Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Decide on a specific type of bank you want to collect. Cast-iron mechanical banks come in many different shapes, styles and colors, so you probably won't have room to collect and display them all. You might focus on collecting only banks that show humans or animals, or banks relating to advertising.
Invest in "The Official Price Guide to Mechanical Banks." This book, written by Dan Murphy, is the bible for cast-iron mechanical bank collectors. It offers advice on collecting, the values of different mechanical banks and tips on finding and buying banks.
Join the Mechanical Bank Collectors of America (MBCA). This group is dedicated to mechanical banks and open to anyone who collects or is interested in the banks. It's a valuable resource when it comes to identifying banks, finding banks and talking with other collectors.
Look for banks in antique stores, flea markets, antique toy magazines, and at auctions and collectors clubs or events. Cast-iron mechanical banks are available from a variety of sources, and you might get a great deal from someone who doesn't know what he has.
Learn about reproduction or fake cast-iron mechanical banks. There have been several companies releasing these since the 1990s and passing them off as authentic banks. You can generally identify a fake because it's not as heavy as an original bank, and it includes brightly colored paint.
Subscribe to newsletters, newspapers and magazines that focus on either antique toys or mechanical banks in particular. Antiques Weekly often runs articles on the banks and includes information on bad sellers or reproductions hitting the market. Antique Toy World magazine and Antiques and the Arts online are also two worthwhile sources.
Beware of buying any cast-iron mechanical bank that has rust spots or all the paint removed. Sellers sometimes place newer banks out in the sun after soaking them in water, to make them look older.