The Interest in Old Maps – Many people around the world specifically collect antique maps. Old maps have a certain undefinable charm. Maps are a sufficiently commonplace item that even an old world map is still familiar enough to have emotional resonance, but an old world map is still different enough by itself to be interesting. People who are interested in history will automatically become drawn to old maps, which are fascinating historical documents in their own right and can reflect historical geographical divisions.
Why People Love Old, Antique Maps
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Schlogel]Andrew Schlogel
The Interest in Old Maps
Many people around the world specifically collect antique maps. Old maps have a certain undefinable charm. Maps are a sufficiently commonplace item that even an old world map is still familiar enough to have emotional resonance, but an old world map is still different enough by itself to be interesting. People who are interested in history will automatically become drawn to old maps, which are fascinating historical documents in their own right and can reflect historical geographical divisions.
Decorative Ancient Maps
Many people hang their ancient maps around their homes or at their offices. Old maps are especially appropriate for educators and people work in academia, given their inherent educational value. They add a certain sophistication to any room, and they can quickly become great conversation pieces.
The monetary value of many antiques is based on what a prospective buyer is willing to pay for them, so the value of antique maps will vary. There are plenty of people who are willing to pay high prices for old maps, so their potential value is very high, depending upon their condition, the year in which they were produced, and many other factors. There are old maps that are worth two hundred dollars each and old maps that are worth thousands of dollars each. Small details can make all the difference.
Finding Antique Maps
Many of the best antique maps are part of historical and private collections. Maps are not the most durable antique items in the world, so there are only so many antique maps available today. The further back anyone goes historically, the harder it will be to find old maps from that time period. One of the reasons that old maps are so valuable in the first place is the fact that they are so rare and so fragile. They are tiny pieces of history that can be easily lost and can easily fade with time.
Years ago, people looking for antique maps would often have to wait around for opportunities to find them. They may have had to wait for their vacation periods in order to find the time to travel to find them at different famous shopping outlets or antique stores. Many collectors have gone to antique stores all over the world looking for the artifacts that they found interesting.
Today, finding old maps is easier than ever before due to the availability of online shopping opportunities. There are entire websites devoted to locating old maps and selling the ones that are available. Old world map enthusiasts should spend some time searching for what they’re looking for online, and they should be on their way to getting the sort of ancient maps they’ve always wanted.
An interesting article in [http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/09/arts/discovering-the-old-world-of-maps.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A14%22%7D]The New York Times.
Also a great blog about [http://www.superglobes.com/antique-world-map/]Unique Antique World Maps.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-People-Love-Old,-Antique-Maps&id=8786027] Why People Love Old, Antique Maps
