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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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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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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.

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It’s Collecting, Not Shopping

It seems I’ve done quite a bit of shopping lately, especially for the past several months.

However, I’ve barely been to the grocery store once a week recently. I’ve simply been too busy. I haven’t made the time to go to a department store to replace the new sandals the dog chewed up. And I’ve been avoiding home improvement stores where I should be picking up a gallon or two of paint to be ready for some projects.

Still, I’ve brought home quite a few bags lately—and a few boxes, too. You see, I’ve been enjoying a bit of a collecting binge since the beginning of summer.

In May, there was the stamp show, so naturally I bought a whole stack of vintage postcards. At the end of the month, my husband went to a conference, so I went along. With no antiques shops anywhere nearby, I made do each day by checking out both thrift shops there.

That was a real extravagance for me, and seeing how their merchandise changed each day was a real lesson as well. Entire collections appeared on the shelves overnight; some of the oddest things disappeared quickly, and some of the better items lingered behind.

I wondered how those collectors felt about their longtime efforts becoming ready-made collections up for the taking. Hopefully, the collectors themselves made the decision to donate their things, rather than family just getting rid of them.

In June, a community organization held its yearly benefit sale, so I checked out its offerings and added to a few of our collections. One of our esteemed local museums also held its annual sale, and I had to make two trips to the car before I was finished. (Is it any wonder that I want to establish a museum dedicated to displaying large collections of this and that?)

Then, two suburban churches held their annual garage sales, and it’s a tradition that I go to them. It’s a tradition that I go to a local Fourth of July benefit sale, too, so I went there—and through the checkout three times. (If you’re wondering if I’m exaggerating, I’m not. It’s been a great summer.)

I felt a little guilty and short of funds after those hauls (and I was headed out of town anyway), so I skipped the July church sale that I absolutely love. On the trip, however, I made up for that earlier sacrifice and made out like a bandit at the local discount department store, thrift shop, and library book sale. If I bought anything practical, I’ve forgotten. I do remember, however, that I did need to borrow a suitcase to get all my treasures home.

Back in Rochester, another church held its annual garage sale in August, and it’s a tradition that I go to it, of course. The fact that I discovered an additional church sale just added to the fun—and a sale on next year’s calendar.

In between, a friend held an impressive moving sale, and I felt obligated to go, of course. I wouldn’t want to risk offending him (and I might just find something I couldn’t live without—I found a half dozen things, actually).

Feeling even greater guilt at that time and having considerably less cash, I again sacrificed going to another favorite church sale at the end of August. (If I wasn’t feeling guilty enough then, I certainly am now as I write this.)

I did give in to temptation and complied with my husband’s suggestion of a day trip, lunch on the town, and an hour or two at a favorite used bookstore, where I did, indeed, buy books—for my teatime collection, my literary library, and my kitchen. (I dust my cookbooks more often than I try their recipes.)

Labor Day weekend arrived and brought us some company, who just happened to want to check out as many thrift shops and antiques malls as we could get to, and I managed to find more teatime items, china, and glassware. Making the rounds of four shops and two malls in three days is hard work, but it’s also a labor of love.

Temporarily feeling the agonies of remorse and poverty again, I skipped a Labor Day sale that I love and redoubled my efforts to open my museum.

Soon after, however, the antiquarian book fair was held, and I bought some more vintage postcards, of course (and some books as gifts). This past weekend was the glass show, so I bought a vintage tablecloth, a piece of fine china, and four ceramic teapots, but no Depression Glass because I still don’t officially collect Depression Glass.

This coming weekend is another esteemed museum sale; then there will be the glass pumpkin sale, and at the end of October is the local postcard club show. I know I shouldn’t even be considering any of them, but that’s what we committed collectors do, isn’t it?

I also assume the department stores are already stocked with their autumnal wares, and I’m really trying to resist being tempted by additional Halloween decorations and more turkey platters. I mean, how many does one really need, right?

However, we certifiable collectors never have enough because there’s always something new—or something old—to be found. There’s always another size or style or variation to discover. There’s always something else equally beautiful, creative, or ingenious to admire.

Although it may look like we’re shopping, and we’re certainly buying things, we’re actually just doing what we love most: collecting, building our collections, completing earlier ones, and starting new ones. It’s what we collectors do best.

Enjoy the hunt!

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you?  Are you crazy about collecting too?  If so, leave a comment and let us know where you like to go shopping, or, rather, collecting.

 

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

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Glorious Glass

I’ve forgotten if it was the year we moved to the Rochester area or the following one when I discovered the local Depression Glass Show & Sale.  I’ve also forgotten what the display theme was that year and what I bought.

