Collectibles - Ready Reference Center at Middletown Thrall Library - Web Research, Websites, Internet Resources

Collectibles & Collectors

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General and Comprehensive Resources
Books
Coins and Money (Numismatics)
Comic Books, Manga, and Graphic Novels
Dolls
Stamps (Philately, Philatelists)
Toys
Trading Cards

General & Comprehensive Resources

All About Collectibles: Collecting Resources, Price Guides, Pictures, and Links: Various highlights on collectible items. Sections (see tabs at top of each section at website) include: Start Collecting, Buying/Selling, Price/Value Guides. From About.com.
Collect.com: News, classifieds, forums, an "Ask the Experts" section, information about various collectibles (Antiques, Books, Coins/Paper money, Collecting, Comics/Games, Entertainment, Guns/Knives/Fishing Gear, Militaria, Sports Collectibles, Stamps, Toys, Vehicles). Also includes a number of articles (look under "Resource Guide") for collectors. Examples include: Collecting - 10 Tips For Displaying Your Collection, When to Use an Appraiser, How to Acquire Coins, Are Your Collectibles Insured?.
Country Living: Antiques and Collectibles: Articles, appraisals, and advice. Follow their "More Antiques and Collectibles Articles" link (down the center of the page) for more articles.
Kovels: Antiques and Collectibles: Includes a price guide for over 600,000 antiques and collectibles (dolls, toys, folk and ethnic art, furniture, clocks, lighting, jewelry, glass, music, pottery, porcelain, prints and paintings, silver / other metals, and more) in the United States (free registration required), an Antiques and Collectibles Directory (appraisals, publications, archives, museums, auctions, repairs, supplies, restoration, and more).

Books

AbeBooks: Rare Books Room: Scroll down their page for links to sections including: Ask a Rare Bookseller, Rare Bookseller Directory, The Avid Collector (articles), Book Appraisers, Book Care (tips), Book Fairs and Events, Rare Books FAQ, Book Collector Forum, Glossary of Terms.
Alibris: A Guide to Book Collecting in the 21st Century: Sections include: Creative Routes to Successful Collecting, The Dual Meanings of Value and Appreciation, The Three C's of Book Collecting, Baedekers to Book Collecting.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA): Includes: information for collectors, articles, news, FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), and a Glossary.
Book Collecting Tips: Sections include: Why Start Collecting Books?, Book Collecting Blog, Collecting Hypermodern First Edition Books, Tips, Antique Book Values for Old Collectible Books. Also provided is information on book awards and awarded titles/authors (recent and in general).
Bookseller World: Resources for Book Collectors, Reference Guides and Articles: Sections include: How to Grade Books, Identify a First Edition, Types of Book Illustration, Glossary of Book Terms, Bibliography, Manuscripts.
Faded Giant: Includes: Images of authors' signatures, book values / price guides, tips on buying and selling, and a glossary of rating/grading terms.
Powells: Rare Book Basics: Images and terminology.

Coins and Money (Numismatics)

American Numismatic Association: "The American Numismatic Association is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items." News, articles, and more. Follow their "Explore the World of Money" link for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Tips for Buying and Selling Gold, Money'Musements (trivia), Current U.S. Coins, and more.
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS): Coin Collecting Glossary: See also their Coin Guide: Introduction to Collecting Coins.
The United States Mint: Collector's Club: Sections include: The Art of Collecting (Why Collect Coins?, Getting Started, Ways to Collect, Collecting United States Mint Coins, What to Look for, Buy or Find?, Caring For Coins, Storing and Displaying Coins, How to Share Your Hobby), Coin Information and Resources (Anatomy of a Coin, Coin Term Glossary, The ANA Coin Grading Scale, The Mint Marks of United States Mint Facilities, United States Mint Online Store, Coin Dealer Database, Children's Coin Library, Fun Facts), Consumer Alerts, and more.

