Free Article Database

August 22, 2008

Historical Replica Greek Helmets for Collectors

Filed under: Collecting — jrhilde @ 12:00 am

If you are looking to add a Greek Helmet to your collection, or are looking at a Trojan helmet to buy to help cheer your team name on, then you’ll be in for a real treat when researching what helmet to buy. Many schools have the Trojan as their maskot, so that right there takes a large amount of the searches done for Greek helmets. Others are historical enthusiasts looking to bolster their collection.

What do you think of when someone says “Greek Helmet”? The first thing that pops into your head is a picture of a Spartan soldier, complete with a red cape, round, bronze shield, long spear, and a bronze or brass helmet with the ever-so popular plume. Fortunately, stores have recognized this fact and this type of helmet is widely carried online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Commonly names as the Italic Corinthian helmet or just plainly a Spartan helmet, this replica will be a great addition to your collection. What you’ll most likely see are three types of helmets: a brass helmet with tan or red plume, a black helmet with a tan plume, or a silver (plain metal) helmet with a tan plume.

Most Greek helmets will look like the Italic Corinthian design, which is characterized by a tall plume that may be made into a pony tail at the end. It also has the long cheek guards with a slot in the middle for maximum air flow. It also will be a tan plume, red, or black. Depending on the color of the rest of your outfit (black, brass, or bronze armor), any of these plume colors will do. The most popular out their for the Italic Corinthian is going to be the tan and red plumes.

Another popular Greek helmet is the Hoplite helmet. The Hoplite was a common soldier for the Greek armor and they carried the recognizable white round shield and a long spear. They were excellent for repelling cavalry and charges by soldiers. However, being not very maneuverable, they were vulnerable to attacks in the rear. The hoplite helmet usually has a tan or whitish color plume. Often times it was made into a braided pony tail at the end of the plume.

The main thing to remember when looking at Greek helmets is that many of them look very similar. This is most likely a good thing when you are doing your historical research or are looking for a helmet to purchase. Even if you accidently buy a helmet that is not quite historically accurate, your helmet will look similar enough to the others that the general populace will not know the difference.

All in all, finding the classic Greek helmet is a matter of research and visiting many web stores and history sites. Many of the helms you’ll find are about the same design, so you’ll get the general idea as to what the different types of Greek helmets are. Of course, some of the best ways to research Greek history is reading articles and news snippets on major websites and in encyclopedias. After that you may try visiting web stores to find the most historically accurate Greek Helmet.

John Hilde is a historical armor and weapons enthusiast who enjoys collecting these items. He owns an online store called Armor Venue that sells armor and weapons replicas. To learn more about Greek war helmets, go to http://www.armorvenue.com.

Greek Helmets by Armor Venue

Filed under: Collecting — jrhilde @ 12:00 am

If you are looking to add a Greek Helmet to your collection, or are looking at a Trojan helmet to buy to help cheer your team name on, then you’ll be in for a real treat when researching what helmet to buy. Many schools have the Trojan as their maskot, so that right there takes a large amount of the searches done for Greek helmets. Others are historical enthusiasts looking to bolster their collection.

What do you think of when someone says “Greek Helmet”? The first thing that pops into your head is a picture of a Spartan soldier, complete with a red cape, round, bronze shield, long spear, and a bronze or brass helmet with the ever-so popular plume. Fortunately, stores have recognized this fact and this type of helmet is widely carried online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Commonly names as the Italic Corinthian helmet or just plainly a Spartan helmet, this replica will be a great addition to your collection. What you’ll most likely see are three types of helmets: a brass helmet with tan or red plume, a black helmet with a tan plume, or a silver (plain metal) helmet with a tan plume.

Most Greek helmets will look like the Italic Corinthian design, which is characterized by a tall plume that may be made into a pony tail at the end. It also has the long cheek guards with a slot in the middle for maximum air flow. It also will be a tan plume, red, or black. Depending on the color of the rest of your outfit (black, brass, or bronze armor), any of these plume colors will do. The most popular out their for the Italic Corinthian is going to be the tan and red plumes.

