Introduction

Research is an integral part of collecting. You want to learn more about the items you collect, early manufacturers or designers. You've just been to an auction and purchased an item on which you need to find some information. You have a couple of examples of items that obviously were part of a series but you have no idea how many items represent a complete series nor when it was produced. You are documenting your collection for insurance purposes and need to find values of many of the items in your collection. Unfortunately you just dropped one of your collectibles and are interested in possibly getting it repaired - where do you go? You're looking for others who collect the same things you do, or how to properly preserve or display your collection. All of these areas...and many more, fit under the giant umbrella of "research".

When we're talking about research from the collector's standpoint, we're not talking about laboratory research but "library" research - where you go to find the answers to your questions or problems. Today, the collector's best library is probably the Internet. This program area covers research tools both on the Internet, plus many other resources, and developing the personal skills to locate and make the best use of these resources.

A Program Advisory Group has helped develop this program area and continues to monitor, add to, and refine the information on an ongoing basis. This group is here to assist and give advice whenever necessary. Discussion Forums are available for collectors to gain more specific information from a variety of forum participants. A listing of Resources for this Program Area is provided, as well as a Reference Archive.

The goal of the National Association of Collectors (NAC) is to identify and address those needs and concerns that are common to all collectors by providing a broad range of information and resources.