The holiday season is fast approaching. For those who love to collect antique collectibles for their personal use or to give as gifts for loved ones, finding the right one in a timely manner is crucial as Christmas approaches.

Finding your Antiques

There are places where collectors can find the "good stuff". Monique Hawkins, owner of the online music box store, my-music-box.com, recommends that collectors, who are searching for vintage music boxes and other antique automatic musical instruments, go to organizations such as MBSI or AMICA.

MBSI stands for "The Musical Box Society International", says Monique. "This organization is dedicated to the enjoyment, study and preservation of all automatic musical instruments. With regional chapters located in the U.S. and Japan, members are able to visit collections where they swap ideas, information, and sometimes instruments. There are also many advertisements on the organization's site that list antiques that people sell all over the country. The only requirement for membership is an interest in automatic musical instruments and the desire to share information about them".

Another useful organization is AMICA, which stands for "Automatic Musical Instruments Collector's Association", is another good organization. Their goal always has been to introduce people from all walks of life to the beauty and value of automatic musical instruments. Members have interests ranging from collecting instruments and rolls and related items to just plain enjoyment from listening to automatic musical instruments.

"Organizations such as MBSI and AMICA can provide you with information on antique dealers both locally and from around the world" Monique continues. I recommend that vintage music box and automatic musical instrument collectors visit both of these organizations websites. For information about MBSI, go to http://www.mbsi.org. For AMICA, go to http://www.amica.org."

For those who are on a budget and looking for other antique collectibles such as antique cars, antique art, antique coins, antique books, and more, other useful places to visit are flea markets, craft shows, and trade shows in local cities and towns.

Looking Online

There are many places online where collectors can look for antiques. The great thing about the Internet is that it brings a much larger world straight to lovers of antiques. GoAntiques.com is a site that can help collectors locate a specific item by pinpointing precisely where to look. If the item is being sold in more than one place, they can give collectors this information, allowing them the opportunity to find the best price available for the antique of their choice.

Anteq.com is another useful site. This company caters to antique collectors, antique dealers, and antique malls of the world. Anteq.com is committed to meeting the needs of the antiques & collectibles community by providing professional software and support.

ListAntiques.com's aim is to help designers and collectors locate quality antiques. The company offers search help for free, which makes it a valuable resource.

eBay is yet another popular place to look online for antique collectibles. There are people from all over the world buying, selling, and trading collectibles and antiques on eBay. With items ranging from antique books, antique coins, antique painting, and antique jewelry to name just a few, some of the best deals out there can be found on eBay. Another great thing about finding collectibles online is the wonderful and wider selection than one would find at a local show or sale. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to shop for collectibles.

Joining Clubs and Groups

Monique also suggests that antique collector's check to see if their local town or city has an antique collector's club or group they can join. "Finding a local group of collectors who share similar passions is an exciting and a fun way to make new friends she says. "Not only can new friends be made, but also meeting other lovers of antiques can be helpful in one's search to find that perfect antique. If antique and collectibles club can't be found in local towns, collectors can start a club or group themselves.

Antique collecting is a passion for many people. Finding the right collectibles may not always be easy. However, with perseverance and patience, antique collectors will be sure to find the perfect antique collectible they have been seeking this holiday season.

Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms decor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.

Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms decor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.