Have you ever met an avid collector of antique microscopes? They are as rare as their collections. Some collectors and science museums have microscopes dating back to the 18th century. Zaccharias Janssen invented the microscope around 1590. The first real microscope was used in the 17th century by Anthony Leeuwenhoek of Holland. He was intrigued by the way glass lens could magnify things to a great extent and learnt how to make magnifying lenses. With these small pieces of glass he was the first person to be able to see bacteria, yeast and blood cells. He is called the 'Father of microscopy' because of his extensive research and work to improve the quality of these useful scientific instruments in his lifetime.

So now that we know a bit about the history of the microscope, let's see why antique microscopes are considered so valuable. Museums and collectors are willing to pay any amount to get their hands on most of these antiques. The best place for you to go and have a look at them would be in a science museum. Most museums have a huge collection of microscopes to educate people about their history and their importance in modern life.

Antique microscopes, as any other antiques, are invaluable because of their uniqueness and rarity. These types are usually one of a kind as they were not mass produced in earlier centuries. In fact it was only in the middle of the 19th century that companies in Germany and America started production of microscopes on a large scale. Today, there are many companies in Japan, China and Germany that manufacture high quality microscopes and sell them all over the world. It's interesting to note that there are no microscope manufacturing companies in USA. They import them from other countries.

Most of the antique microscopes were made of brass. They were very sturdy and looked like a telescope mounted on a stand. There were even some binocular microscopes made, which if you ask me look like two telescopes stuck together and mounted on a stand! You cannot imagine how many different variations of the microscope were made in the early years before the modern type was created. These big brass microscopes came with many accessories like lenses of different variations, slide preparation equipment and other parts. If you own one of these microscopes along with its accessories, it would be considered priceless today.

These types of old and valuable microscopes are collected by many who feel the need to preserve these classic pieces. They are collected so that our children and their children can see how these instruments were made and used hundreds of years ago. These are things we take for granted these days but it took many years of research and experimentation before great scientists were able to invent and improve upon the microscope. Today a microscope is used for so many things. It is important for scientists to conduct their research in developing new medicines for us. Doctors take their help to diagnose diseases.

There are so many different types of microscopes made and used today. They are used in research laboratories, in medical laboratories and in schools. The precedents of these modern microscopes help us to learn how they were made and how they have become such an important part of our lives. Antique microscopes will always be a priceless and invaluable part of our history.