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Thanksgiving Collections

I’m sure there are all sorts of things we could collect to commemorate Thanksgiving.

I myself collect dishes with turkeys on them and amber glassware and ceramic pumpkins, of course.  However, I think there are other, more important “things” to collect to honor the sentiment of Thanksgiving.

For example, we could collect…

  • appreciation, gratitude, and thankfulness
  • beneficence, blessings, and gifts
  • gladness, happiness, and joy
  • family, kin, and relatives
  • home, hearth, and warmth
  • celebrations, dinners, and feasts

I’m sure you, too, can think of other “things” to collect that mean far more than the collectibles, decorations, and dust-catchers that we acquire.

While we’re thinking of all the “things” we have to be thankful for, let’s make sure we enjoy the upcoming holiday with the ones we love and let them know how important they are to us.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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The Best Reasons to Collect

A collecting friend and I were talking the other evening about ways to explain our interests to others, who have yet to be bitten by our particular collecting bugs.

She mentioned that people often become interested in collecting antique postcards (which is one of her areas of specialty) when they come across ones from their hometowns.  Maybe they were just wandering through an antiques store or show and noticed boxes of postcards, all nicely categorized.

From there, they probably noticed the boxes labeled by state and then the cards groups by cities, towns, and major attractions.  Once they realized they could recapture images from their childhood, they’re on the way to being hooked by the various charms of postcards.

However, reawakening childhood memories isn’t the only reason to collect.  In fact, I can think of several other excellent reasons to shop, buy, display, and store far more than anyone really needs.

The Best Reasons to Collect

1. Memories—As just mentioned, collecting items that bring back memories and feelings of nostalgia are popular reasons to buy vintage and antique items, especially toys.

2. Souvenirs—Likewise, picking up mementoes and other trinkets that will remind us of our current travels and experiences are reasons to shop—or to hang on to things like maps, tickets, and show programs.

3. Adventures—Collecting, often called antiquing, can be an adventure in itself and can get us out of the house and encourage outings to shops and markets near and far.

4. Usefulness—Collecting things we can actually use around the house means our money goes twice as far, so feel free to amass kitchen gear, wicker baskets, and antique furniture.

5. Holidays and Seasons—Linking our collecting with our family celebrations and traditions is another way to make our spending do double duty: We get the thrill of hunting and gathering as well as the feelings evoked by seasonal collectibles.

6. Attractiveness—Investing our time and money in beautiful items that can be considered decorative accessories and even works of art means we can surround ourselves with things we enjoy seeing.

7. Other Sensual Appeals—Likewise, collecting music or wind chimes is something auditory people will do, while buying games or puzzles that can be played is something experiential types will enjoy, and collecting textiles and stuffed animals is for tactile types.

8. Shared Interests—Another way collecting can help us feel things is by sharing our interests and adventures will like-minded people. The only thing better than an afternoon antiquing is an afternoon antiquing with a shopping friend.

9. Personal Emotions—Of course, the best reason to collect any genre is because of the way the things make you feel. Maybe colorful teapots make getting out of bed worthwhile.  Perhaps humorous ties make getting dressed up for the office bearable.  Perhaps landscape drawings make coming home even better for you.

No matter what you collect, or whatever reasons you have for owning things, ultimately it’s the positive ways they make you feel that are truly important, so make sure to take time to enjoy your collections.  You built them for a reason—or two.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you?  What are your reasons for collecting?  Please leave a comment and let us know.  We’d love to hear about your interests.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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Literary Leanings

It’s already November, and many of us in Western New York are wondering what’s happened to autumn and all its beautiful colors. Some trees are finally turning, and the drive across town includes a radiant scene or two, but the usual bright yellows and deep scarlets have been slow to appear—or quick to disappear with the gusting winds.

Indeed, we’ve had quite a bit of clouds and rain lately, which makes the seasonal fun of raking leaves and other outdoor activities a challenge. Of course, that means indoor activities—like antiquing and surfing the web—are calling to us committed collectors.