Another popular Greek helmet is the Hoplite helmet. The Hoplite was a common soldier for the Greek armor and they carried the recognizable white round shield and a long spear. They were excellent for repelling cavalry and charges by soldiers. However, being not very maneuverable, they were vulnerable to attacks in the rear. The hoplite helmet usually has a tan or whitish color plume. Often times it was made into a braided pony tail at the end of the plume.

The main thing to remember when looking at Greek helmets is that many of them look very similar. This is most likely a good thing when you are doing your historical research or are looking for a helmet to purchase. Even if you accidently buy a helmet that is not quite historically accurate, your helmet will look similar enough to the others that the general populace will not know the difference.

The hoplite helm is available today at many online stores. It is a standard silver, made out of metal, and has a long tan plume. There were many other types of specific Greek helmets, but these are the most common and basic used by the ancient armies. Some of the best replicas Greek helmets made today are hand-made by a Indian manufacturer called Al-Hamdd Trading Post. Armor Venue and Armadillo Armory are the major importers of their products.

John Hilde is a historical armor and weapons enthusiast who enjoys collecting these items. He owns an online store called Armor Venue that sells armor and weapons replicas. To learn more about Greek Helmets, go to http://www.armorvenue.com.

The Difference and Distinction of Collecting Vintage Audio Equipment

Filed under: Collecting — SBeck42 @ 12:00 am

Musicians and audiophiles know that the quality of your equipment can mean the difference between greatness and just barely getting by. The fidelity and quality of the sound that your equipment is able to produce and the higher-end your speaker equipment is, the more crisp and clean the sound of your music. It’s important for anyone who appreciates only the best in sound equipment to know what’s out there and available, and just like in many other areas in life, sometimes the classics are still the best. Vintage-era Carver Audio equipment is a highly sought after treasure by those involved in sound production, but why? What makes the equipment such a commodity in the audiophile community, and why might you want some for yourself?

The fonder of the Carver Corporation, Bob Carver, was an extremely talented engineer who is most famous for designing the most powerful consumer audio amplifier available in the early 1970’s. His innovation and invention in the realm of commercial audio continued to drive forward and produce some of the most famous pieces of audio technology to come out of America. In the most famous incidents of his career, he was accepted two seperate challenges to duplicate the sound of superior and much more expensive audio equipment at a fraction of the cost. Despite being unable to examine the design or even open the lid of the equipment he was duplicating, Carver Audio managed to succeed both times. Eventually, he created the still amazing Silver Seven and it’s later models, which sold for 1/40th of the price of amplifiers of the same quality sound.

Carver Audio products from the 1970’s and 1980’s are still highly sought after pieces of equipment. Carver audio equipment from this vintage era included technology that is still in use today, the foundations of modern audo technology. Noise reduction correlation, sonic holograhy, more sensitive and discerning FM and AM tuners, all are features of Carver Audio stereos and amplifiers that were leading in their field, and in some cases the literal inventors of the technology. The quality that is packed into each piece of Carver equipment is undeniable, making it a true collector’s item for people interested in the best quality of sound.

There are any number of websites with information about the various Carver Audio (and its ancestor company Sunfire) products, and also sites to buy or sell such equipment. Now that you understand more about the Carver difference, you should take time to explore the possibilities, and narrow down the equipment you are interested in to what would best fit your needs. There’s a wide range of very high quality speakers, amplifiers, and stereo products that are still available from the golden era of sound innovation, perhaps it’s time to make some of it yours.

