A BEGINNING . . .
I've been collecting, buying, selling and trading things since I was a young boy in the early 1960's. Like most kids, I was fascinated with comic books, baseball cards, stamps, coins, old cigar boxes, Agatha Christie mysteries, TV heroes, science fiction and Lionel trains. I had boxes of lead soldiers, plastic army men, cowboys, Indians and dinosaurs. I loved the little toys that came inside cereal boxes or were offered in gumball machines. I sent away for premiums offered by mail featuring TV and movie characters.
In 1960, when I was in the third grade, my Dad brought home some Kennedy buttons. By November I was the youngest Kennedy volunteer in Buffalo NY and I've been specializing in political memorabilia [and other stuff] ever since.
My college studies focused on history teaching, museum administration and librarianship. I learned that the acquisition, preservation and study of objects and ephemera, whether they be historical artifacts or pop culture creations, have many uses, roles and values when gathered and arranged into a collection. First, they tell and illustrate a story of a person, place, team, movement, event or era. Second, if we're lucky, they add insight and understanding. Third, they vividly evoke the memories of and nostalgia for those times that would otherwise have faded away. Whether for serious scholarship or pure fun and enjoyment, these objects document and enrich our understanding and appreciation of the past.
I've come to realize that I have accumulated more material than I can ever possibly carry to a collectibles show, or offer for sale in an ad or list on eBay. Therefore, the time has come to create an online store that will be large enough and varied enough to showcase the many categories of wonderful things that have captured my interest or found their way into my world over the years.
While I have tens of thousands of items on hand and in storage, I can only list them one-by-one. I am painstakingly posting inventory from a lifetime of collecting, buying, selling and trading. My categories are in place, as you can see from the list on the left. These categories represent the various departments of my store. If you find some of them to be empty, please bear with me and understand that it is but a temporary condition. I urge you to bookmark this site and explore the many categories of treasures, tidbits and trinkets gathered from all corners of the planet. Newly acquired items are added almost daily, so please return again and again.
CollectorsArchive.us is starting small, but it is constantly growing. I hope you will discover some wonderful things that will add interest, depth and enjoyment to YOUR special collection.
Mark D. Evans
Proprietor and Chief Archivist
CollectorsArchive.us
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