Rare Books and Collectibles

Militaria

Militaria, also known as military antiquities or military antiques, are artifacts or replicas of militaries or warfare. These objects are usually collected for their historical interest, whether objects actually produced or used during the period of interest or a modern reproduction.

Militaria can include antique weapons, such as firearms, swords and knives, or uniforms and armour such as helmets and other headgear. Other commonly collected items are medals, military decorations and awards, badges, and insignia or ephemera such as cigarette boxes, photographs, antique books and posters. Frequently, scale models and miniature soldiers are also collected.

Collectible Militaria

Militaria is collected for various reasons. For many it is a hobby, for others it can be a long family tradition with collections of militaria passed down from one generation to another. For some, military souvenirs and medals have been passed down through the family as mementos of family military service. Military memorabilia can also be sought after as an investment as rare antiquities can be quite valuable and are unlikely to devalue.

One common form of collectible militaria is military miniaturism. Military miniaturism is a hobby that involves reproducing military-related items with historical accuracy and scale congruity. It can cover aircraft, soldiers, ships, tanks, weapons and more. A knowledge of history, events and geography are important in achieving realism. Close attention to detail is also required, with the complexity of the miniatures ranging from simple assembly to the building of objects from scratch.

Military related miniatures are often combined to form a miniaturised diorama- a three dimensional, scaled model of a landscape typically depicting a historical event. These, as well as full-size replica dioramas, can commonly be found in military and other museums. The modern miniature diorama was popularised in the early 1970s by Shepard Paine, a prominent hobbyist.