Author collects vintage Carver Amps and Carver Audio equipment

August 21, 2008

Model Trucks Licensed From Famous Movies

Filed under: Collecting — vgevge @ 12:00 am

Building model trucks is a pastime that is much loved and can be extremely fun. If you enjoy putting them together but it is starting to get boring then you might want to try something totally different. Instead of building ones that come straight from the auto industry you might try building some that come from famous movies or even from popular television shows. There is no shortage of these trucks out there. This includes everything from famous children’s cartoons to comic book heroes and beyond. There is a plethora of models just waiting to be built out there based on these bigger than life vehicles.

The first thing you will want to find out is what skill level you will want to build. You might want to build one of the huge monster trucks that you see on television but if it is beyond your current level you might want to settle for one that is much easier to begin with. If you go with that one anyway then you are risking the chance of making a mistake that you might not be able to take back. It may be that there is another model out there that is styled the same as this one but is built on an easier level to handle. It would be much better to save some money now that can be used on more models later.

You should also be very careful as to which manufacturer you get your model from. There are some model makers out there that will build their own generic model based on a famous one without acquiring the proper rights so that they can do so precisely. The model manufacturers that do have the rights can produce a high quality model that is true to form. The others are just producing a cheap imitation and it will usually show. The biggest tell tale sign will be the name of the model. The officially licensed model will normally have the name of the movie truck on its box. The imitation will only have a similar name without reproducing it exactly. This is an effort to avoid copyright infringement. Another giveaway is the decals. These will often be slightly different than the originals as well. Now you know what to watch out for.

One problem that you may have with buying one of these model trucks is the fact that they often do not do a very good job of representing the vehicle as it was on the show if it had ever had any damage. It also did not show any modifications that were ever made. It is usually the truck as it would be seen in pristine condition. This is an easily remedied situation however. With just a bit of elbow grease and some imagination you can recreate it as you best remember it. You can do everything from changing the decals and adding your own to making damage to match the real thing. You might want to place your truck into a diorama to show it off.

It doesn’t matter exactly what show you have seen it on. It doesn’t matter how exactly you want to portray it. You will be able to portray the model truck of your choice in a way that will appeal to you and will showcase it in a great manner. Just get your imagination going and find the licensed truck you want to build and you will be placing it in your diorama before you know it.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model movie cars, model trains, and licensed model trucks.

Antique Coins: Ancient Greek Coins

Filed under: Collecting — vgevge @ 12:00 am

Ancient Greek coins have a variety of attributes that enable differentiation between the currencies of individual poleis. Each polis independently designed and created its own coins, with symbols that were representative of the deities and heroes important to that particular government. This theme supersedes all of the other trends in Greek coin making throughout the centuries.

Archaic period coins are simple and crude. Rather than being symmetrically round, they approximate lumps of metal that have been pressed into irregular disks. Usually made from gold, silver, or electrum, they have a basic impression of the patron deity of the originating polis.

During the Classical period, coin-making techniques were refined. Most coins were minted from gold or silver. The coins were more consistently shaped, with intricate representations of deities or heroes on one side and a symbol for the polis on the reverse. Inscriptions were initially incorporated into the design for coins created during the Classical period. Coin designers paid special attention to the meaning of the symbols, and used them to incorporate political messages into the currency. For example, coins depicting an owl (a symbol for wisdom) are usually from Athens during the fourth and fifth centuries B.C., when the polis was focusing on portraying an image of peaceful strength and power.

Hellenistic period coins are not as detailed as Classical period coins because they were designed to be easier to mass produce for wider circulation. They are most commonly minted from gold and are often much larger than their predecessors. While earlier coins only featured images of animals or inanimate objects, for the first time, Greek coins portrayed living people, such as a profile of the ruler of the issuing polis. The name of the ruler may be inscribed under the portrait, and on the reverse of the coin is usually a symbol for the polis.

