Collecting Belt Buckles

This is a wonderful time to become interested in buckle collecting. People have collected belt buckles for a very long time. Some collectors today started 25 or 30 years ago. Still, there are resources available to today’s collector that could only be dreamed of even recently. If you have ever liked the looks of a particular buckle or wondered about starting your own collection this is the perfect time to start. If you already collect buckles you have the chance to expand your collection further than ever before.

For one thing, there are more types of belt buckles today than ever before. There are different materials and finishes such as gold tone, stainless steel, rhinestone and enamel. But you can also find buckles related to almost anything you can imagine. There are buckles to celebrate sports teams, different types of professions, pets or wildlife and musical groups among many, many ‘theme’ buckles. There are historic buckles, such as those from World War Two. Other major categories include western and skull motif buckles.

Many types of specialty buckles are available for sale in local stores and on the Internet. No matter the category, someone sells it. If it is old or rare belt buckles that interest you try local flea markets, second hand stores, yard sales and even antique stores. Watch classified ads for entire collections being broken up and sold.

Particularly if you collect old or unusual belt buckles you may wonder how valuable a particular item might be or how much to offer for it. One way to get a feel for value is to look for similar items on sale on Internet sites. You can also find specialty buckle forums where there are many resources and knowledgeable people. There are also books published every year listing values for hundreds of different kinds of buckles. There is a lot of information out there if you only know where to look.

If collecting buckles is something you are interested in you will find a myriad of resources on the Internet including community boards, discussion forums, blogs and directories to help you pursue your interest further. There are histories of buckles at your local bookstore or library. You might even find a local collector group. Keep your eyes open and you will be amazed at where buckle collecting can take you.