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Barbwire collection is window into Old West historyLOVELAND, Colo. (AP)--Few people understand why or how Loveland's Richard Stevens collects barbwire. "It really takes people back," the 61-year-old said. "They say, 'You collect what?'" Even his friend, Linda Dole, didn't get it at first. How could you collect something that was only used for one thing, she'd wondered. "I thought he was crazy," she said. But through a little history and a look at his 300-piece barbwire display, Stevens can prove that his collection is anything but dull. "There's so many different kinds," he explained, browsing through a display of his prickly prizes hung on the walls of his basement. The neatly strung strips, showcased on large wooden plaques, each have their own unique spikes and twists. Some are simple, with only one or two barbs every inch, while others include rotating spurs or blocks of wood mixed in with the now-rusty wire. And while they did all serve the same purpose--to keep cattle in or out of an area--it was a patent-frenzy that created 500 or 600 varieties of the fencing. In the 1860s and 1870s, everyone in the West tried to come up with their version that they, too, could patent and sell, Stevens said. "Every configuration they could come up with would be a patent," he said. "Even though there's all different varieties, they all did the same thing." With a bonanza of barbwire to choose from, settlers began fencing in homesteads to protect their crops, while ranchers cut it down to allow open cattle grazing. "It made a dramatic change in the open range," he said. In fact, it was this interest in the Old West's history that sparked Stevens' fascination in barbwire. Plus, he said, it was one of the easiest and cheapest artifacts of this time to acquire. Stevens found some of his collection himself by digging through old dumps in Nebraska. Now, most of his barbwire searches are through eBay and estate sales, where it's sold in standard 18-inch cuts. But not all barbwire artifacts are inexpensive--some can cost hundreds based on their rarity. "A lot were just produced out of a barn and didn't go national," Stevens said, noting these are the kinds that are worth more money now. Stevens already has about half of all the varieties listed in the barbwire collector's guide, and can name just about every one by heart. Along with the 300 varieties on display, Stevens has around 5,000 repeating pieces stored in his garage. He uses these extras to create smaller display boards for friends and family. "It just makes a good conversation piece," he said.
Date: 5/8/08 Advertisement
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