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7 Reasons to Collect Teapots

Since I’ve recently found a space well-suited to housing a museum dedicated to displaying large collections, I’ve been thinking of little else lately.

I’ve been worrying about all that I need to do to open the new venue. I’ve been imagining how the space will look and brainstorming what galleries we can fill. Mostly, I’ve been planning one thing or another like crazy.

Among all this obsessing, I’ve also been thinking of the educational texts that will accompany the displays.

I know I’ll need to work with the collectors who exhibit to write the text for our signs and brochures and web pages, and we’ll want to provide enough pertinent information–but without overwhelming museum visitors.

Along those lines, it occurred to me that I could sum up my reasons for amassing some 500 teapots in seven short entries like this…

T–Teresa and Terry. My grandmother cherished her formal gold luster teapot, and my mother regularly used, and loved, a teapot decorated with images of cherubs at play, so I grew up with a strong appreciation for teapots.

E–Elegant as well as Exotic. Personally, I’m drawn to elegant teapots, but I also appreciate how many different cultures impart their own styles on the teapot.

A–Accessible. Teapots are everywhere–in most of our lives and in almost any shop you enter. Teapots are commonplace, so you don’t need a degree in art appreciation to understand why their stout round shape, appealing designs, and array of colors are so tempting.

P–Pretty. A great percentage of teapots are simply pretty, which appeals to me immensely. I like lovely things, and many teapots are decorated in ways that appeal to the lady of the house.

O–Old Fashioned. At the risk of contradicting my next reason, teapots, with their homey charm and role in the traditions of teatime, are old-fashioned accouterments that suit old-fashioned personalities like mine.

T–Timeless. Nonetheless, teapots are not only traditional, they are also timeless. Ever since the legendary Chinese emperor discovered the rewards of brewing tea leaves, teapots have been needed and used and treasured. With tea enjoying a resurgence these days, teapots, as well as tea mugs and other trappings, are as popular as ever.

S–Special. Those of us who have teapots often consider them special because, ironically, the everyday teapot often marks special occasions. Of course, back in the days when father knew best, tea sets were often given as wedding gifts. As feminine trappings, teapots are, of course, often given to women as birthday or holiday presents.

In addition, teapots are frequently designed as holiday accessories. They’re also produced by artists and craftspeople as works of art, and they’re surprisingly sold as souvenirs in tourist traps.

So many diverse reasons to own teapots make teapots part of so many different aspects of our lives. We admire them as art, include them in our celebrations, and reflect on them as mementos of special occasions.

All along are enough reasons to make teapots special to me–and my teapot collection are big part of my life–so big that I’m hoping to squeeze it into its own gallery when The Collectors museum opens.

Until then, enjoy your collections.

Patti
The Committed Collector

© 2020 The Collectors of Western New York. Inc.
All rights reserved.​

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Collector Profile: The Bird Lady

Today, we have a special feature that profiles a local collector and tells why her collections include birds of all kinds.

When my mother was in assisted living, and losing her mind to dementia, she still remembered to feed the birds everyday.

My mother became known as The Bird Lady there because she always saved at least half of the bread or roll that accompanied her meals for the birds.

Living down south, the weather usually permitted her to sit outside on the open front porch and toss torn bread to the birds, who soon learned to stick around for the handouts she happily provided.

My mother always loved birds. She loved feeding them, and she loved feeding us all, for that matter, too, and one of my earliest memories involved the small adventure of dining with the birds.

My parents, perhaps foolishly, bought their first house in a summer community.

They were among the few year-round residents, who not only enjoyed boating on the river in the nice weather, but also braved the snow and ice and long commutes in the winter.

We lived in what could be called a cottage that had an enclosed porch that faced the river.

The only memory I have of the house is that narrow porch with its long wall of jalousie windows where we had lunch with the birds.

In good weather and bad, Mom occasionally served us lunch on the porch, so I could watch the birds flock in for the seed she had put out for them.

Mom would bring out our sandwiches and fruit and milk and cookies and set them on my kid-sized table. Then she would perch on the kid-sized chair, while we ate and chatted and watched the birds fly in.

