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How to Buy a Real Antique Sheriff's Badge

Antique sheriff's badges are true symbols of the Old West, when the country's westward expansion brought riches to some, through cattle or gold, and a whole new breed of outlaw dedicated to preying on those who were westward bound. You can buy one if you know how and where to look.

Things You'll Need

Internet access
Books about the Old West
Car
Road atlas of the United States

Instructions

- 1
  Familiarize yourself with what you're buying. In the 1800s, sheriffs were elected in cattle and mining towns that sprung up all the way to California. Read books such as Dorothy M. Johnson's "Famous Lawmen of the Old West" and visit websites like Legends of America to learn about the Old West and its lawmen.
- 2
  Search the Cop Collector website, which is dedicated to the sale and purchase of old law enforcement badges. Most of the badges for sale on this website are of a more recent vintage, but from time to time, antique badges from the 1800s show up.
- 3
  Visit eBay, the online auction website. The site typically has a dozen or so listings for "Antique sheriff badges," and while some are for toys, others are the real thing. One listing in 2009 was for an 1890s sheriff's badge from Clarke County, Georgia; the "Buy it now" price was $150. Don't be disheartened if you don't see something you want; listings change from day to day.
- 4
  Plan a road trip through the Old West. Many towns that have now grown into big cities, including Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, had their roots in the Old West, so antique malls and shops in those cities are good places to look. Be sure to stop in towns that really try to preserve their heritage, like Virginia City, Nevada, and Tombstone, Arizona (where Wyatt Earp was involved in the celebrated gunfight at OK Corral).

Antiques