Greek coin denominations are determined by weight. Gold coins were measured in terms of the stater, which could be divided into smaller denominations. Silver coins were measured in terms of the drachm, which could be either divided into smaller denominations or multiplied into larger denominations. Bronze coins were measured in terms of the litra. Despite the standardization in the assignment of names to the units of measurement, however, each polis defined the units of measurement differently, such that how much a stater, drachm or litra weighed in one polis did not necessarily correlate to the weights for the same units of measurement in other poleis. Thus, what sufficed as a drachm in one polis may have been too light or too heavy to be used as a drachm in another polis.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for pottery, antiques, and figurines. When shopping for pottery, antiques and figurines, we recommend these online stores for pottery, Greek antique coins, and figurines.

Offering A Figurine As A Gift

Filed under: Collecting — vgevge @ 12:00 am

If you are looking for a gift that will be unique and personal, then giving a figurine is an excellent choice. It doesn’t matter what the age or gender of the person is, figurines are always appreciated.

There are many people who like to collect figurines. If you have a friend or loved one who collects them you should know, they can never have too many. You won’t go wrong by adding one or even several to their collection. Many people find that figurines are fun to collect because you can display them almost anywhere in your home or even at work. They can add to the theme of a child’s room or they can brighten up a dull corner in your living room.

Figurines are a great gift idea because you can find one that will fit any personality. This can be especially helpful if you are having trouble finding a gift for that person who has everything. You should be able to find a figurine that they don’t have.

Figurines can be very elegant or they can be playful and charming. There are crystal figurines that you might want to give to your sophisticated adult friend or family member. Then there are character figurines, such as Disney characters, that you might want to give to a child or even to an adult who still loves their favorite childhood cartoon characters.

There are even places that will customize a figurine to resemble someone you know. If you have a photo of someone, a figurine can be crafted into a cartoon style face to resemble the person in the photo. This can be a really unique gift. You can also give figurines that represent an important event that someone has experienced or places they have traveled. Or they can represent something that someone hopes to achieve in the future. You can also find religious figurines for almost any religion, which always mean a lot to people of faith.

Figurines can be expensive or they can be cheap. For example, a crystal figurine may cost more than one made from porcelain, depending on where you buy it from and if it is considered to be an antique. Crystal figurines can be found in many department stores, while porcelain figurines can be found in almost any discount store.

Giving personalized figurines to a friend or loved one is also a way of showing someone you have noticed what they like or what is important to them. They will know right away that you put some thought into their gift That kind of gift will be appreciated by anyone.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for pottery, antiques, and figurines. When shopping for pottery, antiques and figurines, we recommend these online stores for pottery, antiques, and gift figurines.

August 20, 2008

Finding Authentic Suits of Armor

Filed under: Collecting — jrhilde @ 12:00 am

If you’re looking to purchase a suit of armor, you’ll be amazed at how many different kinds there are. Armors from the castle of Churberg, Marto suit of armors, Medioevo armors imported from Italy - all of these are great but you may want to consider some accessories that not all suits of armors include that will increase your customer satisfaction.

The armor especially in Italy is created with an old patina rustic look which India manufacturers cannot or will not match. The shape of the armor is also going to be more authentic and historically accurate to what was actually constructed in medieval times as well. Another advantage of Italian and Spanish armors is that they often can etch and emboss very delicate and complex designs on their armor, sometimes in precious metals such as gold. If you are looking for a display suit of armor, Spanish armors are almost always going to be your pick.

Knights are the primary example where most of the suits of armors in castles and in today’s homes are found. Why? Because they were often the most heavily armored to serve as shock troops and to bust through hard lined defenses. Once you get so far in the game, you can see about 5 different types of armor that the knights wore. They include a Gothic style armor and a Milanese type of armor.

However, the armor in India does have its pros as well. As the cost of labor is much less in India, you’ll often pay a lot less for an Indian armor, and they can be high quality as well. Indian medieval armor also is a very effective SCA combat or reenactment piece. They make suits of armor that can be worn and used as costumes or in tournaments. The downside is that they usually make not-so-good display armors, as the “old patina” look cannot not be replicated and they fail miserably at etching and embossing fine designs on their armors.

