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A collectible life
I'm pretty sure I asked this before, but with all of the new faces here these days I thought I would throw it out there again.
Anyone out there a collector? Turns out that I actually have two collections. The first collection is of cat figurines. Plastic cats, wood cats, porcelain cats, crystal cats, metal cats...at this point it might be hard to find a cat in a medium where I don't have at least one example. I don't collect them on purpose. People started giving them to me as gifts. I have a set of cats that I received as a birthday gift when I was nine, right up to a cat that I got a few weeks ago because my mom saw it, "and knew you'd love it." And, to be honest, in a way, I do. I love looking at them and remembering who gave them to me and what was happening in my life at that time. I like that now that I have well over 100 of the little guys, they make for a really cool display in our china hutch...and they get a lot more comments than the china ever did. It's fun when people who visit once or twice a year peek inside and see that they've been moved around, or try and pick out the new ones that have arrived since their last visit. And, I'm a cat junkie. At least these cats don't shed and aren't costing me an arm and a leg in food bills. My other collection is purely me, since I can't bribe anyone else into getting them for me. I collect old dog license tags. I try to stay pre-1950 or so, but if there's one in a really cool shape or has some other personal significance to me, I'll drop the cash. Thus far this is a relatively small collection of a couple of dozen licenses. Partly because I zone in and out of eBay, where I tend to buy them, and partly because the supply sort of comes and goes. Some weeks there are tons of cool tags out there, other weeks, not so much. And some weeks I'm more willing to part with the cash to buy them than other weeks, too. It's a weird little world of collectors, so cool tags can end up in a sort of feeding frenzy at the end of an auction with the same four people in a perpetual bidding war. My favorite tag is one from Port Elizabeth, Africa, dated 1898. I'd love to collect vintage dog collars, but those are way too pricey for this working girl's blood. So, there's my story...how about yours? 14 comments from 11 users
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posted by
Smokey
on Nov 2, 2007 at 10:24 AM
I can't say I am much of a collector of anything in particular. I have travelled to many different countries so do have an interesting bunch of coins but that is as close as it comes for me. EBay is a great place for hidden treasures! I find myself buying things much too often on Ebay! I'll watch something for days without bidding just so I can win in the final seconds without driving up the bid. If you haven't already used the wanted section of Ebay you should. I was looking for a one of a kind item and posted in the wanted section and had a great response. You never know how many people have the things you want just sitting around. posted by
Joty
on Nov 2, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I have collections, probably too many. My favorite is my collection of lions. I have 100's. I also have a scrapbook of cards and pictures of them. I collect anything strawberry, so far I've confined them to the kitchen and dining room, but they are spilling over. I also have an extensive collection of books, CD's, 33's and DVDS. I collect demitasse spoons from everywhere I've traveled, I used to collect matchbooks. Still have the collection, but haven't added to it. And rocks, I love rocks (my hubby says that's cuz I have so many in my head). My husband has 100's of toy cars. He is very proud of his "Tootsie" group that dates back to the 40's (or 50's, I can't remember). He also collects anything Taz. And baseball caps. Did I mention I hate dusting day? LOL!! posted by
gillfish
on Nov 2, 2007 at 12:57 PM
I'm getting closer to haveing my "Blue Room" I have been given beautiful blue glass objects for years from my parents and the glass just doesn't go with my other very eclectic decor. It gets packed away and I can't wait to break it out. I love an unusual painting and have collected many.
posted by
eekitsaspider
on Nov 2, 2007 at 01:00 PM
The only thing I have managed to collect is anything with frogs on it. I have Frog's everywhere even frog car seat covers and floor mats. I would not want to touch a real one too slimey!! When I was younger I started collecting Smurf's I have 100's of those little rubber figurines and even a sheet set...
posted by
weebles
on Nov 2, 2007 at 01:04 PM
Joty, that's great. Lions, strawberries and toy cars...I'll bet it's a ton of fun to look at. One of the reasons I like having the china hutch for the cats is that it keeps down the number of times I have to move them around to dust.That, and the fact that my real cats would destroy my collection. The only thing I'm able to leave out are a few large pieces. posted by
weebles
on Nov 2, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Eek - you ought to set up a Smurf holiday display and take pictures for us. That would truly be funny.
posted by
tehachapidad
on Nov 2, 2007 at 02:17 PM
I collect Shot Glasses. I have so many I only show about 1/4 of my collection. And I collect military patches.
posted by
weebles
on Nov 2, 2007 at 02:29 PM
I've got a couple of cool shot glasses, but I've found they don't hold nearly enough booze for my mixed drinks :o)
posted by
olivia
on Nov 2, 2007 at 03:46 PM
My kitchen is sunflowers. I have a sunflower clock, sunflower pictures, I stenciled sunflowers around my kitchen wall, candle holders, towels, sunflower anything is hard for me to pass up. oh.....and I eat sunflower seeds everyday at work!!!! : )
posted by
scottso
on Nov 2, 2007 at 04:34 PM
My wife and I seem to unintentionally collect wine corks. :) Other than that I don't have anything I would consider a collection per se. Although I occasionally get the irrational urge to buy another guitar or bass to the dismay of my wallet. ;)
posted by
Colitas
on Nov 2, 2007 at 07:37 PM
I use to collect the little bottles of liquor before you could get them anywhere. But then I found out if they weren't glass they would evaporate. I could have filled an apple box full of them. I stopped because I had to go to glass and that was years wasted. No pun intended. Then I started with the shot glasses. But I guess I have a collection of coffee mugs. I don't have a single mug that is the same. And they all mean something to me. Somewhere I went or somewhere someone else went. The only problem is when one breaks it breaks a piece of me. I have some mugs that are glued three or four times. Olivia, finally something we don't agree on.....I hate sunflowers!..lol.
posted by
madkow2747
on Nov 2, 2007 at 08:22 PM
I'm an odd mix of pack rat and clean freak- so I'll collect something for years, then toss it all. I used to have a ton of marbles- I loved all the cats eyes and I had some gorgeous mashers. I also used to collect dice (what a nerd! but no, I never had a twelve-sided die!). Anything pretty or shiny was stashed away in secret boxes I had hidden everywhere. Now about the only thing I have of my former collections is about 20 rosaries- although my first rosary is gone (I almost cried when I found out my husband accidentally threw it out). But I have my rosary from my first Communion, and I have my Grandpa's rosaries. I would be so devastated to lose those. And I was going through my mom's old records one day and I found one of her old collections- a series of leaves and flowers she had preserved while she traveled around the country, all meticulously labeled (she studied botany). She let me keep them and I really like them. Oh, and I kind of collect glass bottles and jars. I have the hardest time throwing them away because I always think I can find a use for them- and sometimes I do, so it's not such a bad thing to collect. posted by
olivia
on Nov 3, 2007 at 04:13 AM
LOL, Colitas, yes....finally something we DON'T have in common. Somehow....I feel closer to you than ever now. Not so freaked out. LOL. You're my soul sister girl!!!
posted by
Katatak
on Nov 3, 2007 at 07:49 AM
I collect junk mail, although unwillingly. Seems I can't go a day without some junk mail landing in my apartment to clutter up my space. At times, the litter can get to the point I need a dozer to get through it all.
It 's frustrating because I empty my mailbox with the best of intentions to toss the junk immediately, but something always intervenes and lo and behold! After awhile it's pile after pile, and then my cat, Oreo, has the time of her life making it worse by performing 10ft sprints ending with long jumps into the assorted litter, knocking it all about.
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