What I remember, though, is how entering  the auditorium was like walking into a wonderland and how the Eisenhart shone with all the sparkling glassware.  What I also know is that this weekend’s glass show will be just as magical–because I’ve gotten a sneak peek.

As a member of the Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester, I was at the RMSC this afternoon setting up my display and checking out the sales booths.  Now, I can’t wait to get back tomorrow morning to start adding to my collections (even though I don’t officially collect Depression Glass, you see).

In addition to the thousands of tempting pieces of beautiful glassware are just as many other treasures, for the sale has been expanded to include vintage china and pottery, linens and silverware, buttons, jewelry, books, and other small antiques.

With all that to choose from, I might just be able to find a few new pieces for myself and a few gifts for family and friends.  Who needs to wait to dream of sugar plums when the glass show is in town!

I hope to meet you there!

Patti
The Committed Collector

 

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

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Collecting Memories

Today is still a day of remembrance and even mourning for many Americans, so antiquing and shopping–and collecting in general, for that matter–seem like rather trivial topics.

Writing about patriotic collectibles, as I did on the Fourth of July, seems rather questionable today, even though Sept. 11 has become known as Patriot Day.

Of course, many undoubtedly collect Americana as a tribute to those who fought to protect us or who were lost in the battle.  In addition, the popularity of red, white, and blue collectibles surely increased since the surge of patriotism and solidarity that ensued in the years since 2001, so there are many good reasons to collect such items.

In addition, collecting Liberty bells, Colonial flags, and other items related to the foundation of our country has always been popular.  From mementos to historical artifacts to symbolic objects, it’s been a long-standing tradition to collect vintage items from the past or contemporary ones that depict scenes or motifs from days gone by, like souvenir monuments or reproduction fabrics and papers.

Even so, a day like today makes me realize that the best things to collect are memories.  It’s more important to make time for the people in our lives than to spend time caring for the things in our homes.

Let’s share the day with the people we love and make memories worth cherishing.  After all, they’re the only things truly worth collecting.

Patti
The Committed Collector

 

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

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Collecting with Mom

Holidays (even ones like Labor Day that don’t have an array of trappings associated with them) always make me think of my family, especially my mother who made all of our holidays special.

Mom had always wanted four daughters, but I was her only one, so we were quite close. Mom was a rather progressive mother and taught me how to take care of a home as well as how to go out into the work world. When I was a child, she was the best mother I could imagine. When I became an adult, she became one of my best friends.

All along, Mom also instilled in me her love of beautiful things, respect for the past, and appreciation of cherished heirlooms (regardless of any monetary value).

When I finally finished college and had a real job and a place of my own in Jacksonville, Florida, Mom and I would go shopping from time to time to find things to feather my nest. Had I been practical, I would have wanted to go to the department stores at our nearby mall, Regency Square. Of course, I was more interested in exotic things, pretty pieces, and hidden treasures, so I usually wanted to go to places like Pier One Imports, antiques shops, and back-roads flea markets.

One of our favorite places was a small, independent antiques shop that had opened up in a former convenience store at the corner of Lone Star and Mill Creek roads. It was a free-standing building, with only the one storefront that had huge picture windows that let in a lot of light.

The shop was only a few miles from my childhood home, so I could pick up Mom, and she and I could be there in just minutes. Better still, the shop was open on Sundays until late afternoon, so we could get in some antiquing even on busy weekends.

That was a real treat for us both. In those days, the late 1980s and early 1990s, many antiques shops were often located in downtown settings or tourist towns, so having one in our own suburb was a delight. It also created a danger for me, especially.

You see, the shop was owned by a woman who had decidedly feminine sensibilities. Consequently, the shop had very little in the way of machinery, tools, sporting equipment, and other traditionally masculine items.

Instead, the owner filled the shelves with needlework, lamps, and candlesticks. The tables were set with china and glassware, silver and linens. One display after another was filled with beautiful things that sparkled and shone.

They were items that women would have used, so they were often decorated with flowers and garlands, scrolls and curlicues. The materials were often fine, like porcelain and crystal, and their colors were usually soft pastels.

I remember finding a small white teapot at that shop. It’s an individual teapot meant to hold only two cups of tea, and it’s just a perfect example of a teapot. The ceramic is fine, the glaze is pure white, and the decoration (swirls from base to opening) are delicate.

All these years later, that teapot that I found on a Sunday outing with my mother with remains one of my favorites. More important, I can’t see that teapot without recalling how Mom and I were together when I found it.

