You could collect hood ornaments not just because they are considered collectors’ pieces or because they are old but also because of their intrinsic, artistic value. Hood ornaments are essentially company logos but some of the hood ornaments that people collect are beautiful enough to be considered works of art.

Hood ornaments are also called ‘mascots’. These may be categorized as ‘factory’ mascots or ‘accessory’ mascots. The figure of the ram on the 1935 Dodge is an example of a ‘factory mascot’. The car manufacturer made the factory mascots while the more fancy ‘accessory’ mascots were specially created by jewelers or artists. This is why accessory mascots are considered to be of much greater value than other types of hood ornaments.

You will find that the hood ornaments you collect will be mostly made of nickel or chrome-plated zinc. However, you may come across hood ornaments that are worth collecting in brass, bronze, glass, pewter, and polished aluminum as well. Most hood ornaments end up getting dented or pitted so you may find it difficult to build up a collection of hood ornaments that are in an unused state. Accessory ornaments fetch a higher value if they still have their original price tags or packing. The best known examples of hood ornaments that belong to collections are the twenty nine glass mascots designed by French designer, Rene Lalique.

Your first step towards collecting is to specialize in a segment that will allow you to collect hood ornaments that fit your budget. Hood ornaments made by Ford, Chrysler, Kaiser and Buick are far more affordable than the ones made by Rolls Royce, Auburn and Cord.

Every once in a while you may chance upon hood ornaments that you can collect, in auto salvage yards. Another good option is to look for hood ornaments in flea markets and yard sales that are still attached to old cars. If you do find a hood ornament that is part of an old automobile, request the owner to allow you to buy only the ornament. You can sometimes pick up a collectible hood ornament really cheap especially in rural areas.

Look after your collection of hood ornaments very well as they will be useless as collector’s pieces if they get develop pits or dents. Keep them in a dry place, away from any kind of moisture. Do not use any harsh cleaning agents on them.

Remember: if you cannot afford to build your collection of hood ornaments from Lalique don’t despair! You can build up a collection of hood ornaments even on a budget and yet be proud of it.

By Gabriel Lozen

Gabriel is a freelance writer.