I know Mom wanted me to see the birds and learn their colors and eventually be able to identify them, but I know she also took delight in their gentle presence.

My mother loved beautiful things, like china and glassware. She loved her flowers and cherished our dogs. She willingly watered the plants, feed the dogs, and lugged in sacks of birdseed along with the week’s groceries.

She loved all of us in the family and loved taking care of everyone, which often meant cooking for us, fixing our favorite foods, and making meal time special with pretty dishes and colorful tablecloths.

Mom took care of the birds, too, no matter where we lived.

When it came time to take care of my mother, one of our small adventures was to go to the local antiques shop where we both enjoyed seeing so many beautiful things.

One of her last purchases was a ceramic Cardinal salt and pepper set from the 1940s. She loved being able to have those colorful birds around her at all times, and I now love having them in my collection.

It’s because of my mother’s caring ways that I love birds, too.

I show that love by lugging in sacks of birdseed myself, putting out cups full everyday, and replacing squirrel-damaged feeders as needed.

I also have a growing collection of books, pictures, and figurines depicting our feathered friends.

I have a dozen or so guidebooks and coffee-table books about songbirds and seabirds and birds of the world and just as many illustrations of birds. I have quite a few plates and mugs decorated with bird motifs, and I already have a flock of bird figures.

Each bird in my collection reminds me of my mother and how she instilled in me an appreciation of beauty and of nature as well as the impulse to take care of the things I love.

That reminds me that it’s time to fill the feeder again and the backyard birds will be showing up soon.

I guess that makes me The Bird Lady now.

© 2020 The Collectors of Western New York. Inc.
All rights reserved.​

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What to Do with Extensive Collections?

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

© 2020 The Collectors of Western New York. Inc.
All rights reserved.​

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.

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Collecting Art of Any Kind

I was fortunate enough to visit The Kirkland Museum in Denver over the holidays, yet the experience has left me with a few nagging questions.

The salon-style Kirkland contains impressive collections of both fine art and decorative art.

Of course, I’m assuming, the fine art pieces are all one-of-a-kind originals.

The decorative art works, however, include mass produced furniture and other household items, which has left me wondering why they qualify for museum status.

They’re all what we laypeople would term mid-century modern, which may be reason enough to revere such items as gaudy telephones and awkward furniture.

I realize many of the pieces were created by artists, designers, and architects, and that in itself gives them a certain credibility.

However, I’m still left wondering why some mass produced items are deemed worthy of being exhibited, while others aren’t considered good enough to hang in my humble home.

If I go to anyone of the local art festivals we have here in Rochester, and bought an original piece by an artist of some talent, that would be acceptable among those in the know.

If, however, I had a copy of the Mona Lisa over the mantle, my friends would consider that kitsch. If I shelled out real money for a good copy of said masterpiece, they’d think me pretentious.

So I ask, why can’t we have copies of art in our lives?

My friends and family all expect me to have copies of Shakespeare in my personal library. They think nothing of my owning copies of The Beatles, Balanchine, and George Lucas.

Yet, if I have copies of Currier & Ives, Norman Rockwell, and Thomas Kincaid–and display them as art–that would be considered tacky.

So, again, I wonder why we can’t seriously own copies of painted, drawn, and sculpted art.

I’ve got a few theories, but I’ll leave them for now.

Happy Collecting, Everyone, whatever it is you enjoy.

Patti
The Committed Collector

© 2020 The Collectors of Western New York. Inc.
All rights reserved.

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A Baker’s Dozen of Resolutions for Collectors

Last year, my personal New Year’s resolution for 2019 was to collect less and curate more. If I’m honest, I’ll admit that I had more success in collecting less, but less success in curating more.

Perhaps that means the coming year’s resolution should be to focus and persist more, which, of course, usually help with any kind of goal, plan, or project.

Instead, I’m going to outline the basic objectives that seem necessary to reach the lofty goal that all of us committed collectors should have, which still is to curate all that we collect–and to do so in a timely fashion.

