For me, the love of the Old West began back in the early 1960's with shows like Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.

My very first collectible was an Indian point I found while hiking in the woods near the home I grew up in. Then came the western themed comic books and coins. My desire to own items from the Old West period grew over the years to the point, if it was cowboy, I wanted to own it.

I eventually found many books dealing with "Old West" collectibles. One such book titled, " Old West Antiques & Collectibles" published in 1979 was full of photos and text about many of those desirable collectibles. This book proved to be so valuable to collectors that it is now a collectible itself. I recently found a copy for sale at Alibris.com for $300.00. Not bad for a book the sold for $22.95 when originally published. 

As a collector (buyer) you will benefit from such books. The photos alone are invaluable not to mention the accompanying text. Plus, armed with a printed resource, it will be much easier to avoid the hords of scam artists that now infect many of the internet auction sites.