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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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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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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.


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

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Shopping with a Purpose

With such nice weather in Western New York this weekend, it’s easy for me to be tempted by estate sale signs and flea market ads, yet I’m trying to remember my resolution to do more curating this year and less shopping.

Nonetheless, it has occurred to me that we committed collectors can do both at the same time–as long as we’re resolved not to buy any more for our collections as we look for things to organize and display what already waits for us back home.

If you like garage sales and thrift stores and any other kind of antiquing, you know that the Rochester region offers many opportunities to find the kinds of things we need to maintain our collections. If you haven’t noticed all the useful things a collector can find secondhand, read on because I’ve got quite a shopping list for you.

If we can resist the temptation of adding additional pieces to our collections, making the rounds on a Saturday or Sunday can result in the following items that are useful for curating the collectibles we already own:

  1. Price guides or other books and magazines are what all of us collectors need to identify and date our collectibles. The going rates may have changed, but the information and photographs are often still helpful.
  2. Storage tubs and similar plastic bins, which come in all sorts of sizes, keep all kinds of things clean and dry.
  3. Plastic shoe boxes, cardboard hat boxes, and padded round vinyl zippered bags are meant for three-dimensional things like, well, shoes, hats, and china.
  4. Wire milk crates, wooden fruit crates, glass canning jars, and decorative metal cookie tins can corral collectibles like records, books, buttons, and miscellaneous junk, respectively, and still look good doing the job.
  5. Albums and sheet protectors, as well as other kinds of binders and sleeves meant for protecting photographs and papers, help organize a variety of ephemera.
  6. Needless to say, picture frames, bulletin boards, and three-panel screens or room dividers are great for displaying flat items like photos, postcards, and pin-back buttons.
  7. Specialty display cases for treasures like coins, golf balls, baseball cards, and souvenir spoons are often found at sales or in shops and can hold the intended items or other, similarly shaped collectibles.
  8. Acrylic boxes and glass domes for displaying–and keeping dust-free–model cars, antique dolls, and taxidermy are worth looking for–again, for the intended pieces or for other things.
  9. Custom-made acrylic risers or things like cigar boxes and cookie tins can elevate items at the back of our displays–especially if re-purposed items are covered or painted (but painted only if they’re worn).
  10. Shelving, bookcases, and large entertainment units offer lots of open vertical display space.
  11. Curio cabinets and free-standing display cases offer enclosed, protected space, and some even lock for added security.
  12. China closets and corner cabinets usually provide display area up top and storage space down below, whether for the family silver or something else altogether.
  13. Obviously, dress forms and department store mannequins are free-standing ways to show off vintage fashions.
  14. Likewise, wooden hangers, peg racks, coat trees, and hat stands can be put to work holding accessories of all kinds.
  15. Piano lights, desk lamps, and floor lamps all come in handy when it comes to putting our collections in the spotlight.

With a list like that, I could spend the whole day making the rounds and never notice the things that usually tempt me.

Okay. I’d probably see plenty of temptations, but I’d be bringing with me something more important than spending money.

I’d be taking along my resolve to find things that help me safeguard and showcase the pieces I already have and love–and that would make for a worthwhile day of shopping.

Happy Hunting, Everyone!

Patti
The Committed Collector

And you? Would you find it difficult to make the rounds of the neighborhood garage sales or country flea markets and resist all the temptations? Or are you disciplined enough to shop for practical pieces? Leave a comment, why don’t you, and let us know. We’d love to hear about your strategy.

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

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Kitchenware Blues–and Reds and Yellows, Too

It’s only Saturday morning, and I’ve already had real trouble resisting all the sales this weekend. 

On my first foray through the suburbs of Rochester yesterday, what did I see but an estate sale sign. This morning, garage sale signs seem to be posted at every other corner, and The Shops on West Ridge is holding its seasonal sale, and tomorrow—Sunday—is always a big day for flea markets and antiquing in Western New York in the summer.

Oh, I’m in agony over my New Year’s resolution to do less shopping and more curating in 2019, and it’s all the Depression Glass Club’s fault.

You see, on Thursday evening, the DGC’s program was all about kitchenware of the 1930s and 1940s, and I’ve been Jadeite green with envy ever since.

I had assumed I really didn’t like kitchenware.  It was merely practical (or so I thought) and included only covered refrigerator dishes and dusty, greasy grease canisters. 

How wrong I was.

The program featured a great variety of pieces brought in by several members of the club.  The range of items was surprising, while the colors were as striking as always: lovely pastel pink, vibrant cobalt blue, and happy poppy orange.

And, oh, I have been tempted ever since to begin a new collection.  Wouldn’t red pieces brighten up my kitchen?  Beverage sets would be so useful on the porch, and everybody needs salt and pepper sets, right?  And useful things don’t count as collectible, do they?

Nonetheless, I’ve gotten about halfway through the weekend without embarking on a kitchenware collection, so, for now, I’ll continue to restrain my enthusiasm and simply itemize the kinds of Depression Era glassware available for anyone building a collection (or trying to resist starting one, as in my case).

