Show us your Lincoln collectables!

[Rob Wick]

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I really don't have many "collectibles" when it comes to Lincoln, but this little figurine is what sparked my interest. In 1969, my father, then aged 39, died from a massive heart attack. My mother was left to raise four children (I was the youngest at age 5) on her own. She had to work, but wanted to be home when we got home from school, so she went to beauty school, became a beautician, and opened up a shop in our house. She had to go to Springfield to take her state boards, and brought this back for me. From that moment on, I determined to learn all I could about that person. When Mom would "complain" about all the books I owned, I would come back at her with "it's your fault. You bought me the Lincoln statue." She would always smile.

As an aside, the Collected Works which the statue is sitting in front of is also a gift from her, although she doesn't know it. After she died in 2003, I took part of the money she left me and bought the series, along with several other Lincoln books that I otherwise could not have afforded.

Best
Rob