hundred valid Collectible links was very difficult, most pages were very amateurish and difficult to read.
Now
.....The number of links for Collectibles are too many to count, with thousands added every day. The amateurish looking web sites with flashing lights, noise and colored text are still around, but there are plenty of good ones that can be used instead.

Then
.....eBay was a fledgling company with only four main categories and, yes, I was there. My first feedback was in August '96 when I bought one cookie jar out of a total of six listed.
Now
.....eBay has become one of the most visited sites on the Internet with hundreds of categories and millions of dollars in sales. And it can take hours just to browse the cookie jar categories -- with over 7000 listed this week.

Then
.....Antique Trader and other publications were the only way to find out about items for sale. And since they were print publications, it could take weeks or months to sell or buy items.
Now
.....Antique Trader and some of the other publications are still around, but their numbers are dwindling as has the size of the actual publication and number of classifieds. Personally, I rarely even browse the classifieds, although the articles are still worth the cost of a subscription.

Then
.....Collectors were typically alone in their collecting, possibly knowing a few collectors in their immediate area. The only way to meet other like-minded people was to travel to far-flung shows and association meetings.
Now
.....It's not uncommon to have collector friends literally around the world, communicating only through the computer. I have "talked" with people on virtually every continent, including Antarctica.

Then
.....Many services were free and/or prices were very low as companies tried to entice people to their products and web sites.
Now
.....We've all learned there's no such thing as a free lunch and it's hard to find a service that's doesn't cost to use it.

Then
.....Collectible companies had almost no presence on the Internet and were in no hurry to "get on the web". Writing articles was a little difficult, as many companies did not believe people actually would read them on the Internet.
Now
.....The collectible company that does not have a web presence is extremely rare. The "smart" companies make sure to have an accessible, easy to use site and offer numerous resources to their collectors.

Then
.....Telephone calls was the way most people stayed in touch or contacted other collectors.
Now
.....Email is used to stay in touch with everyone you know and many people you don't want to know!

Then
.....Finding out about new releases or limited editions could take weeks or even months waiting for latest edition of your magazine.
Now
.....Now news is typically released online, with collectors finding out within a day or two either through a company website or, more commonly, seeing the item for sale on eBay.

And last, but not least

Then
.....Pop-ups were a type of illustrated and, usually, collectible book.
Now
.....Pop-ups appear to be the choice of advertising on the Internet.

~Barbara Crews

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