What to Do with Extensive Collections? – The Committed Collector

If you’ve been reading my blog posts for the past year and a half, you’ve probably heard me talk about “avid” collectors who have “extensive” collections.

Although I’m sure you know what the words “avid” and “extensive” mean, I’m also pretty sure you have absolutely no idea what amassing extensive collections means–unless you’re the kind of collector I’m talking about, of course.

Most people have absolutely no idea how many items one person can collect. Most simply can’t imagine anyone acquiring enough to fill his or her home, but that’s what passionate collectors often do.

When collectors are passionate about their areas of interest, they can easily go overboard–and that’s putting it mildly. They shop and buy, and then look and acquire again, and then shop and buy still more.

They end up with collections of collections because almost any collection can be broken into subcategories, which can lead to sub-collections.

Take teapots, for example. I began collecting teapots to use when I have tea parties, so I soon had a dozen or more pretty, floral, or feminine ones. Naturally, I needed a variety of teapots to go with the various sets of china I’d collected.

Of course, I kept picking up pretty teapots whether I actually needed them or not. Being feminine and floral was all that mattered. They only needed to be beautiful to catch my eye and make their way into my home.

During my shopping excursions, I also noticed practical, traditional teapots, so I began collecting them for everyday use.

Of course, I didn’t just get one, like a normal person, or even two to serve the whole family or to have a spare. I bought practical teapots in all sizes and shapes and colors. I bought so many that I quickly ended up with a collection of practical teapots.

Then I discovered Asian teapots, holiday pots, and other whimsical ones. I fell for the matching creamers and sugar bowls.

I spotted tea tins, tea scoops, tea infusers, tea strainers, and tea cozies, so I now have dozens of each.

I noticed books about English afternoon tea, teatime greeting cards, and teatime stationery as well as pictures, posters, and photos of teapots and teatime scenes.

After 15 years of collecting tea-related items, I have dozens of teapots displayed in a several rooms around the house. I have dozens of boxes of teapots in the attic and even more in a mini-storage unit.

I have more teapots than I need, than I can display, and than I can comfortably live with.

And I’m not alone when it comes to being passionate for, obsessed with, or downright compulsive about collecting.

Several recent estate sale ads show that others have amassed extensive collections, too. The photos show their homes filled with their treasures.

In one case, there’s nothing practical in any of the rooms. The rooms are filled–literally filled–with various collections, but nothing practical, useful, or typical remains. What’s left of their daily lives has been replaced by one kind of collection or another.

I wonder where all their collections were when the owners were still alive.

The difference between these extreme collectors and me, for now, is that I’m trying to do something more with my collections before I’m not around to supervise the estate sale.

You may have heard that I’m working to open The Collectors of Western New York museum, so avid, passionate, and compulsive collectors alike can have the space they need to display their extensive, enormous, outrageous collections–while they can still enjoy them–and so they can enjoy their homes, too.

This just might be the year that The Collectors museum opens, so stay tuned to learn what kinds of amazing things will be displayed there.

Until then, let’s make sure we’re enjoying what we’ve got.

Patti
The Committed Collector

Are you an avid collector, too? If so, please leave a comment, and let us know what you collect, where you put all your collections–or how you store them.