A day like today, which is rainy and chilly and altogether dreary, is, in fact, the perfect day for collecting —and particularly for indulging in a certain genre of collecting, and I’m one of many who have literary leanings.

In other words, I love books. I buy books, and I borrow them from our esteemed Monroe County Library System. I buy new books, and I buy used ones. I buy books to read, books to look through, ones to have on hand as a reference, and a few simply to have.

Accordingly, I have a large collection of books, or at least an extensive accumulation of them:

  • My personal library includes two bookcases full of cookbooks that serve as fonts of inspiration and sources for an occasional recipe or two.
  • I have another two bookcases full of tomes on architecture, interior design, and decorating, and I’ve learned quite a lot from them.
  • I have a full bookcase of gardening books, including several shelves dedicated to growing roses, which have provided helpful information, ongoing motivation, and constant envy.
  • Then there’s the bookcase with romance novels and the one with real literature, including the works of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Mark Twain.
  • Another bookcase holds my favorites from the realm of popular fiction, like the Outlander series and the Father Tim stories.
  • Yet another two bookcases house my library of non-fiction, including a variety of writing guides, self-help books, and works on popular culture, including The Phantom of the Opera and other musicals.
  • Of course, as someone who is opening a museum dedicated to displaying large collections, I’m also putting together a library of books about collecting and collections, museums and galleries, which provide great information and much inspiration.
  • Finally, there’s the shrine dedicated to my collection of books about tea and teatime. These books are probably the only ones that I primarily collect. The others I actually use.

I buy teatime books because I collect teapots and other tea-related items.

My teatime books, therefore, are part of my larger teatime collection. They fill all four shelves of a short-yet-wide bookcase and are beginning to get stacked on top. That means it’s either time to cull my collection or get a taller bookcase—time for a new bookcase, of course.

My teatime library includes quite a few books about the Camellia sinensis plant and its origin in Asia, dozens about the English custom of afternoon tea, and even some teatime fiction, like the Laura Childs’ tea shop mystery series.

I’ve looked through all of these books. I’ve learned a lot about growing tea and processing it. I’ve often referred to the ones on afternoon tea for inspiration and recipes, and I’ve even read the tea-themed novels.

Nonetheless, I buy these books not to use them, but to have them, to organize and to preserve them, for they represent the knowledge and scope of the plant, the product, and the meal. In short, my library of tea-related books is another sub-collection of mine that I enjoy almost as much as my teapot collection.

And a day like today is one designed for a pot of hot tea, a comfy throw, and a stack of books. Maybe I’ll start with my Thanksgiving cookbooks and then move on to an anthology of Thanksgiving romances.

Patti
The Committed Collector

What are you doing on a dreary Saturday? Giving in to the shopping temptations on the Internet? Binge watching a collection of DVDs? Rereading a classic work of literature or revisiting a childhood favorite? Why not leave a comment and let us know how you enjoy your collections on a day off? We’d love to hear from you.

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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What Else I Collect

I was able to attend the monthly meeting of the local Depression Glass Club this past week, and discovered yet another reason to enjoy the organization and appreciate its members.

The group doesn’t meet in November because we’re all busy using our best china and glassware to serve our Thanksgiving dinners. We don’t have a formal meeting in December either because we’ve set aside an evening of holiday merrymaking that includes feasting, playing games, and winning glorious vintage glass as the prizes, of course.

With no more formal meetings this year, the club had to consider its programs for 2019 this month. When the president asked for suggestions, the members came through a number of popular kinds of Depression Glass, including the following:

  • salt and peppers
  • pitchers and beverage sets
  • kitchenware
  • elegant stemware
  • candlesticks
  • dresser pieces
  • children’s sets
  • glass animals
  • holiday pieces
  • Vaseline glass
  • teacups

As a teapot collector, I’d readily vote for a program on vintage glass cups and saucers any day. When another member suggested including teapots, too, I voted with both hands.

(Unfortunately, I don’t have an antique glass teapot, so I’ll have to ask Santa to include a gift certificate for a shopping spree, which means I’ll have to work hard to stay on the nice list until then.)

