I was just sitting here waiting for Santa Claus to arrive tonight and it dawned on me that another great year of car collecting is winding to its close.

Recently I had an assignment to write about the "Top 10" this and the "Top 10" that in the old-car business and it's always great fun to debate that type of recognition around this time of year. However, if I had to give an award for the best thing about the car hobby. it would be given out in the name of the hobby's great international appeal.

For the past few years I've been selling car books on eBay auctions. This year I have sold 578 books so far and have 11 more sales pending. In the past two weeks I have sold books to enthusiasts in The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Austrailia and France. People all over the globe seem to love old cars and most of them collect/restore old American cars.

In this time when people say "Happy Holidays" 50 times a day and sing of Peace on Earth, I can't help thinking how peaceful it would really be if everyone, everywhere joined the old-car hobby. Then, people would be so busy tuning engines and adjusting brakes (and working to pay their hobby bills) that they wouldn't have time left to shoot guns or set off roadside bombs.

Happy Holidays!