The only suits of armor that are going to be immune from price changes are Indian made suits of armor. Though iron, brass, and wood have gone up in price, armors can still be made cheaply in India. Though they do not have the quality of Spanish and Italian armors, prices are expected to hover anywhere from $1500-2500 for good quality suits of armors, compared to $3000-11000 for European armors.

John Hilde is a historical armor and weapons enthusiast who enjoys collecting these items. He owns an online store called Armor Venue that sells armor and weapons replicas. To learn more about asuit of armor, go to http://www.armorvenue.com.

The Most Popular Ancient Greek Helmets

Filed under: Collecting — jrhilde @ 12:00 am

If you are looking to be a Greek soldier for an adult Halloween costume party, or are in to SCA combat or reenactments, or just need a costume for a play or movie production, then you the Greek helmet is one of the most important parts of the whole set. This article discusses the different types of Greek helmets and which ones might the best choice for you. While brick and mortar stores don’t carry a whole lot of replica helmets, there are many specialty online retail stores that do.

What do you think of when someone says “Greek Helmet”? The first thing that pops into your head is a picture of a Spartan soldier, complete with a red cape, round, bronze shield, long spear, and a bronze or brass helmet with the ever-so popular plume. Fortunately, stores have recognized this fact and this type of helmet is widely carried online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Commonly names as the Italic Corinthian helmet or just plainly a Spartan helmet, this replica will be a great addition to your collection. What you’ll most likely see are three types of helmets: a brass helmet with tan or red plume, a black helmet with a tan plume, or a silver (plain metal) helmet with a tan plume.

Each of these will work just fine as a Spartan or Greek helmet. However, you may be surprised to hear that none of these was historically the actual helmet common Spartan soldiers wore. Most Spartans wore helmets that were quite plain and had no plume. They were characterized by two long cheek guards and a slit in between them for breathing. Though they were historically made out of bronze or brass, today’s replicas will be made out of steel or brass.

Another popular Greek helmet is the Hoplite helmet. The Hoplite was a common soldier for the Greek armor and they carried the recognizable white round shield and a long spear. They were excellent for repelling cavalry and charges by soldiers. However, being not very maneuverable, they were vulnerable to attacks in the rear. The hoplite helmet usually has a tan or whitish color plume. Often times it was made into a braided pony tail at the end of the plume.

The main thing to remember when looking at Greek helmets is that many of them look very similar. This is most likely a good thing when you are doing your historical research or are looking for a helmet to purchase. Even if you accidently buy a helmet that is not quite historically accurate, your helmet will look similar enough to the others that the general populace will not know the difference.

All in all, finding the classic Greek helmet is a matter of research and visiting many web stores and history sites. Many of the helms you’ll find are about the same design, so you’ll get the general idea as to what the different types of Greek helmets are. Of course, some of the best ways to research Greek history is reading articles and news snippets on major websites and in encyclopedias. After that you may try visiting web stores to find the most historically accurate Greek Helmet.

John Hilde is a historical armor and weapons enthusiast who enjoys collecting these items. He owns an online store called Armor Venue that sells armor and weapons replicas. To learn more about Greek Helmets, go to http://www.armorvenue.com.

Learn About Authentic Suits of Armor

Filed under: Collecting — jrhilde @ 12:00 am

In the past five or so years, we’ve seen natural resources rise substantially as developing countries (such as China and India) modernize and increase wealth. In the past year, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Euro has changed to favor the Euro. What does this mean for imported items such as suits of armor?

The armor especially in Italy is created with an old patina rustic look which India manufacturers cannot or will not match. The shape of the armor is also going to be more authentic and historically accurate to what was actually constructed in medieval times as well. Another advantage of Italian and Spanish armors is that they often can etch and emboss very delicate and complex designs on their armor, sometimes in precious metals such as gold. If you are looking for a display suit of armor, Spanish armors are almost always going to be your pick.