I also found a beautiful egg cup at that little shop. It’s a nice, white ceramic with a pink rose pattern on it. I rarely serve soft-boiled eggs, so I rarely use that darling egg cup. Perhaps I should, though. Again, thinking of it reminds me of my mother and how she taught me to notice details and appreciate beautiful things.

Unfortunately, that antiques shop didn’t stay in business for more than a year or two as I recall. How sad. It was a charming shop filled with lovely things. The owner was friendly, and she sold quality pieces. In addition, it was a place designed for women, and my mom and I were saddened by the loss of a place that honored the kinds of things that women past had used and women since could cherish.

Needless to say, I, the committed collector, still have both the teapot and the egg cup, which I’ve displayed in one apartment after another and in both houses we’ve bought here in the Rochester area. Both are still precious to me because they are beautiful and because they remind me of Mom.

So sad that she can’t be here this holiday weekend as we get together with family.

Happy Labor Day weekend, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

 

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

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How Do Collectors Collect?

Finally! I’ve worked my way through the journalists’ questions and have considered the who, what, when, where, why, and how of collecting and collectors.

Accordingly, I thought it would be appropriate to finish up this collection of questions with another collection of answers—specifically an assemblage of adverbs. I thought of many of these descriptive terms myself, and I discovered others by right clicking on my original word choices in my document and then seeing lists of synonyms upon synonyms, provided courtesy of Microsoft Word.

Here, then, is my rundown—complete with a collection of numerous adverbs—of how collectors go about finding additional pieces for their collections:

  • Younger, newer collectors (as I once was) often purchase items for their collections with more enthusiasm than skill (as I once did), so they collect enthusiastically (actively, willingly, devotedly, eagerly, ardently, unreservedly, strongly, or heartily).
  • Older, more experienced and educated collectors often buy knowledgeably. They develop considerable knowledge over time, so they become authorities who are highly informed about, or at least keenly aware of, their subjects and become well acquainted or familiar with the scope of their fields.
  • Casual collectors, who are only somewhat interested in assembling a collection, often pick up pieces informally (nonchalantly or offhandedly) or even randomly (arbitrarily, haphazardly, aimlessly, erratically, indiscriminately, unsystematically, or accidentally), so they can end up with small, incomplete, or disjointed collections, which I have done a time or two.
  • Avid collectors are often dedicated to building their collections and determined to acquire as many representative pieces as they can, so they often collect methodically (systematically, carefully, precisely, meticulously, regularly, or painstakingly).
  • Others who are inexperienced, driven, or reckless are at risk of purchasing, and ultimately collecting, hastily (hurriedly, quickly, speedily, or rapidly), which is how I shopped when I first discovered restaurantware and grabbed up almost every piece I came across—even ones that were plain, flawed, or damaged.
  • More serious collectors shop more carefully. They are prudent, sensible, judicious, cautious, wise, and wary about their acquisitions, so they take great care during the purchasing process.
  • Such careful collectors, always on the lookout for new additions, might shop regularly, yet buy only rarely—when that special piece comes along in the right condition at the right price.
  • Others shop occasionally, like seasonally with the sales or only annually while on vacation. However, those bitten by the collecting bug might shop much more frequently by making the rounds weekly or even by checking online daily, as this committed collector once did.
  • Some acquire items locally, here in the Rochester area, while others find pieces remotely, either from a distance by shopping online or in faraway places while traveling the States or even touring abroad.
  • Some collectors go about the process socially (or communally together with friends or family or shopping partners or through their personal contacts in shops and online), while others collect individually (singly, alone, or separately).
  • Some—perhaps those who have exhausted their time, money, or space—might shop privately (secretly or even covertly), while others who are still able to do so shop openly (overtly or publicly).
  • Of course, many collectors like to buy items on sale; most are willing to pay full price for desirable pieces, and some are willing to make their purchases at any price, especially when they’re getting treasures they covet.
  • Finally, longtime, dedicated collectors go about the process of acquiring news pieces either emotionally or logically. They either follow their heart or listen to their head. They’re either passionate about their pastime and buy what they love whenever they can without too much thought, or they weigh their options carefully, make sound judgments, and buy the best pieces at the best prices.
  • In both cases, using emotion or using logic, the vast majority of avid collectors, myself included, do so happily, which is my final word on how to collect.

Patti
The Committed Collector

So how do you go about adding to your collection? Do you collect systematically, or do you shop irregularly? Leave a comment and let us know how you’re building your collections. We’d love to compare methods with you.

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