HANOVER, Mass. — Collecting takes dedication, passion for the subject and a lifelong commitment. Nowhere is that more visible then when single-owner collections of any type come to market. Invariably, they reveal as much about the collectors as they do the subject matter. The truth of this fact was on display when the antique fire equipment and memorabilia collection of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Leslie hit the block at Eldred’s November 9. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

The Leslie collection featured clear devotion to fire fighters and their historic legacy. There were not one but two antique fire trucks: a 1919 Ford Model T that passed, and a 1941 Seagrave-Ford that hammered for $7,000 ($8,960 with buyer’s premium).

Two 19th-century fire helmets fashioned from leather were also top sellers. One was for the Fall River, Massachusetts civic fire department, while the other featured a shield for “Whites One Fire Dept.,” from the era when fire fighting was conducted primarily by private firms. Estimated at $500-$1,000, the pair hammered at $3,250 ($4,160 with buyer’s premium).

Then, as it is today, fire departments formally acknowledge heroism and bravery in the line of duty. This lot of two presentation awards, a match safe and a memorial badge presented to Capt. W. O. Hunt of the Hingham Fire Department from 1889, were estimated at $300-$400, but fierce bidding drove the lot to $5,500 ($7,040 with buyer’s premium).

A five-piece lot of fire helmet shield holders of various designs — eagles, dragons and dogs — also burned through its $500-$1,000 estimate to hammer for $5,500 ($7,040 with buyer’s premium). A leather water bucket in remarkable original condition featured a gold-framed cartouche of a classical-looking female rushing to carry water to a fire. Estimated at $1,000-$1,500, it sold for $2,400 ($3,072 with buyer’s premium).