In the meantime, I can take solace in the fact that the very first suggestion for the glass club’s 2019 schedule was “What else I collect,” which was met with a rousing round of applause.  Okay.  Maybe I just imagined that part.

Even so, I love it. I absolutely, positively love it: People who are dedicated to collecting glassware of the Depression Era area also crazy about other collectibles, too. Just like I am.

They’re my kind of people through and through, and I appreciate the time and effort, knowledge and talent they all put in to building their intriguing, impressive collections.

Why not check out the Depression Glass Club’s Facebook page and then join us for a meeting in 2019? You’ll probably like the group as much as I do.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you have multiple collections, too? If so, please leave a comment and tell us about the things that attract your fancy.

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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12 Tips for Collecting Antique Postcards

If you haven’t heard, the Western New York Postcard Club has been holding its show and sale for 40-some years, and this time, it’s moving closer to Rochester, so it should be more convenient for many of us hunters and gatherers.

With the sale running from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 21, I thought it would be a good idea to review my strategy for making the most of my time and money. I thought my plans might be worth sharing with you, too.

To enjoy the event, score some deals, and come home with a few (dozen) more treasures for a (growing) collection, follow these tips:

1. If you already collect postcards, and have the time, look through your collection or your inventory to remind yourself of which ones you already have. (Okay. If your collection is already huge, you might not have time to do that.)

2. If you know you’re looking for something particular, like cards by a certain artist or the last in a series, spend some time searching the Internet first (if you don’t already do that regularly). If what you want is available online, you can do some comparison shopping.

3. If you have a small collection or a small series to complete, consider filing these cards in a pocket photo album and bringing it along with you. That way, you can make sure that your new purchases are indeed new to you or fit your collection. There’s rarely reason to duplicate cards or buy the wrong ones.

4. If you have identification guides, try to find the time to flip through them or bring them along, so you can remind yourself of different series, styles, and features that make some postcards worth more than others.

5. Plan to spend a few hours (or more) at the postcard sale. You probably won’t look through all of the hundreds of thousands of cards for sale, but if you stop at each dealer and look through each category you’re interested in, you could be there for a long while.

6. Remember to ask each dealer about the topics that you’re interested in. In addition, ask if the subjects you want might be filed under related categories. Each dealer knows his or her filing system better than anyone else, so they can direct you to the boxes that are most likely to have something you’ll like.

7. In addition, ask each dealer if he or she specializes in any particular subjects or has a particularly large number of a certain category. Sometimes dealers are drawn to specific topics, have access to certain postcards in their area, or recently acquired a particular collection. Knowing this will often allow you to choose from some special cards or ones that are scarce in your area.

8. If you think you’re finished at a booth, take the time to browse through the category cards and consider what similar subjects there are (or discover some new ones). Chances are a category or two will surprise you.

9. If you find a lot of postcards you like from one dealer, but know you really shouldn’t buy them all, find an area in the booth to spread out your choices and compare them to each other. Seeing them side by side often makes it easy to determine which ones you simply can’t live without.

10. If enough postcards have caught your eye in one booth, and you have a nice stack, ask the dealer if he or she can give you a bulk discount of sorts. When it comes to antiquing, we all believe in the more the merrier.

11. If a booth has some cards that are your second choices, write down which dealer, which category, and which cards have tempted you. Then, after making the rounds, and if you still have time and money left, swing back to the ones you left behind earlier. With your notes, you’ll be able to find them quickly and easily.

12. Most important, talk to the dealers. Ask about their interests and their suggestions. Listen to what they have to say about the artistry, style, or history of the postcards you’re interested in. The dealers are experts and can be a wealth of information to us.

Well, I think I’ve managed to talk myself into going to the postcard show (as if I needed to do that).

Of course, I’m planning to go, even though I’m still a beginner in this field and my postcard collection is still minuscule by most standards—all the more reason to go to the show, right?