Here, then, is my renewed New Year’s Resolution–to collect less and curate more in 2020–as well as the steps to make it happen:

1. If I have a backlog of things to be identified and inventoried, avoid shopping for new and take the time to process what I already have.

2. When I need to create or expand an inventory system, don’t waste time designing a new, personalized, or complicated spreadsheet of details to try to record. Just get the basics down, and get the task done.

3. Make sure my labeling or inventorying system lets my family members know which pieces I cherish the most, so they can be informed if they need to make any decisions on my behalf.

4. Make sure, too, that my system, and other communication and correspondence as well, lets my family and friends know which pieces I’m specially leaving to them.

5. Work on storing collectibles properly, too, and be sure to keep them organized by taking the time to keep like things together.

6. That means investing time in organizing rather than shopping.

7. Be sure to keep beloved things protected as well. Use whatever boxes, bins, or other filing systems are appropriate and protect items from dust, light, moisture, and temperature.

8. This, too, means investing the time needed to protect what’s currently in the collection rather than looking for more.

9. When I do shop, if I usually focus on quantity in numbers, hold out for quality and acquire only better pieces that enhance rather than expand the collection.

10. When I cull, by donating or selling pieces in my collections, again consider quality and learn to let go of the mistakes I’ve made or things I’ve outgrown.

11. Look for ways to share our collections with others. Use practical items when entertaining or taking a dish to pass. Look for opportunities to give a talk (perhaps at a library or school) when we can educate others about our collecting passions. Share photos of nice pieces–as well as useful information–on social media.

12. Look for ways to use our collections ourselves. Take the time to rotate decorative vignettes around the house throughout the year–especially with seasonal or holidays collections.

13. Perhaps most important take the time, and make the effort, to display my collections around the house. Not just for a few weeks, but for the duration.

I need to get those pictures and photos framed and hanging on the wall. I can clear the clutter and create more space for arranging my collections, and I can identify a few more reasonable spots where I can add a curio or corner cabinet and get my collections out of boxes and on display.

For, once again, that’s the goal for the new year: Using and enjoying my collections more.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Patti
The Committed Collector

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York. Inc.
All rights reserved.

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Just a Few of My Favorite Christmas Things

For the past few weeks–ever since American commerce started showing Christmas movies, running holiday-themed commercials, and piping in Christmas carols–I’ve been humming one song or another.

One melody, however, keeps popping up and very probably with good reason. Not only do I fondly remember The Sound of Music as a childhood favorite, but I also love the sentiment of “My Favorite Things.”

Beloved objects and memorable experiences stay with us in our lives and in our hearts. Having them, enjoying them, and recalling them all give us pleasure and comfort.

And as a committed collector, I can assure you that my favorite things bring additional happiness, merriment, and joy to my life.

What’s even better is that I can appreciate holiday collectibles whether I actually collect them or I only see them in antiques shops or in others’ homes.

Of course, my husband and I collect a great variety of Christmas decorations and holiday items, and I certainly appreciate even more–as a list of some of my favorite things shows, so, without further ado, here they are:

  • Christmas cards, Christmas seals, and Christmas stamps
  • Antique holiday postcards, vintage holiday ads, and retro holiday signs
  • Christmas histories, cookbooks, and coffeetable books
  • Wrapping paper, scrap-booking stickers, and family photos
  • Classic Christmas albums, more recent CDs, and DVDs of favorite holiday films, both old and new
  • Vintage cookie cutters, wooden rolling pins, and red-handled kitchen utensils
  • Jell-o molds, Bundt pans, and box graters
  • Depression Glass in ruby red, forest green, and milk white
  • Vintage tablecloths, damask linens, and cutesy napkin rings
  • Crystal candlesticks, creamware serving platters, and novelty salt and pepper shakers
  • Teapots decorated in holiday motifs, shaped like holiday characters, or given as holiday presents
  • Bottle-brush trees, pre-lit artificial ones, and fresh-cut spruces and firs
  • Vintage glass baubles, plastic figural ornaments, and those handmade by loved ones
  • Tabletop decorations, wall hangings, and accessories large enough to be free-standing, like 6-foot tall nutcrackers
  • Toy trains, teddy bears, and winter gardens
  • Blow molds, inflatables, and wire-frame yard decor
  • Elves, reindeer, and polar bears
  • Stockings, and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus

As another song says, “Tis the season to be jolly,” and those of us who love Christmas and all its trappings have many, many reasons to be jolly.

