What We Collect, part 2 of 3 – The Committed Collector

If you read last Friday’s post, you see that residents of the Rochester area collect a large number of tangible items made in a variety of materials like ceramics, fabric, glass, metal, paper, and plastic (not to mention the different kinds of plants some of them collect in their gardens).

Consequently, it’s a relief that I’m not trying to compile a comprehensive list of the actual kinds of things that collectors assemble together into their collections. If I were to try to identify each and every type of thing that people collect, I wouldn’t have any time for collecting anymore. I’d be listing and listing, and the list would go on and on and on—which is quite like collecting, when you think about it.

Instead, I’m answering the question “What do collectors collect?” in another way. My mind and my list have taken an abstract turn and include intangibles, generalizations, concepts, and even emotions. Even without itemizing actual items, I’ve been able to come up with nearly two dozen other “things” that we collectors can collect.

The next time I go antiquing with friends, and someone asks, “What did you find?” I won’t have to say “another teapot, of course.” As the committed collector, I’ll be able to rename my treasures as items from the following list. My teapots are actually souvenirs or associations or sentiments.

Thus committed collectors like me collect…

1. Memories – Some collectors buy things that remind them of their personal pasts. Shortly after my father passed away, I picked up a Magic 8 Ball and later a plastic photo cube to remind me of him because we kids had given them to Dad as gifts years earlier.

2. History – Other collectors buy things that come from or represent previous times in life, which may or may not have been their own. Military buffs, for example, might collect Civil War, WWII, or Desert Storm weaponry or materiel.

3. Souvenirs – Many casual collectors buy mementoes that represent the good times they’re having on trips or at special events. Magnets and postcards are popular vacation collectibles, while concert T-shirts and play programs are often found closer to home.

4. Experiences – Some people literally collect intangible things—actions and activities—and document them with photos, ticket stubs, or luggage tags that record the things they’ve done in their lives. For them, the doing is more important than the record keeping.

5. Dreams – Some people buy things that reveal their hopes for their futures, like the contents of an old-fashioned hope chest. When I lived in one apartment after another, I got in the habit of buying half-price summer plasticware at the end of the season. I always imagined owning a home with a pool and the need for lots of colorful and unbreakable dishes and glasses.

6. Aspirations – Similarly, others collect things that reveal their goals and fit the lives they intend to have. For example, ambitious business executives might collect haute couture accessories to look the part they’re actively working to become.

7. Status – Some who have achieved the positions and wealth they desire in life collect the kinds of things that not only demonstrate their standing but also perpetuate it. A fortunate few are able to collect actual masterpieces or antique cars.

8. Associations – Many people collect things because they are related to other things, either because of a direct connection or an implication. For example, many people in Rochester collect Kodak cameras because of the company’s origins here, rather than because they specifically collect cameras. Others might collect wooden farm implements because they suggest a simpler time.

9. Sentiments – Quite a few people, myself included, collect emotions. We are drawn to things because of the feelings they evoke. Dolls and Teddy bears are the quintessential collectibles that instill affection, happiness, or even joy in their owners.

10. Innovation – Others seek out things that are remarkable because of their design, function, or gadgetry and consequently appeal to their intellect. These collectors are often fascinated by machinery, such as calculators and typewriters, or technology, like computers or video games.

Now that I think about it, I probably have at least a small collection of every kind of collectible I just listed, which is one reason why I want to open The Collectors of Western New York where we avid accumulators can display our various collections.

Don’t tell my husband in case he hasn’t noticed, but I also collect several intangibles:

The jars of seashells I have remind me of my happy childhood in sunny Florida, while the Buffalo and Syracuse restaurantware I admire so much represents a time when dining out was an occasion.
Some of the other vintage dishes I have are mementos of the small towns and antique stores I’ve visited in my travels, and my CD collection represents a lifetime of loving to dance.
The bolts of fabric I have stockpiled reflect the visions I have of learning how to sew and redecorating my house for every season. Likewise, the shelves I have filled with books on garden design suggest that I intend to get serious about hiring a landscaper one of these days.
The bits of shiny silverplate I have stored away reveal that I would love to be able to host elegant dinner parties, and my collection of teacups show that I’m truly a romantic at heart.
The Cherished Teddies figurines and Boyds Bears pins I’ve begun to pick up are simply so sweet, while the assortment of baking and gelatin molds I have in aluminum, copper, plastic, and silicone are improvements in culinary design—if not in my own efforts in the kitchen.

Regardless of where you use, display, or store your collection, it may be more than the actual things it’s made of. Your collection may be a record of your past or a sign of your personality or an indication of your future. It might also be some other intangible things.

Check back Friday for more kinds of things that collectors—perhaps people just like you or me—have in their homes and attics and storage units.

Until then, happy collecting!

Patti
The Committed Collector

If you, too, collect an intangible, please leave a comment and tell us what it is. We’d love to hear from you.