Comic Books, Manga, and Graphic Novels

Comic Books: Collecting Comic Books, News, Reviews, and More: Includes: Collecting Comics (Buying, Selling, and Protecting Your Comics), Glossary - Terms and Definitions About Comics, Comic Book Publishers, conventions, webcomics, and more. From About.com.
Comic Book DB: A database. Search or browse. Browse options include: Titles, Creators, Characters, Groups, Story Arcs, Publishers, Imprints, Podcasts, Awards. Most characters have concise biographies and a list of appearances in issues. "The first goal of this project is to catalog every comic, graphic novel, manga, creator, character and anything else that could possibly relate to the field of comics."
Comic Book Realm: Includes: comic values, a Comic Book Store Locator, comic book cover images, a search engine (by publisher or series), and a variety of information on each comic series and certain issues.
Comic Book Resources: Includes: News and reviews on upcoming comic, blogs, video, Comic Shop Locator, and more.
Comics Price Guide: Forums, classifieds, search or browse options. Free registration is required to access the basic price guide.
Glossary of Comic Book Collecting Terms: From CGC Comics.
Wizard Universe: "Comic News, Conventions, Features, Previews, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Articles."

Dolls

BarbieCollector.com: Official website from Mattel. Includes news, articles, and a gallery of vintage/collectible Barbie dolls.
Doll Collecting: Sections include: Doll Collecting 101, Getting Started, Buying / Selling, Types of Dolls, Dolls From A to Z, Barbie Dolls, Dolls Price Guide. From About.com.
Doll Reader: Includes articles on: Modern / Vintage (1930-1980) / Antique (pre-1930) dolls, Crafting, Tutorials, Artists, Paper Dolls. Also here: a directory of doll-related resources and organizations.
Doll Reference: Described as "a guide to doll collecting and identifying dolls from 1800 to the 1970's, Antique to Vintage dolls, over 10,000 photo's, descriptions and markings are included. Dolls are listed by the doll manufacturer on each page."
Dolls Magazine: Articles, news, blog, a directory of retailers and manufacturers, some doll identifications and prices (with the ability to submit your doll information/photo for an estimated appraisal).

Stamps (Philately, Philatelists)

American Philatelic Society: Includse: Information on dealers, shows and exhibitions, news, a "Just for Kids" section, and a (frequently asked) "Questions and Answers" section.
Professional Stamp Experts: A Guide to Grading and Expertizing United States Stamps: An Illustrated Guide: Downloadable guides in PDF format. Please note: these are huge files (~150MB, ~720+MB). View them with the Adobe Reader.
Stamp Collecting: Sections include: About Stamp Collecting, Philatelic Glossary of Terms, Upcoming Stamp Releases, Previously-Issued Stamps, Organizations and Resources. From the United States Postal Service (USPS).
United States Postal Service (USPS): News on prices on current and upcoming stamps and stamp collections / themes as well as and limited editions series. Includes information on local post offices, postal services, online purchases, and more.

Toys

General and Comprehensive

Toy Collector Magazine: News, classifieds, articles, and more. After selecting an article, scroll down page to see it.
Toys: Cartoon, Comics, Bears, Dolls, Diecast, Plush, Tin and More!: From About.com.

Action Figures (super heroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, sci-fi, western, military, and more)

Action Figures: Topics include: Get Started Collecting Action Figures, Action Figure Care, What's that Action Figure Worth?, What Defines an Action Figure?, Most Common Action Figure Accessories. Scroll down page for even more action figure collecting topics such as: Action Figure Reviews, History of Action Figures, Maintaining and Displaying Your Collection, Star Wars and Star Trek figures, and more. From About.com.
Action-Figure.com: News on action figures, forums, articles, images, coverage of conventions, and more.
ActionFigureCollectors.com: News, stories, images, and more about action figures.

Vintage Toys

Antique Toy Collections
Art of the Tin Toy: Collecting Tips: Also see their Investment page.
Glossary of Antique Toy Terms: From AntiqueToys.com.
Train Collectors Association Gateway: Choose from several related websites. Includes information on collectible trains (Lionel, etc.), news, images, guides, and more for hobbyists and collectors.

Trading Cards (sports - baseball, basketball, boxing, football, golf, hockey, racing, tennis, other sports, and other types)

Sports and Trading Card Collecting: Includes: A Beginners Guide to Sports Card Collecting, A Brief Introduction To Sports Card Collecting. From About.com.
Trading Card Central: News, articles, images/gallery, blogs, discussion forums, collecting tips, and more.
Tuff Stuff Magazine: Sports trading cards and other memorabilia. Includes: news, articles, and free downloadable price guides (PDF format: view with Adobe Reader.