Merry Collecting, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

Are you crazy for Christmas like I am? If so, why not leave a comment, and list some of your favorite holiday collectibles, too?

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York.
All rights reserved.

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Collecting Experiences: Home & Garden Tours

Here’s my collection of favorite tours that both educated and inspired:

  • Tour of Bed & Breakfasts, Fernandina Beach, Fla.
  • Candlelight Holiday Tour, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Candlelight Holiday Tour of Historical Sites, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Dogwood Festival Neighborhood Tours, Knoxville
  • Chicken-Coop Tour, Rochester
  • Garden Tour, Webster
  • Historic Maplewood Home Tour, Rochester
  • 34th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, Geneseo
  • 35th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, Maplewood
  • 36th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, Brighton, et al
  • 37th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, “Season of Joy,” presented by the 7th District Federated Garden Clubs of NYS, Fairport, Penfield, Brighton

Sometimes, just seeing the lovely, interesting, and unusual things other people cherish is enough.

Happy Looking, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

Are you a tour-goer yourself? If so, please leave a comment, and let us know which local tours you like best. We’d like hearing what you’ve enjoyed–as well as what you’ve learned–on these tours.

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York museum
All Rights Reserved

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A Night on the Town

Although some people think living in the suburbs is boring, many collectors will tell you otherwise.

They know you don’t need to travel to a flea market in the middle of nowhere, to an antiques barn along a country road, or to a trendy shop in the city center to find new treasures.

Of course, committed collectors like me are always happy to travel to the middle of nowhere, along a country road, and to the city to find another piece for their collections, but they can find tantalizing acquisitions just driving from one ‘burb to another, which is exactly what I did last evening.

After a meal of home-style fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy at a favorite restaurant in Henrietta, my husband and I parted company. I left him behind to enjoy the NHL package at our mid-century Colonial, and I headed west to Greece and The Shops on West Ridge for their annual Night of Lights.

I simply explained that it was meant to be. Earlier in the week, a had run into a colleague–who I never see at work in Brighton–and she spotted me and remembered our extracurricular connection (the Night of Lights shopping), so she reminded me that the big sale was going on.

I had actually forgotten about the big sale, so I was glad to see her.

I usually take the back roads to Greece, so I have the option to stop at the Wal-Mart or the Garden Factory in Gates, which are both temptations.

Staying the course, however, I arrived at The Shops on West Ridge with enough time to spent almost three hours checking out the displays and cabinetry, which I consider among my curating efforts.

That also left enough time to shop and amass a basketful of treasures on the “hold” shelf, and even time to spend in the checkout line chatting with others about their finds.

Good husband that he is, my guy feigned delight at my finding another Halloween decoration, two more bird and three more dog figurines, and a half-dozen more books and pictures–among other things. Just what we need.

I had said when I left the house earlier in the evening that I’d look for something–only one thing–an elusive piece, a true treasure, something that would change my life–and that’s just what I found.

In fact, I found a dozen and a half pieces that will change my life: They will increase the amount of time I spend dusting.

There’s a reason they call ’em dust catchers.

Patti
The Committed Collector

So what’s your downfall? Baseball cards? Jewelry? How about leaving a comment and let us know what treasures you just can’t pass up?

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York museum
All Rights Reserved

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Celebrating Halloween, Hosting Friends

I’m so excited.  I feel like one of the Sanderson Sisters, you know, from the Hocus Pocus film, run amok—amok, amok, amok.

You see, I’m hosting my not-quite annual Witches Party this evening. 

