Continuing to use the journalist’s questions to flesh out ideas for posts is both a blessing and a curse, which makes the process a lot like collecting. Considering the question “What do people collect?” makes coming up with ideas very easy. Consequentially, I’ve ended up with more material than I really need for a single post—just as I have more teapots and cups and saucers and other collectibles than just about anyone will ever use or be able to display properly.
With so many ideas at the ready—as well as so many collections of my own—it should be easy to discuss the things that people collect. Of course, I’ve discovered easy answers as well as more complex ones, too. Today, I’ll share some obvious things collected by avid collectors, especially local ones.
Because I find collecting so easy (and the resulting collections so problematic), my husband jokes that I collect only one thing—everything. Hah, hah. Very funny. In my defense, I say I collect only two things—old things and new things. So there.
On reflection, however, I realize that, at different times and for different reasons, I’ve collected three things: I’ve gathered together the past, the present, and the future, which is likely the case for many other devoted collectors.
If you’re a committed collector like I am, you also probably recognize history in some items, usefulness in others, and hope in others still and find many kinds of things worth collecting. (That’s why I’m working to open a new kind of museum—The Collectors of Western New York—dedicated to featuring the extensive collections of the various things we serious collectors collect.)
In the meantime, my discussion of what people collect is becoming rather abstract. I’m thinking in categories and generalizations rather than in specifics (so I’ll save the discussions of those more tangible objects for future posts).
If I were simply to itemize actual, specific items that people collect, I could compile quite a list based solely on the prized possession of the members of the collectors’ clubs and special interest groups I know of in the Rochester area, which is home to a dozen or more associations dedicated to fostering an appreciation for specific collectibles.
Based on my knowledge of the things that area residents seek out and assemble into their own private collections, I can easily answer the question, “What do collectors collect?”
Among other things, we local collectors collect …
- Bottles and glass insulators
- Depression Glass and Early American Pattern Glass
- Buttons, clothing, and costumes
- Cameras
- Coins and paper money
- Dahlias, irises, orchids, perennials, and roses
- Games and toys
- Jane Austen’s and William Shakespeare’s works and related items
- Model trains
- Postcards and stamps
- Pottery and teapots
- Scouting items
- Sherlock Holmes’ stories, books, and related items
Clearly, the residents of Greater Rochester have a wide range of interests and pursue a great variety of collectibles, which are readily available in an area known for its retail shopping, antique shows, and seasonal flea markets.
Some longtime collectors in the region have amassed large collections of small items (like thimbles and Matchbox cars), while others are forced to keep their collections of large items (like real cars and horse-drawn buggies) small in number.
The actual list of what people collect is probably limitless. Since old things are rediscovered and new technology is invented, committed collectors like me are drawn to both old-fashioned things and new-fangled gadgets.
It’s traits like age, utility, and innovation that also suggest a long list of conceptual, emotional, and generalized things that collectors collect, and some of them will be discussed in next week’s posts.
Until then, enjoy the weekend and the hunt for whatever it is you collect.
Patti
The Committed Collector
If you’re a dedicated collector, too, please leave a comment and tell us about the things you collect. We’d love to hear about what catches your eye and makes its way into your life.
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