First of all, real suits of armor are very heavy. They are usually made out of 16-18 gauge carbon steel, making the whole weight of the armor 60-80 lbs. If there is not a sturdy inner frame supporting the suit of armor, then you can bet it’ll will break and collapse within its lifetime. There are two types of stands on the market and sold with armors today: wooden and steel stands.

However, the armor in India does have its pros as well. As the cost of labor is much less in India, you’ll often pay a lot less for an Indian armor, and they can be high quality as well. Indian medieval armor also is a very effective SCA combat or reenactment piece. They make suits of armor that can be worn and used as costumes or in tournaments. The downside is that they usually make not-so-good display armors, as the “old patina” look cannot not be replicated and they fail miserably at etching and embossing fine designs on their armors.

When looking to purchase a suit of armor, which one you buy basically depends on how much you are willing to spend. The top grade armors in the world are made in Spain and Italy. However, many Indian made armors are the best value. They may be slightly less quality but the prices are much lower. On a side note, some of the best samurai swords in the world are made in China and Japan. Obviously, quality products do not need to be made in highly industrialized countries.

The only suits of armor that are going to be immune from price changes are Indian made suits of armor. Though iron, brass, and wood have gone up in price, armors can still be made cheaply in India. Though they do not have the quality of Spanish and Italian armors, prices are expected to hover anywhere from $1500-2500 for good quality suits of armors, compared to $3000-11000 for European armors.

John Hilde is a historical armor and weapons enthusiast who enjoys collecting these items. He owns an online store called Armor Venue that sells armor and weapons replicas. To learn more about asuit of armor, go to http://www.armorvenue.com.

Gathering That Autographed Book You So Desire

Filed under: Collecting — vgevge @ 12:00 am

Anyone would think that any type of authentic autographed books would most definitely contain more value and unfortunately some individuals try to capitalize upon this. Like any type of collectible that may hold any kind of value there will always be several individuals out there that will want to make a potential profit.

Whenever authors take the time away from their writing to make personal appearances for their readers and they become stuck inside of a stuffy bookstore for several hours at a time, they expect their fans and avid readers to show up. However, there are those times when wires get crossed and the appearance of the author is not advertised or publicized as it should be or the author is simply as not as popular within a certain area as they may be within other areas. As a result the author is left in the book store wishing that their publisher had never urged them to come to this particular place for a book signing in the first place due to the lack of individuals that have shown up for their book signing. To the author it has definitely become embarrassing as well as time consuming.

Individuals and avid readers need to realize that these authors who take the time to make these appearances often will give a short presentation that covers the topic of their book as well as answer questions that you may have for them. Another thing that some authors have been known to do is to stop in at various book stores when they traveling to sign books for the customers within the store at the time, which helps add to the reader list, especially if their recently released book is not doing so well. If the author has in fact signed extra copies for the book store during a visit at the book store, then the books are automatically flagged with a golden label that lets individuals and avid readers known that the book has been signed by the author.

These autographed copies can be purchased from the bookstore as long as they have them in stock and make terrific gifts for anyone that enjoys reading, has their own personal library, or collects autographed books. Receiving an autographed book as a gift will be treasured by any avid book lover or collector whether it is from their favorite author or not.

The authors’ autograph is their handwritten name, but it is not always easy to get authors signatures, except if you are lucky enough to catch an author signing books at a book signing. Other ways to find out where the author might possibly be doing personal appearances which will give you a chance to get an autograph, is by seeing if the author has their very own personal website. With the wonderful technology of the modern world that we live in today, several authors do have their very own websites where they will offer their fans access to their scheduling of public appearances. If the author is not going to be any where near your location and there is no way for you to get to any of their public appearances, then try contacting their publishers.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about used books, autographed books, and Vedic books. When shopping for books, we recommend only the best bookstores for used books, gathering autographed books, and Vedic books.

Next Page »

Index  Blog  Forum  Shop  Advertise  Newsletter  PrivacyPolicy  Contact  SiteMap Powered by WordPress