I have to admit that I’d love to find more postcards with classic renditions of roses and some with handsome portraits of dogs as well as a few more pastel Easter cards and then a few more Christmas cards in red and green and maybe even some…

Hopefully, I’ll raise my head from the boxes of postcards long enough to see you there.

The show and sale is being held tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 21, at Perinton’s James E. Smith Community Center, 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport.

Admission is $3 a person, but free for members, so you should probably think about joining the club. For more information, visit the club’s website at www.WNYPostcardClub.com.

Patti
The Committed Collector

So will we see you there? Is ephemera a category of collecting that interests you? Do you appreciate graphic arts or the nostalgic sentiments of snail mail? If so, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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Collecting Postcards

I don’t know how it took me so long to discover antique postcards as a collectible.

Both my father and grandfather were printers, so I was raised to appreciate printed materials. The artistry on postage stamps, paper money, and even sale ads were the kinds of things that Dad pointed out to me.

I loved the clip art in the grocery ads that Mom checked out each week. I knew the caricatures of bunnies and reindeer weren’t photos or paintings, but I couldn’t figure out what they were, artistically speaking. Nonetheless, I cut them out and glued them into a scrapbook just as my Victorian ancestors might have pasted trade cards into albums.

However, it wasn’t until I was nearly 30 that I discovered antique postcards. By then, I was fully committed to collecting china and glassware, but I still hadn’t noticed postcards at garage sales or flea markets. Ironically, I always bought postcards on my travels, but it didn’t occur to me that vintage ones existed, too.

Thankfully, a friend introduced me to the beauty and variety of antique postcards. We had planned an entire weekend of antiquing, and first on her agenda was the postcard show.

I had never been to a postcard sale before, so I didn’t know what to expect. My friend, however, brought enough cash and patience to keep us there for several hours.

She diligently stopped at each booth and asked about cats, horses, trains, and Halloween—the four categories that she and her husband collected. Then she pulled out a chair and sat down to look methodically through every one of these groups of cards. Then she changed chairs, so she could look through every card in every miscellaneous box.

At that point in my collecting “career,” I was used to walking from table to table and checking out a variety of wares. Sadly for us visual types, there often isn’t a lot to see at a postcard sale because the dealers organize their thousands of postcards in small cartons that look a lot like shoe boxes.

That means the sales tables all look pretty much alike—unless you take a seat and get comfortable. Then, there are wondrous sights to behold.

I only learned this after milling around for a couple of hours. Finally, and, I have to admit, out of boredom, I followed my friend’s lead and asked a dealer if any of the postcard might depict flowers, something I’ve always loved.

“Of course, there are cards with flowers,” he boomed. “What kind are you interested in,” he asked. “Bouquets? Gardens? Roses? Lilies? Or advertising cards—how about trade cards with pretty girls and bunches of posies?”

Initially overwhelmed by all the kinds of flowers I could consider on antique postcards, I blurted on the one that registered with me—roses. Mom loved roses; I loved roses, too, and I still do, so that was a fortuitous choice.

The dealer ushered me over to the box that had the “Flowers-Roses” tag and kindly pulled out a chair for me. Soon, I was lost in a rose bed of artistry.

Some antique cards had classically done renditions of lush, romantic roses. Vintage postcards had more stylized depictions of pink, red, and yellow blooms. Newer ones were made from color photos and showed the grandeur of places like the Hershey Rose Garden.

I was so engrossed that another hour or more went by as I decided if I preferred postcards with single blooms or full bouquets (both), pink roses or red ones (pinks), and just how many I should/could buy (more than I needed).

Eventually, it was my friend who was ready to leave and come looking for me.

She was buying for two (for herself and her husband), so she left with hundreds of postcards—and I mean hundreds. I might have left with only a dozen or so, but I had begun another collection—one that reflects all my father taught me about the artistry of printed materials.

Ever since, I’ve always managed to be selective and leave postcard shows with relatively few cards—even though I really don’t know why since I fully believe the more the merrier when it comes to collecting.

