Law Enforcement Memorabilia

Bonnie & Clyde 1934 FBI Wanted Poster sold on eBay for $294

A little boy or little girl lives in all of us, and I was reminded of this when my grandson told me he wanted to enter the police academy after graduating from college. He has a deep desire to help other people, he told me. I took a step back and reflected on this decision, and I realized that while I work with a lot of people individually and through the church, I am always aware of my surroundings and feel completely safe. My grandson isn’t thinking about his own safety, but rather the help he could give others. I used to feel like that as a youngster. I wonder where those feelings went. In a way, I feel ashamed I’ve lost them. So, do these ramblings today have anything to do with antiques, collectibles or fine art. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know they do.

It’s good to revisit the past lives we’ve lived from time to time. One of the first rules I shared with my members was to go back into your past and consider the items from that time. Over the years, many of these items have become sought after and valuable. I began to recall the days I spent hours chasing my buddies in a game of cops and robbers. I collected comics about the police and was so inspired by the test of character they went through over life and death situations. Many of my hours were spent glued to the TV watching shows like Dragnet and Starsky & Hutch.

Law Enforcement Memorabilia is an unlimited and fruitful field for the true collector. If you can find some of these items, there is a collector out there who’d be grateful you’ve found that special piece for him. There are so many items that represent this area that I couldn’t possibly list them all, so I’ll mention just a few. How about badges and uniforms? Badges from certain cities can bring huge dollars, but these don’t even compare to the badges from the Wild West and Texas Ranger Badges. Signatures of the good buys as well as the bad guys can bring thousands, and old wanted posters are collected by many. Photos of people running from the law when they got shot are on most law enforcement collectors’ wish lists.

Board Games that can probably be found thrown in with worthless games at almost any garage or estate sale can be bought for a song. Tin Toys from Japan and Cast Iron cars and Motorcycles can bring thousands.

When you remember that little boy or girl who lives within you and you may stumble upon an area of the antique and collectible world you have a true passion for. The time spent writing this blog today has given me such a wonderful gift today as the images of my friend dressed up in his new sheriff’s outfit come up as if they were splashed across a movie screen. I can see how proud he was to be wearing that shiny badge on his chest, carrying those two six shooters at his side. The days of calling him and reminiscing about our youthful days is long gone, but for today, this momentary visit to the past fills my heart with great joy.

Treasure Hunters:

You Find It.
We Buy & Sell It.
You Net 35%.

Partner Up with 31 Club on High Quality Treasures You Find. We Do the Rest!!

Sellers:

Sell Your High Quality Items for LOW FEES
at 31 Gallery & Marketplace.
Keep More of Your Money.

Buyers:

Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES
at 31 Gallery & Marketplace.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Professionals
Making More Money than they Thought Possible.

Daryle's 220 Page Book,
31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your Membership.
Plus You Get FREE MENTORING with Daryle.
Join Today!

Or E-Mail us at info@31corp.com

Local and Regional Antiques & Collectibles

Vintage Cast Iron Toy Horse and Wagon sold for $266.51 USD in June 2008 on eBay.

I spent this past weekend in Kentucky for our family reunion, and I have to admit, I had a very special weekend with aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces. And, what would a family reunion be without the fabulous food prepared only as my Aunt Martha can prepare it. This is not to say that the other ladies didn’t fix their finest dishes. But, no one could refuse Aunt Martha’s coconut peach cake.

The conversations quickly turned to what I was doing, and it didn’t take me long to start bragging about all the members of the 31 Club. I shared many of your stories with them, and I think I might have even recruited some new members. As I was talking about the success of the club, I began to think about what the members of my family could do to equal your success.

You see, I feel certain that most of them would never have the opportunity to buy a Tiffany lamp or Grueby vase, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for them to compete in the 31 Club’s million dollar race. The only difference will be the type of items they might buy.

As a child, I remember my great uncle living with my grandparents, and he had the neatest Civil War rifle I’ve ever seen, even today. I still wonder who ended up with it. When I think about it, where else could you find as rich a field to harvest for Civil War Memorabilia as Kentucky? You may not know it, but in Kentucky there were soldiers fighting for both sides during the Civil War; and in many instances, brothers fought brothers. I just wish I could search all the chests hidden away in closets and attics in small town Kentucky.

So, what other true treasures might be found in Kentucky? Aladdin lamps are a dime a dozen in clear glass, but did you know that colored ones with unusual designs can sell for thousands of dollars? How about razors? These simple items were a mainstay for the early settlers of most areas in Kentucky. For the right razor, $1000 wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. And where else could a person expect to find one of the earliest pairs of Levi Jeans if not in Kentucky? I can remember every male in the family having had at least two pairs of jeans. These jeans, today, are worth several thousand dollars a pair.

I am not a big fan of primitive furniture but be assured there is gold in the right pieces. Signed furniture by the right craftsman can bring six figures. I saw a primitive blue kitchen cabinet sell for $25,000 at the Heart of Country Show. At the time, I wondered if I found this in my search, if would I have paid $1000 for it. The answer to that question would probably have been no.

I was raised in the farm areas of Kentucky, and families were usually rather large. In fact, my father’s family had nine children, and this was considered small. As you can imagine, toy purchases were very limited, and a child might be fortunate enough to receive something special every year or so. When this did happen, it usually consisted of a cast iron toy, a doll or some marbles. I just saw a box of marbles bring in over $18,000 at auction.

Perhaps some of the greatest treasures to be found in the rural areas are the handmade items that were produced for use in everyday life. Hand stitched blankets can bring a fortune today. Small children used to practice stitching lettering and numbers on pieces of cloth, and today if you find one of these signed and dated with figures or scenes, get ready to go to the bank.

I know when I get home I’ll have a lot of e-mail to answer, so if you’ve written me, please be patient while I settle in and begin answering them.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! You can sign in "Anonymous."