Well, it’s not going to be a full meeting of the Sisterhood of the Black Pointy Hat, but it is going to include close friends, good food, and board games as well as a birthday celebration. 

Among the guests is one of my friends who came to my very first Witches Party nearly 15 years ago.  She and my other friends know how my husband and I go all out during the spooky season—and every season, for that matter—so I certainly don’t want to let them down. 

Indeed, I might not be hosting a Monster Mash, but it will be a birthday bash fit for a witch, sorceress, or goddess—all set amid our collection of Halloween trappings.

For collectors like we are, what could be better than sharing our favorite collections with our beloved family and dear friends?

It should be pretty obvious that I’ve been looking forward to hosting my friends from the moment I sent out my invitation a few weeks ago, and I think my husband has too, even though he’s planning to head to a sports bar and watch some game. 

Since my invitation went out, both my husband and I have been pretty busy getting ready for this gathering of the coven, so to speak.

We’ve been clearing and cleaning, dusting and decorating—all on top of working two full-time jobs and trying to open The Collectors museum—which is some of the good news I have to share with my friends tonight.

As collectors of holiday decorations, we naturally have plenty to trick out our abode for the Orange and Black Season, and I enjoy displaying and using our collectibles as much as acquiring them, so getting ready for guests is a true labor of love.

There’s a lot that goes into maintaining and using a collection.  Likewise, there’s a great deal that goes into celebrating the holidays and important milestones, but all are well worth the effort.

To make room for this season’s accessories, I had to dust and put away dozens of our other collectibles, which took me on a pleasant journey down memory lane. 

The things themselves are nice, but remembering when and where I bought them—and especially recalling people who were with me at the time—is an important part of the joy of collecting.

During the past few weeks, I cleaned the house—I mean I cleaned for company—I really cleaned.  (Have you noticed how hard it is to make others feel at ease?  How much goes into making it so others can make themselves at home in your home?)

Getting into the spirit of things, my husband offered to get an early start on raking leaves, so we wouldn’t have too much Halloween atmosphere outside, as he put it.

My husband also made the time to go to our mini-storage unit, so we could bedeck our front landing with his collection of blow-mold Halloween figures earlier than usual.  He then helped me lug in eight cartons and tubs of decorations.

I washed and ironed four new autumnal tablecloths that I bought on clearance during last year’s Red and Green Season, which all of us committed collectors know is an economical way to pick up new pieces for our collections.

As for special touches and thoughtful gestures, my guy earned a vote for Husband of the Year since he thought to schedule our dog for a bath and grooming before the party, so my “familiar” wouldn’t look too shaggy tonight or smell too much like, well, the dog he is.

When hosting a party, something always goes wrong, but my guy came to the rescue again late yesterday afternoon. 

I was horrified when I realized I was out of replacement bags for the vacuum.  The choices I faced were grim:  No final vacuuming up of the dog’s fur or a canine-scented house after running the vacuum with a full bag.

My good guy, when he could have been resting at the end of a long week, offered to race across town during rush hour to get to the only store that sells the style bags we need—before they closed.

He also offered to pick up a hot meal, so I’d have more time to set the table for this evening’s birthday dinner.

I had already hauled out my casual orange and black ceramic dishes for display on my kitchen shelves—and for our everyday use.  (It just isn’t October in our house until we’re eating our cereal out of black bowls.)  My set of sophisticated black Octime dishes and glassware to use in the dining room were next on my to-do list.

As a careful custodian of my collections, I hand-washed and dried all the dishes and glasses. 

I was finally able to set the table with my black dishes, orange linen napkins, and a glowing glass pumpkin patch down the center.  (As elegant as my mass-produced pumpkins are, I readily admit they don’t have the same quality as the handmade ones sold at the Corning Museum of Glass or at our own RIT’s Glass Pumpkin sale.)

The table does look nice, even if I do say so myself, and so does the whole house.  Ceramic pumpkin teapots, cookie jars, and candy bowls fill the kitchen.  Black lace spider webs hang from the chandelier along with orange beaded garland and orange mercury glass ornaments. 