Perhaps next weekend when the local postcard show moves closer to town, I’ll finally become certifiable and leave with bags and bags of beautiful postcards.

I’ll be sure to try my best.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you like to pick up postcards as souvenirs of your travels? Are you among the few who actually send postcards to family and friends? If so, we’d love to hear from you—so please leave a comment.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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Collecting Quotes about Collecting

Happy Friday, Collectors!

I’ve been writing about collecting since mid-June, and writing about collecting keeps me thinking about collecting more than ever—which means I’ve been thinking about garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and antiques malls more often than before—especially as the weekend rolls around.

However, without the time to actually go out antiquing or junking—or the space for any more treasures—I’ve had to content myself with other ways of experiencing the fun and adventure of collecting.

One way is by sharing what I’ve learned with you. Another is asking for guest posts, so we all can learn from the experts in the Rochester area. Yet another is by finding out what people elsewhere say about our favorite pastime.

Now that I have three ways of vicarious collecting—and we all know once you have three of something, you’re on your way to a collection—I thought I’d share my first set of quotes about collecting with you.

Whether the collectibles are old or new, handmade or mass-produced, practical or decorative, whatever people collect is always fascinating to me, and to hear or read why they collect is always intriguing, too.

Thanks to the website BrainyQuote, here are some comments about the various things celebrities collect, in their own words:

  • “Collecting records is, for many, beyond a hobby.”
    —Henry Rollins, musician, actor, and radio host
  • “I have a lot of mermaid stuff. I did start collecting a lot before I had children because I didn’t know if I would have a boy or a girl. So I saved everything.”
    —Jodi Benson, actress and singer
  • “I collect crystals and gemstones, and I’ve been collecting them since I was a little girl. They give me positive energy and strength. They make me feel connected to the earth. I cherish them.”
    —Isabel Lucas, actress and model
  • “I’ve been collecting art for much of my adult life. I started around 1960. And my wife and I really enjoy art a great deal. We don’t have a lot of money, so we have works on paper, but we enjoy them a great deal.”
    —Eric Kandel, neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner
  • “The man that got me into collecting sneakers in the first place was the man they call Michael Jordan. He was the one who kind of exposed me to the sneaker world – he was my favorite basketball player, and he had the best shoes.”
    —Macklemore, singer and songwriter
  • “I became fascinated with the concept of speak no, see no, hear no evil…and the actual depiction of three wise monkeys. And I began collecting it over the years. And I kind of figured that I might be…the fourth monkey, the feel no evil monkey.”
    —Mackenzie Phillips, actress and singer
  • “I think the best thing that I collect is memories. I love traveling; I love remembering stuff, my family, my daughter, my wife. I just love collecting memories of my trips, my experiences. And I think that’s it. I’m not very glued to material stuff.”
    —Jaime Camil, actor, singer and TV personality

As the committed collector, I can’t possibly fathom the concept of not being attached to material things; however, I have to agree with Camil’s comment that collecting memories of our life experiences is the absolute best. It’s the people, occasions, and accomplishments in our lives that should truly mean the most to us.

If we collectors happen to pick up a memento or a souvenir while we’re spending time with our loved ones and enjoying special moments, well, so much the better.

Patti
The Committed Collector

As always, we’re interested in what you collect and how you feel about your collections. Please leave a comment and tell us about your favorite collections and why they interest you.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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18 Tips for Collecting Roses

As a member of The Greater Rochester Rose Society, I know that most of the members are rose lovers and readily say they grow roses. Many of them are all-around gardeners, too, so they say they garden with roses. I’m probably the only one who says, “I collect roses,” but I think the other members should consider that’s exactly what they do, too.

Collecting by definition means amassing a quantity of similar or related items, and it seems to me that’s what we members of the local rose society do. Just as another collector might focus on bottles, we focus on roses, and anyone who has 200 rose bushes growing in their yard is a collector in my book.

As we buy additional rose bushes, we rose growers/gardeners/collectors also take into account features like color, size, shape, and variety—just like another collector might have green Depression Glass or miniature clocks or spherical vases or assorted marbles.

