This past weekend, I was out hitting the antiques malls looking for treasures. I saw prices were up on some things and others were still bargains. Nothing new here. There have always been treasures to be found if you open your mind a bit so you dont need to open your wallet. My find for the Saturday afternoon of treasure-hunting was a collection of wood block planes that were marked by both the manufacturer and also the woodworker who had used them. I recognized the latter as a noted Carlisle carpenter/cabinetmaker who I had written about in my Masters thesis many years ago. The planes were also marked by the maker, which was neat, since several of the factories were located a few blocks from my present office in Philadelphia. And a small number were marked by the Carlisle retailer who sold the planes to the local carpenter a hundred years ago. I started to collect planes many years ago on the tip of a good friend of mine, Jim Mitchell, who was curator of science and technology at the State Museum in Harrisburg. Jim noted that wooden planes were almost exclusively pre-1900 in age and were often crafted of some of the finest wood with real attention to detail that only came from craftsmanship. With that in mind, over the years, I have purchased interesting planes where I could find them. Emanuel Carpenter, the famed Lancaster plane maker, was always a target of interest for me when I was out. And, of course, there is the elusive retailer marker of Kelker Brothers from Harrisburg, which I have seen but never owned. The planes that I purchased were around $15-$17, which is exactly what I paid for my first plane nearly 30 years ago. Prices have moved down, and they remain at bargain levels. I am told that in the old days planes were so cheap and undervalued that they were often burned for firewood. Hopefully that is more apocryphal than true. Still, outside of the rare 18th-century makers and those elaborate boxwood and brass examples from gentlemens carpenters chests, wood planes have remained a real bargain. My wife was watching TV with me the other night while I was cataloging the planes. I am a big advocate for writing information down on antiques purchases, as memories fade fast. She became fascinated by the different types of planes and soon we were matching rounds and beads on woodwork in the house. She asked if the planes were still useable, and I proceeded to dig out a piece of pine and demonstrate how to use them. The edges were still sharp and the planes quite useable. So, if youre looking to interest that young collector, a sampling of wood planes and one of the standard reference guides is a great place to begin in collecting antiques. Collectors can then build upon that interest by acquiring planes from their home towns, unusual planes used for specific trades, or those made by interesting makers. All in all, a pretty cool topic to collect. 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.