Autumn leaves, of the silk variety, fill blue and white ginger jars.  A vintage-looking Happy Halloween banner and two shades of orange tinsel garland preside over the living room, and every table has pumpkins, real or otherwise, sitting atop them.

My collection of humorous Halloween signs hangs everywhere.  They encourage guests to “come in for a spell” and then “eat, drink, and be scary.”  The whole house is aglow with fall colors; I’m ready to cue up “Love Potion No. 9,” and the only ghosts are outside.

Undeniably, showing off our collections is a matter of pride for most of us collectors.  However, it is also an attempt to share with others and to give them an opportunity to learn something new or to enjoy something out of the ordinary, and my husband and I certainly hope decorating for the holidays does some of that for our guests.

Once the table was set, my husband helped me again: this time in rearranging the living room furniture a bit to make room around our parlor table, so the women and I can set up for Game Night.  As aficionados of family-friendly board games, at least one of my guests will bring a game or two—or so I hope.

Although I have several choices, as you might expect, I’m less into playing contemporary board games than I am into collecting antique game boards.  That means my selection of games is paltry compared to theirs.  (What’s worse, for me, is that, even though I love the artwork of old game boards, we unfortunately don’t have any wall space for me to start that collection.)

Getting back to party prep, I tinkered with the rest of the decorations around the house last evening and made sure they were strategically placed and left plenty of space in the living room for my friends and on tabletops for their dishes and mugs.

This past week, I bought things for those dishes and mugs and glasses, too. 

My friends are bringing homemade lasagna, fresh salad, and crusty bread tonight, and I thought we might want to nibble on a starter, so I bought the fixings for an antipasto platter—to be served on my Octime platter, of course. 

(Of course, I also have ready a black baking dish, a black bread plate, and a black salad bowl with skeleton hand salad tongs, if needed.)

When I bought a jug of apple cider for the mugs and a bottle or two of red wine for the goblets, I was reminded of the reasons why bottles, labels, and crates are all popular collectibles.  Many not only have artistic graphics; many also have the potential to remind us of good times with family and friends.

While grocery shopping, I also picked up three different kinds of chocolate, to be displayed in Depression Glass-era black glassware, and then divided up and sent home in cute little Halloween loot bags because it just isn’t Halloween without candy, no matter how old you are.

Speaking of birthdays, the Birthday Girl, as my mother would have called her on her special day, requested a seasonal favorite, an apple pie.  Since dessert is my contribution to the dinner, my husband, once again, came through and suggested getting a pie from Leo’s Bakery in East Rochester. 

Although that’s another drive for my guy, Leo’s is the place for collectors of culinary experiences.  I’m pretty sure I could try a different dessert there each week and keep coming back for more.

In the meantime, it’s going to be a busy day for me—and a good one.

I still need to get out some candlesticks and vases, in black glass of course, and arrange some flowers, which I made a point of picking up because it’s a special occasion, yet lighting candles and arranging bouquets won’t take too much more time.

I’ve got just about everything else ready for my guests, so I actually have time this morning to go to the Antiquarian Book Fair and look for something I just can’t live without.   I’ve been several times in the past, and I always look forward to the books, postcards, and other paper collectibles.  Maybe today, I’ll find a vintage Halloween postcard or two that suit my style and that I can actually afford.

This afternoon is the local meting the Jane Austen society, when avid Janeites will tell of their experience at the recent annual convention.  These women are admirable not simply for their collections of books or things related to Jane Austen, but also for their appreciation of learning and gathering knowledge—as our my friends.

Among the many things I appreciate are my treasured collections, my good-sport of a husband, and my close friends.  I hope those friends who are coming to my party this evening enjoy themselves and appreciate my efforts.

Happy Halloween, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

Are you, too, a fan of Halloween trappings and the assorted things that make the holiday spooky, scary, or fun?  If so, please leave a comment and describe the kind of trick-or-treat collectibles that fill your home.

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York museum
All Rights Reserved

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For the Love of Things

I meant to write another post last weekend, but I was busy running from one local event to another–and I’ve been busy ever since thinking about things and what we do with them.

