You might not collect railroadiana, but you’ve probably stumbled across it several times.  Restaurantware, locks, holloware, lanterns, badges, buttons, keys, marbles, etc.  Marbles?  Yep – and I’m not even going to explain that one.  Visit www.railroadiana.org and find out for yourself.  A vast storehouse of information, each collectible has its own page with history, uses, materials, photos, tips for collecting, and more.  You’ve seen wax sealers used to secure papers, did you know the railroads used lead sealers for security?
        While you’re there, check out RR names.  With three different ways to search the database, it just doesn’t get any easier than this.  If you always wondered why great-grandma’s silver pitcher was engraved with AR when her name was Prudence Merriweather, may be it stands for Ashley River Railroad.
        Railroadiana does not give appraisals, but has a comprehensive section on how to find out what it’s worth, along with advice on breaking up a collection, and selling online.  A Q&A board, along with general FAQs and a separate FAQs about fakes, can go a long way to identifying and dating your piece, be it a dinner plate, key or postcard. 
        Restoration and preservation tips (with a huge section specifically for lanterns), including sources for parts and supplies, is just as valuable for the non-railroad item.  Speaking of which, there’s a NOT railroad page for some frequently misidentified items.  Many, many photos, articles, calendar, links and a lot more – continuously updated. 
        A must-bookmark for the railroadiana collector, a great reference for collections that may intersect, and downright interesting for everyone.  The basic idea behind this non-commercial, all-volunteer website is collectors sharing their knowledge to better preserve railroad history – and it’s working exceedingly well.  Visit www.railroadiana.org and I’m sure you’ll agree.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’ ~ Victoria