1.) I knew that I wanted to keep the items relatively small.   The item needs to be easy to store and display.   That ruled out engine blocks and steam driven tractors.

2.) It had to be something that was not made any more.  It did not want to get into something where they keep making new ones.  This would get you to buy the latest in order to keep current.  I did not want to collect stamps because they keep printing more of them.  Coins were out too.  Granted I could have gone after the older or specific coins. But no thank you.   I decided against coins.

3.) It had to be an item that I knew something about.   This steered me toward a technical type item.

4.) The item had to still be available.  I had to be able to find or buy them.   No sense trying to collect something if you can't find them.

5.) They had to be affordable.

So why did I choose to collect Slide Rules?

The Saga Continues

So one day in 1989 I was meandering through a flea market when I came upon a dealer that had a K&E 4181 sitting on their table.  Click! the light went on in my head.   That's what I will collect!  Each of the 5 criteria were reviewed in my head to see if slide rules would meet them:

• Small?   Of course they are small and will be easy to store and display.  (Except for the 4 foot and 7 foot class room slide rules.)
• Still made?   No I thought, of course they're not made anymore.  (Essentially that's true.)
• Know about them? Of course I know about them.   I used them while working on my BS in Electrical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin in the late 60s and early 70s.  (And I thought to myself 'I even know how to use one'.   At least the basic scales.)
• Available?  Well, I have one right here in my hand.  And they are bound to more at garage sales, estate sales.
• Affordable?   Of course.   This dealer had a price of $10 on it.