Chip

Wonderful writing style and a pleasure to read! As a well-seasoned collector (read:old), I have seen the good 'ole days and the era of the Internet. I have boxes and boxes of correspondence and photos, traded with collectors here and abroad over the past forty years. When I think about hand writing, then typing on a typewriter and then a word processor, all of those many letters, it amazes me how slow the pace of collecting was then compared to today. Deals could take months to make, as letters snaked back and forth from hither and yon. Today, it's a few clicks here and there and voila......you have e-mail or you have won a prize in an on-line auction.

As you say, much of the fun has gone, not only with the seeming scarcity of quality items, but with prices that often leave the same few buyers dominating the auction scene. Armed with the knowledge that took decades for the collectors of yesterday to acquire, relatively new collectors are much better equipped to compete and in record time. The digital and information age has put the accumulated knowledge of the past right in our hands with collector reference books and websites covering every subject imaginable and in the most minute detail. And while all this is great, there is still nothing that can match the anticipation of standing in that line, waiting to hit the floor, see old friends, talk shop and find some small gem for your collection. Although the internet has widened our reach and opened a new realm of possibilities, sitting at home in front of a computer screen will never replace the face to face relationships that make our hobby so fulfilling.

Chip