What else do you collect besides watches?

Some excellent and lengthy threads on the topic to peruse. Lots of vehicles, cameras, fountain pens, etc.

Pipe organs.

Weird cameras. (Aps, photo CD)

Dolls (automata.)

Clocks.

Information ...

Seems to be the problem at the moment. Hammond are great instruments. We used to have one in the hall. There were several people who wanted it. Since my friend is more into theater organs, he jumped at the chance to replace it with a rare 'pit' orchestra organ which was among the first to use the horseshoe console than a upright piano console.

I think the guy who got the Hammond has passed on, What happened to it I do no know.

It is amazing the survival rate of the old theater instruments. Some have even gone back 'home' into the theaters they were built for. Most of these are now 100 years old. That sort of gives them a different feel in a way. An issue though is that access is a lot more restricted, which makes it hard for the younger people to get exposure and make the effort to play them.

Finding people to work on them is also an issue. Especially as they contain lead, Use animal leather, and require solvents such as denatured alcohol to wet the shellac which is made from bug shit. Since all this is low hanging fruit for those who want to ban things for the greater good, it makes it difficult for them to be much other than a static display. Much easier to sample the sound loops and create a 'virtual' instrument which does not take up a lot of space and is easy to use.

Eventually others will come along and make their own myths about what these are and how they are used. Same for watches and other collectables.