I began last Saturday by going to the Fall Harvest fest at the historic Streeter’s Inn.  Hosted by The Chili Historical Society, it was a friendly, small-town event.  The kids there enjoyed a variety of games; the adults took in the historic site and wood carving demonstration, and the bargain hunters scoured the antiques, baked goods, and produce.

The Inn’s furnishings and most of the merchandise were, indeed, antiques, and many of the them represented the way life was lived 100 years ago.  Now, most of those things are going into collections–if not at the historic site, in someone’s private stash, hopefully displayed at home (rather than stored away).  Some collectors, of course, actually use the items they collect, but many of us are in the display business, figuratively or literally.

I managed to leave the fall fest with only one new purchase: an adorable dog planter that won’t become a home to a houseplant, but will be housed in my home among a few other canine collectibles.

I showed much less restraint later that afternoon at the Fantastic Findings Sale.  I had to make three trips to the car to make sure that nothing that was bagged up ended up broken up, too, as I continued to shop.  (Oh, it was a weekend for antiquing in Western New York!)

The annual sale at The Rochester Museum & Science Center is always jam-packed with a great variety of items that are either useful or decorative, antique or contemporary, which gave me four reasons to do more than window shop.

With so much to see, I naturally made two or three trips around each sales room.  There were beautiful decorative accessories, like china and crystal, as well as furniture from the past five decades, at least.  There were real antiques there, too, that reflected the styles and interests of past generations.

Needless to say, as The Committed Collector, I was delighted that so many interesting treasures were up for grabs, but I was a little saddened, too, because the only reason those things were available was because whoever owned them no longer wanted them.  

I realize that makes sense when things break or wear out, but things like that don’t end up in sales like this one.  

Likewise, I recognize that in a consumer culture like ours it’s often tempting to say, “Out with the old, and in with the new”–the new color or style or variation that’s being marketed this decade–or even this season.

With such a variety always available and a national penchant for disposable goods, I also understand why downsizing is a trend these days, which, no doubt, helps send donations to sales like this.

Nonetheless, sometimes you can just tell that people don’t want what they have anymore–like the penguin collection at this sale.  I admit I’m assuming the two dozen black and white figurines and gadgets at the sale came from a collection.  Although it’s possible that 10 or 20 different people donated penguins, I’d bet most came from the same donor.

Maybe the collector was streamlining his or her collection; maybe the collector was forced to downsize, or maybe his or her children simply don’t want Mom or Dad’s knick-knacks.  

While all of these situations are understandable, I always feel saddened when I see a collection being dismantled, broken up, and dispersed.

That simply can’t happen with a novel or a movie.  (Yes, I know manuscripts and films have been lost, in part and in total).  Once they’be been created and published or produced, however, they will always exist as a whole.

Collections, however, are more like buildings.  Collections, like buildings, are built from innumerable pieces, but only the very best one constructions are likely to be preserved intact.

Sometimes, building get old, sold off, stripped bare, and knocked down.  Some of the parts might be salvaged and installed elsewhere or reused somehow, but the original building is gone forever, which is often a great cultural loss.

More often, that happens with the collections that people build.  The collections remain whole only as long at the collectors have any say over their things, and that breaks my heart.  

As much as I hate it, however, I’ve come to accept that I can’t save every collection that I come across.  There certainly isn’t enough room at home, and I’ll never have enough money to pay for that much mini-storage (which would defeat the purpose of collecting, anyway).

And even if I get The Collectors museum up and running, that, too, will run out of space–sooner rather than later if all the local collectors I know put their things on display.

I suppose that’s the way of things, like the cycle of life, as this lovely autumn day reminds me.  

Things are bought; a collection grows.  A collection is built, but it must eventually be dismantled, piece by piece, so new collections can be built by the next generation of collectors.

In the meantime, enjoy the things that you already have.

Patti
The Committed Collector

Are you still collecting, trying to streamline, or ready to downsize?  Please leave a comment and let us know where your collection stands.


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