The fact that our floriferous collection is a living one—and lives outside the house, for that matter—is irrelevant to me, the committed collector, for a collection is a collection is a collection.

Consequently, I’ve asked the members of the Rose Society to consider what decisions they make as they choose new roses each season or decide which ones to add to their garden designs, and here is their advice:

Suggestions for Collecting Rose Bushes
Courtesy of The Greater Rochester Rose Society

1. Since this collection features living plants, buy rose bushes only from reputable sellers, so you start with healthy, hearty plants.

2. To assemble a collection of rose bushes that are most likely to survive our winters in Western New York, consider buying roses with their own root stock rather than those grafted onto another’s. Or, at least, talk to your neighbors who grow roses, so you can collect ones that do well in our area.

3. An additional way to choose roses for their hardiness is by noting their suitability for our hardiness zone. Being south of Lake Ontario puts most of us in Zone 6. Depending on your specific conditions, landscape, and micro-climate, you may need to collect roses that are fit for one zone either way.

4. To ensure that your collection is always looking its best, chose roses that are known for another kind of hardiness—their disease resistance.

5. If you’re new to roses, visit the website of the American Rose Society, www.rose.org. Among its valuable information is what you’ll need to decide if you want to collect Floribundas or Shrubs or Climbers or Old Garden Roses, for example. The website explains the different classes of roses, their shapes, their growing habits, and their bloom cycles, so you can decide if you want to collect some of each or specialize in one kind or another.

6. If you’re adding rose bushes to a garden or designing a new one, check out a resource like the book Right Rose, Right Place, so you can choose the appropriate roses for your yard and its conditions.

7. If you’re growing roses to exhibit in rose shows, or if you simply want a stellar garden display, collect only roses that have high ARS scores, which are compiled by the American Rose Society based on information from thousands of gardeners around the country. Roses with high scores are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

8. Consider fragrance, too, as a primary feature of this collection. After all, everyone instinctively puts their nose in a blossom hoping there’s a heady scent. Some of the rose bushes suggested for a “fragrance” collection include Double Delight, Perfume Delight, Sunsprite, and Mr. Lincoln.

In addition, make “display” decisions based on the strength of the rose’s perfume. For example, in a bed, you might display (plant) strongly scented ones away from each other, so you can enjoy their differences. Also, you might display (plant) particularly fragrant ones near your entrance or deck, so you can be around their scent often.

9. One deciding factor for many collectors is color, and rose lovers are no exception. If you love vibrant hues and many shades, consider choosing a variety of them and then alternating the specimens in your rose collection by color. (In other words, plant roses of different colors so they alternate with each other.)

10. Conversely, consider planting monochromatic rose beds or ones of complimentary colors. By choosing roses all in one shade, like pink or white, you can go for maximum impact. By buying roses that go well together, like purples and yellows, your display will have a different effect.

11. If you’re fastidious about color: (1) buy rose bushes only when they’re blooming or (2) buy a color wheel and note the exact shade of this year’s roses to have handy when you shop next year, or (3) transplant rose bushes if their flower colors clash with those next to them.

12. Another way to curate a rose collection is by having a theme, such as by planting a celebrity garden. Flower beds could include rose bushes named after the famous (like Marilyn Monroe, Dolly Parton, and Elizabeth Taylor) or the important (like Queen Elizabeth, John F. Kennedy, and Billy Graham) or the fun (like Don Juan, Santa Claus, or Graham Thomas, who’s a superhero to rose lovers). Visitors are enchanted by such a cast of characters and can have fun guessing which one is which.

13. One way to have cohesion in a rose bed is to collect rose bushes that are all of the same classes, like Hybrid Teas or English Roses or miniatures. Most of your choices then will have the same general look, growing habits, and needs.

14. Otherwise, if you’re attracted to all kinds of rose bushes, as a true collector would be, buy and display (plant) roses according to their height and overall size, as we would when arranging items in any other collections.

