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How to Collect Old Photographs

Millions of pictures have been taken since the process was first discovered and later perfected in the 1800s. Today those images are not only antiques in their own right, but they also offer a glimpse into a time that we did not know. Pictures of steam-powered locomotives, old cars and horse drawn buggies are finding a market with today's collectors. If you are starting a collection of old photographs there a number of places you can start to look.

Things You'll Need

Computer or other method to catalog images.

Instructions

How to Collect Old Photos
- 1
  Decide what you will be collecting. Just like any collection, you should have an idea of what your collection will represent.
- 2
  Travel to flea markets. Flea markets are bastion of unfound treasures for collectors. You have no idea what to expect until you start looking through the various items that are available for sale.
- 3
  Visit antique shops. You may or may not decide to buy here, but you will get a sense of the type of photos that have retained some value over the years. Try to determine why they are valuable. Not all photos were printed on paper. In the early years of photography photos were printed on many things, including glass, copper plates and tin.
- 4
  Catalog your collection. As your collection begins to grow, you will want to be able to reference what is contained in it. Set up a catalog system to record the price you paid, the type of photo, whether it is a paper or printed on other material, the subject of the photo, the approximate age of the image and the condition it is in.

Other Collecting