Vintage Globes are being collected for many different reasons.

Some Globes are being collected for their beautiful mountings which can be true pieces of Art. From the ornate Victorian claw-foot base to the fluid and clean Art Deco/ Machine Age chrome Airplane model, representations of every design movement can be found.

Some Globes are collected for the memories of childhood such as many toy globes made from tin, whimsical in color and design.

Some are collected because they are true witnesses of history as they show how man, over hundreds of years, explored to conquer the world. Globes display the creation and falls of many empires, show the ravage of wars and battles of the past and are a guide to understand the political borders and countries as well as international conflicts as of today.

Vintage and Antique terrestrial globe are true captures of the moment in time each was created, as they display the culture, politics, art movement and era of that specific moment.

No matter if Globes are being collected for their political borders, their design style, age or any other reason, they also are a wise investment.

Just as art, a well preserved world globe will increase in value over time, provided it is being well maintained.

How do you know if your Globe has value? Several factoids come to play:

Condition
The less wear a Globe shows, the more value it has. If the Globe has mapping missing, it looses value. Minor scuff-marks, rubbing, soiling and wrinkles are considered based on age. The older the Globe, the more wear can be expected.

It is a common mistake to obtain a globe in very poor condition and considering having it restored. Restoration is costly, starting at several hundred dollars. It is worth to restore a globe which will increase extensively in value once restored, but not a model that is worth only $100 in mint condition.

Age
The older the model, the more value it has. Especially if the globe is in good condition for its age!

Manufacture
If a Globe manufacture existed for only a few years, its globes have more value than another globe of the same period manufactured in massive amounts and therefore much more common.

Mounting
Another mistake is to obtain globes with broken cast iron mountings intending to repair the broken part. Old, porous cast iron cannot be welded or repaired. The more ornate and well conditioned a mounting is, the more value it adds to the globe. Especially if it’s rare or if it manufactured of fragile material such as glass.

Oddities
Unique globes such as the suspended school globes, slate models, the puzzle globe, the serpent and other oddities are well valued

But most of all, what value does the globe have to you?