Pray for Japan

It has been a while since I blog about my antiques collection and old coins. I have been travelling a lot and unfortunately my presence in Yokohama has been disrupted by the shocking tsunami that swept quarter of the nation. Let us all pray for Japan. Relatives are still missing and hundreds of unidentified has been found everyday. God help us all.

The Things that People Collect.

People in general are collectors. We possess the things we love the most. No I am not talking about relationships. We hoard on items that we perceive has a fundamental and valuable value toward us. What are the things that you collect? Let us begin with the easy ones. Women generally loves to shop for handbags. Plural, more than one same item only with different brand. Women generally can not settle for one or two handbags but has to have more than a dozen in their wardrobe collection. They have to collect them. A simple collector's habit can be found in a female gender from a friendly-prejudice perspective. Please bare in mind that I am pointing this example based on general views. Now, can you think of the things that you like to collect?

Modern Chinese coins are one of the favourite things that I love to collect. I would buy triple of their present value price just to own it. It has been my passion and obsession to own them since I was 9 years old. Whenever I found old coins, the first thing I would examined is the details of the structure of the coin. My eyes will scanned the texture of the material, study the history behind it, the years of it. That's how I see a collectable items. Other stuffs that is famous amongst collector to own is stamps, gold, pure silver, tin can, limited editions of any classic literature or comics, keychains, antiques toys and a lot more. Here are some of my modern Chinese coins from Tibet. Also some of my miniature antiques.

miniature antiques( reproduction)

Tibet Coins

Check out the years in this little thing

Made from copper and other metals

Silver

Collector's Diary - The introduction

Passion is a desire each person has towards a field of interest. These passion drives to an obsession for some people. This obsessions could develop into a disease for a few people. I am actually talking about antiques item collector. It's mind-boggling and at time very curious to know why some serious collectors would go to a certain extent of effort and money to possess a particular item that does not hold any value to most normal people. Why do people collect stuff? There was a quote, "One man's junk can be another man's treasure". Before we ponder and wonder of this common habit of ours, let me show you some my so called passion, obsession or disease that i've been suffering from when it comes to collecting coins.

Around 2 million years ago, man was a hunter and women was a gatherer. Man would go out during the day and hunt for food so their woman and their offspring could survive. For woman, when their man is out in the woods looking for food, they would also went out to the rivers, hills of the mountains to gather things that can be made for clothes. Thais when women develop the need to look for something nice like flowers, plants, shiny rocks and pearls. It is funny to assume that from this simple theory of hunter and gatherer has a lot to do with people's hobby of collecting stuff or become an enthusiasts of a particular item. It seems like collector has a set of both criteria. They like to hunt for old and rare items and also keep it. 

My journey to the east.

Living with separated parents was not all bad. There are benefits and upsides to it. For instance, I get to follow my father and my step mom to travel to Asia during summer breaks. Whenever I get to travel to a new place, the first thing I would do is to fill up my purse with their currencies.

I've been to China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and so many more. It's a bit hard to go search for their old antiques stuff because I had to get to know the locals first. So the first skill that I developed in collecting antiques were finding old currencies. They are not so easy to get but if you find the right shop, you'll get what you looking for. These are my rare uncirculated notes, currencies that i managed to keep in my albums.

China 10 yuan 1980s

Other old currency from Asian countries

Pure Silver coin

My oldest and valued coin. This was during the 1900s

This was Malaysian Dollar note before they reach independent.

Note of one dollar during British colonization in Malaysia.

The uncirculated Piso coin of Jose Rizal

Olympics Beijing 2008

A few years back I went to China to witness one of the world's biggest event. It was during 2008 where China won the vote to host the 18th Olympic games in Beijing. It was one of the most exciting Olympics because this time the world had witnessed a new world record for 100 meters, Usain Bolt became the latest world's fastest man alive. The Jamaican born sprinter create a new world record of 9.69 seconds for the 100 meters. Micheal Phelps shock the world in this Beijing Olympics by breaking 8 world records in swimming events and won 8 gold medal for the United States. I am proud to witness it every step if the way.

Other than watching the games in Beijing, I was excited to travel and learn the culture in Beijing, I saw a lot of antiques. Some were old rusty and some were already showcased on the shelves and they were selling at a retail price.

I came across this souvenir that I found. I bought it because it is a limited edition and it has all of the Beijing 2008 Olympics mascot. In this historic events and especially a world event like this, souvenir can be sold up to 5000 to 6000 US Dollar to a interested collector.

Beijing 2008 Collection Certificates(Original)

Beijing 2008 Mascot Nini

Beijing 2008 Mascot YingYing

Beijing 2008 Mascot HuanHuan

Beijing 2008 Mascot JingJing

Beijing 2008 Mascot Beibei

Common Interest.

Common Interest is a same hobby or interest a person could share with another. I suppose my interest in collecting antiques and finding the story behind all the wonders of old stuff will be similar to some of you readers.

I am not just a collector of antiques, I am a collector of the rusty stuff, I am looking for the dirty stuff, the sun bathed stuff. Travelling all over the place to find the old things that I am looking for. It is hard to find antiques but its the adventure that i love to do. Its putting myself out there and go search for the stuff.

These common interest is what I am looking for with other readers and I will showcase my antiques and my picks in this website.