Some of us get obsessed with small variations. I’m one of those people.

When I was a kid, I noticed things. Two Märklin gondolas, one had a grey interior, the other didn’t. That tiny difference lit something up in me. I also collected butterflies and spotted subtle variations in wing patterns. And those blue penny collector books? Pre-1958 Lincolns were like treasure because they didn’t show up in change much.

I still chase those little differences. These days, it’s HO scale trains. Recently on eBay, I found an early AHM Virginia & Truckee coach. It had a dark green letterboard with white lettering, something you don’t see in the later versions until very recently. Most of the 1960s and 70s models simplified that detail to save costs. The letterboards where the same color as the car. But this one must predate those simplified versions.

That kind of thing grabs me. Not because it’s nostalgic. Not because I need it to be museum-accurate. I just like knowing I could have something rare and unique in my collection. Something a little off the beaten track. It feels like finding a clue. And sometimes, it’s fun knowing I noticed something others missed.

I think that’s what collecting is for me. A hunt for the overlooked.