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BEGINNING YOUR COLLECTION (con't) Continued from Page Two--
BOOKS First editions, especially those that are out-of-print, are a collectors dream and field unto itself. This is the cream of book collecting. Whether you need first editions or simply a well handled later edition is a matter of preference. First editions accumulate the most value as the years go by, so looking to the future is a consideration that must be eventually confronted.
LETTERS AND AUTOGRAPHS
![]() Signed letter: New York Museum of Holography founding director Rosemary "Posy" Jackson A more recent way to collect, believe it or not, is through Email. Many collectors are getting Email addresses of movie and sports stars and asking them to return an Email. Then they keep the Email as if it were a letter. This is a brand-new area of collecting -- and is very easy to do. Just visit the websites of holographers around the world, and ask them if they would be kind enough to send an Email back to you. Some collectors keep the Email in it's electronic form, others print it out, frame it and display it. This is a very exciting way to build and begin your collection and should not be overlooked. Just be sure to let the person know why you are requesting a return Email and be polite in your asking.
EPHEMERA Equipment catalogs are highly collectible. Not only do they show photos of the eras' existing technology, but many give technical drawings also. Newport Research catalogs have photos and blueprints for every piece of equipment. As the field progresses and gas lasers, mirrors, lenses and filters are gradually replaced by semiconductor lasers, fiber optics and holographic optical elements -- and whatever will come after that -- these catalogs will take on an aire of nostalgia. Just call a company and ask for a catalog. Most are more than happy to reply. How about patents? The way things are going, the patents may become more famous than many holograms! You can call the patent office in Washington, D.C. and receive -- for a nominal fee -- all the patents applied for and granted in the field of holography. Patents make a great addition to any collection. Many branch offices of the Free Public Library now have patent searches right in the library itself. I got all of the patents in my own collection at the main library in center city Philadelphia and paid around 10-cents per sheet of paper.
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