15. Once winter arrives, spend the time poring over books, catalogs, and websites, so you’ll know what you like when rose bushes arrive in the nurseries in the spring. Then you can shop with your design idea in mind.

16. Watch for the local rose shows in 2019, so you can see the blossoms and foliage on hundreds of different varieties. You’ll see different shapes of blooms, for example, as well as different shades of color and different edges of petals. You’ll also get an idea of how small miniature rose blooms are compared to those of standard varieties. Any of these features can be inspiration for starting a collection.

17. All collections need to be maintained, and that’s particularly true of living things, so you can contact your local rose society to find out what type of rose will suit your lifestyle. Each chapter of the ARS has consulting rosarians who are more than qualified to answer your specific questions.

18. The only thing more helpful than contacting a rose society is joining one. The Greater Rochester Rose Society usually meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month from March through December. In July, the group has its annual picnic and garden tour, of course.

For more information about the rose society, visit its website at https://greaterrochesterrosesociety.weebly.com/ or send an email message to rochrosesociety@gmail.com.

A warning about collecting roses as well as a word of encouragement from one of the rose society members: “Growing roses is a challenge, yet it’s very addictive. Somehow a few plantings can increase to 65 rose bushes, but it is a most gratifying hobby when the garden is in full flush.”

Spoken like a true collector if you ask me.

Patti
The Committed Collectors

If you’re a gardener who has a particular favorite or a scheme in mind as you choose your plants, why not leave a comment and let us know what features influence your choices?

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.

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Lunar Collections

If you enjoy marking the seasons as much as I do, you’ll know we’ve reached the time of the Harvest Moon, which happened to be last night’s full moon—or was it this morning’s?
Summer was supposed to go out with the embers of Labor Day cookouts. The nights have finally gotten cooler, and the farmers’ markets are bursting with both apples and pumpkins. Halloween can’t be far behind.

Soon, we’ll be transfixed by enchantresses or terrified by werewolves. Before then, though, we might consider the beauty and mystery of the moon, especially when it’s full and glowing.

Presumably since the beginning of time, people have been mesmerized by the moon, imbued it with mystical powers, and found it symbolic of many things.

Collectors, too, have been fascinated by the moon and its many guises. Just think of all the moon-related things we could collect!

Wordsmiths can have fun with all the terms that contain “moon” and compile quite a list:

  • moonbeam and moonlight
  • honeymoon and honeymooners
  • moonshine, bathtub gin, bootleggers
  • the moonwalk, moon rocks, lunar samples
  • moonshots, moonscapes
  • moon-roofs
  • being moon-eyed or mooning over someone
  • not to be confused with mooning someone

Avid readers, bibliophiles, and other book lovers might have libraries filled with these titles:

  • Carolina Moon, Moon Shadows, or Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts
  • The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
  • From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
  • Full Moon by P.G. Wodehouse
  • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  • The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck
  • The Moon Lady by Amy Tan
  • The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs
  • Moon over Water by Debbie Macomber
  • The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
  • New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Music lovers of all ages can find moon-songs for their collections that might include:

  • Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon”
  • Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon”
  • “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising”
  • Duran Duran’s “New Moon on Monday”

Movies buffs can have any or all of the following films in their collections, depending on their tastes:

  • Moon over Miami with Betty Grable
  • Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Franco Zeffirelli
  • Paper Moon with father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O’Neal
  • Roger Moore as James Bond in Moonraker
  • Moonstruck with Cher and Nickolas Cage
  • The Twilight Saga: New Moon with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson

Of course, if I collected moon-related items, my DVD library would definitely include both the Roy Rogers’ film from 1938 as well as the 1944 version with Ann Sheridan. After all, I’d want it to Shine on Harvest Moon.

Patti
The Committed Collectors

How about you? Do you know anything about the comics or video games that feature the moon? Those fields are outside of my areas of interest, so I’d love to hear what you suggest–please leave a comment.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.

