This is the door of my allotment shed which must be around seventy years of age with three previous owners. It is overgrown with ivy but inside it’s snug and tidy. It always comes as a surprise to visitors who are expecting a rather run-down and shabby interior. Banknote collections can be all over the… Read more »

If you don’t know, then ask. It is not uncommon to come across banknotes or find them in a person’s estate. What are they worth? What should I do with them? Should I sell them? How do I do this? Will I be ripped off by dealers or Auction Houses? These are all legitimate questions…. Read more »

Robert Frost was very true when describing the road less travelled as ‘making all the difference’. When the paths diverged in the woods, the path less travelled was more appealing. Collecting banknotes and building up a collection is taking this road as it has a clear focus, a plan to develop the collection and it… Read more »

The first strawberries of the season have arrived on the allotment. My goodness, the flavour is just wonderful. Such a good feeling to have the new crop coming through. Perhaps its time to have some new notes in the collection. Scottish, English, and other notes are on offer so have a browse and a ‘taste’… Read more »

Not far from me is a house whose owner concreted the front garden to save on gardening. After three years the cracks are now  filled by the great colonisers, weeds! A banknote collection evolves. It is not to be kept untouched in a safe for years (it will become toned and likely to have bumps… Read more »

Some years ago I bought a second hand fruit machine that I now use as a ‘bank’ for all loose change. It is also a bit of entertainment for children and young people and some adults, when they visit. The machine takes all silver coins and £1 and £2 coins. A Banknote collection may have… Read more »

The scrapyard on the other side of town always seems to be busy and the piles of metals seems so high. It’s good to make sure our collections are cleared every so often of unwanted notes (scrap) and that we keep it refreshed. Also, you may come into possession of a collection and may wonder… Read more »

In Leicester’s Market there is the damaged statue on the Corn Exchange. The person looks to have been sliced in half at some stage. For sure, something is missing. I have bought a large Scottish and English collection most of which will be listed over the coming weeks. There will an opportunity to fill gaps…. Read more »

Yesterday, as a family, we walked for several miles through the ancient by-ways of Leicestershire. So many fields with lambs and ewes alongside seemingly endless fields of yellow oil seed rape in flower that seemed to predominate this agricultural heartland of England. Have a look at your collection and perhaps it’s time to freshen things… Read more »

I have two allotments, one is an orchard that was inherited from a Latvian who planted trees in 1946. Some varieties are never seen in the shops: Crispin, Pearmain, Discovery, Blenheim Orange and more. The Crispin is one of my favourites, an Autumn apple with a very juicy ‘bite,’ and flavour that is just toothsome…. Read more »