Throughout the holiday season, I have been hearing about anticipated shortages of gifts in the stores due to a host of reasons. We have all been warned to shop early and even then not to expect to get what you are looking for because of insufficient quantities of items. To all of that, my answer is to buy antiques as holiday gifts. For years, I have espoused buying antiques as gifts. It is timeless, it is classy, it appreciates (hopefully) in value and perhaps it reignites or starts a new generation of collectors. So, to start, how about buying one of those classic Lionel train sets for the young person in your life. Give them a wonderful experience that is not only fun to assemble but even more fun to operate. Maybe that teenager in your life really harbors a secret fantasy about playing a guitar, then maybe a nice secondhand guitar is a way to test those waters without a huge investment. And antique jewelry is always appropriate to give. Whether a diamond necklace or a trifari pin, nothing says classy holidays like an antique. With jewelry, I really do think the antiques market is the way to go. When one sees the hefty prices in retail stores for jewelry, common sense tells you that antiques are the best way to get the bang for your buck. Also, as a gentle reminder, many of the stones that are sold in new retail are in fact recycled older stones that have been recut. So, why not buy the bigger stone in the original setting than to get something smaller in a new one. Finally, this is the season when one needs holiday gifts on the spur of the moment. With high prices, I am sure that homemade cookies will be a bigger than ever house warming gift this year. Instead of putting them in a tin, how about putting them on a piece of antique flow blue china? I was in an antiques mall near Harrisburg about two weeks ago and purchased a stack of Chapoo pattern flow blue plates for $20 each. They are beautiful and period and will make great gifts. Buying for the hardcore collector is always tough since they usually know exactly what they want and have a fairly defined list of what they are seeking. As my wife said to me, If you see something for your collection, you buy it. Dont leave it for me to find and gift to you. Fair enough if you have very focused collecting. But, I would say that there are plenty of supporting things to get the committed collector in your life. This includes frames for art collectors, sleeves for paper collectors, reference books for everyone and display items. What I mean by the latter is that for the collector of coffee grinders, how about getting a nice period coffee can to go with it. For the collector of pattern glass, how about some linens that either show off the pieces or can be used with them. All in all, this is a great year to go out and hit the antique malls and shops or go to an auction to find that perfect treasure! Born to collect should be the motto of Peter Seiberts family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seiberts writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years worth antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.