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Guest Post: Enjoying Depression Glass

Last weekend was all about the Depression Glass show and sale for me and many other glass lovers in our area—or should I call them committed glass collectors?

Collecting in Rochester is always fun, but it’s particularly exciting when there’s a big event that brings together a variety of dealers and their wares. The annual glass show did just that by bringing in several out-of-town Depression Glass dealers, a number of local ones, and a number of purveyors of general antiques, which is always fine with me.

I might have mentioned in my last post that I bought a piece of china, four teapots, and a tablecloth at the show and sale. How I managed to resist all that glorious glass still remains a mystery to me. (All right. Very, very limited space might have had something to do with it—so the fear of starting yet another collection was a factor, too.)

As I said, though, I did bring home some new purchases, as did quite a few other collectors I know. Unless we’ve been diligent since then, that means this weekend is all about updating our collections.

I myself still need to unpack my new treasures, give them a gentle washing, add them to my inventory, and then decide how to use them.

Packing them away always breaks my heart. Saving them for special occasions is a disappointment, too. Squeezing more teapots into my china cabinet will be a challenge. (Did I mention lately that I’m planning to open a museum next year for those of us who have far too many items in our collections and far too little space at home?)

Since storing, saving, and cramming in are poor options, I might as well use my new treasures—and I hope you use your special things, too.

To encourage us all to enjoy our vintage glassware more often, the members of The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester have provided some helpful suggestions:

Enjoying Depression Glass

1. Keep your glassware easily accessible in a china closet or kitchen cabinet. However, when dishes are stacked on top of each other, be careful not to drag or scrape the top one over the one it sits on because that could cause scratches.

2. Most vintage glassware is still fit to be used or at least displayed. Enjoy displaying your vintage glass bowls or trays, for example, on tables and dressers, but avoid tossing keys and coins into them because doing so will scratch the glass over time.

3. Vintage glass pitchers come in a variety of styles, so it’s easy to find fun ones for everyday use as well as elegant ones for special occasions. At all times, though, carry and pour glass pitchers by holding both the handle and the neck or bottom, too, to avoid putting all the stress in one place.

4. Using your glassware is an easy way to control portion size because older styles are often smaller than contemporary ones. Be careful, though, serving things like coffee or soup in your Depression-Era cups or bowls because overfilling and then spilling are possible.

5. Set a pretty table by serving dinner on your favorite glassware; however, avoid putting vintage glass plates on hot stovetops and into hot ovens—and don’t put them in the microwave at all. Only bakeware and similar pieces were designed to withstand high temperatures in conventional ovens.

6. Use your glass dishware as often as you can, but consider what kinds of food you serve on vintage glass. Avoid entrees like steak or chops that need to be cut with a sharp knife because it’s easy to cut the plates as well as the food.

7. Glassware is great for storing leftovers, but be careful with which kinds of vintage glass you put in the refrigerator. Only sturdy kitchenware, like covered refrigerator dishes, was made to withstand the cold.

8. Enjoy using your Depression Glass, and then give it the TLC is deserves with a handwashing in warm soapy water. However, avoid putting cold or even cool glass in warm water. Likewise, avoid putting cold things into glassware that might be still warm from a recent washing. It’s usually better to let vintage glassware come to room temperature before subjecting it to temperature changes.

9. Although, most Depression Glass is strong enough to still be used, decorative pieces and figurines might be better off simply on display. Some dishes have fancy or openwork rims, and other pieces have fragile edges that can be chipped or broken off easily. So…use your glassware in a display and then be particularly careful when arranging or dusting it. Then sit back and admire how beautiful your glass looks.

If you love vintage glassware as much as I do, why not visit the Depression Glass Club when it meets next month? Visitors are always welcome whether or not they collect glass, and the club even allows in china collectors like me.

I hope to see you at the October meeting. In the meantime, remember to check out the Depression Glass Club’s Facebook page for more details about their upcoming calendar.

Patti
The Committed Collector

If you love using your vintage items, please leave a comment and tell us how you use them. We’re curious to know how others put their treasures to work around them.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.