Here, then, in alphabetical order, are the kinds of pieces that were displayed Thursday evening at the Depression Glass Club meeting:

  • batter jugs and butter dishes
  • canning jars, cookie jars, creamers, cruet sets, custard cups
  • drip jars
  • juice glasses, juice jugs
  • measuring cups, mixing bowls, moisture proof shakers
  • pitchers
  • reamers, refrigerator bottles, refrigerator jugs
  • salt and pepper shakers, skillets, spice sets, sugar bowls, sugar shakers, syrup pitchers
  • tea canisters
  • vases

Some members brought only one kind of item, while others showed off several kinds of related pieces.  All had important information as well as interesting stories to share.

Another thing that came up as the members talked about their collections was how they curate them, which I found most intriguing. 

  • Some group pieces by their colors or patterns, so their displays are made impressive by the number, similarity, or range of items.
  • Others are fans of certain manufacturers, so their collections include a variety of pieces, but their patterns, styles, or shades are often identical.
  • Still others organize their kitchenware by their use, so we saw groupings like a chorus line of syrup jugs.
  • Some of the members are collectors after my own heart and explained how they integrate their glass kitchenware with related objects like ceramic dishes and vintage linens.

All in all, the members of the Depression Glass Club put on another interesting program with many beautiful things to see.  (I might easily add that these collectors have enough to fill a museum exhibit like the ones planned for The Collectors of Western New York.)

In addition, the glass club members inspired us all to look at things with a renewed interest and see the various possibilities out there—whether we’re on the hunt for new pieces or curating what we already own and love.

Happy Weekend, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

I wonder:  Has vintage glassware caught your eye?  Are you drawn to the vibrant colors or the fun patterns?  If so, why not leave a comment and tell us about your kitchenware?  We’d be delighted to hear about it.

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

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Spring Collection Clean Up

In the springtime, a Saturday (or a Sunday, for that matter) in Western New York means one thing for many collectors—opportunities to go out antiquing or junking or even thrifting, as I recently heard our favorite pastime called.

Happily for us committed collectors, any day off during the nicer weather—especially three days off over Memorial Day weekend—brings us the chance to make the rounds of some of the garage sales and flea markets scheduled in and around Rochester. Also, rain or shine, antiques shops and other retail outlets offer comfortable alternatives.

If you collect things like garden accessories, vacation souvenirs, and 21st Century garage sale goodies, opportunities simply abound for adding to our collections at this time of year—which is compounded when spring has been late to arrive, and we’re overdue to come out of hibernation.

However, I’m one of the local collectors who needs to resist all these temptations and stay home, for I’ve already collected so much that I could, well, fill a museum, and so have so many of my collecting club friends. We’ve been hunting and gathering diligently over the years and have bagged hundreds and evens thousands of trophies.

Some of us have been consistent about keeping an inventory and either displaying or storing our collections appropriately. Some of us—myself included at times—have gotten to the point where the tail is wagging the dog, which is certainly the case with my collection of canine figurines, postcards, and pictures.

That means a combination of guilt and pride should be enough to keep me home and working on my current collections. Like anyone who truly appreciates their collectibles, I should be willing to spend as much time curating my treasures as I spend acquiring them.

Afterward, I can spend time feeling good about having my collections fully organized with some stored properly and others displayed attractively.

I’ve decided that I can give up the lesser days of spring—like today when thunderstorms are forecast to bring rain and humidity to town—and spend time taking care of my treasures.

For instance, once I’ve cleared up the clutter from my last shopping spree—at the Genesee Valley bottle club’s show at the end of April—I’ll be able to fully enjoy our porch. My treasures will be inventoried, stored out of the way, or displayed in more appropriate places, rather than plunked down on our wrought-iron table and forgotten.

I’m looking forward to being able to get some spring cleaning done (on the porch, anyway) and then decorating that space with my vintage floral tablecloths. The table will be clear and ready for my yellow tulip dishes and yellow glassware, and the bookshelf will be dusted and ready to display some ceramic vases and planters I’ve collected.

Best of all, we’ll be able to relax, surrounded by some of our seasonal collections, in a space that is not only attractively decked out, but is also fully functional.

I’ll be the first to admit that acquiring new pieces for our collections is heaps of fun, but if we’re not careful, we committed collectors will end up with heaps of stuff. Stuff, however, doesn’t make for a curated collection—only time, effort, and care will create that.

Afterward, we can feel delighted by our collections, appreciative of having them fit in our homes, and proud of our efforts—which are all things worth working toward.

Happy Spring Cleaning—I mean Spring Curating—Everyone!

Patti
The Committed Collector

I wish I knew the secret to quick and easy inventorying. If you’ve learned how to make the process efficient and effective, why not leave a comment? I’d love to be able to share your tips for keeping track of your treasures.

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

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Four Things to Do Other Than Shop at Shows & Sales

We’ve all heard that April showers bring May flowers, which is certainly true as the rains continue in the Flower City, but, for me, May itself brings the unofficial opening of show and sale season.

The good news—or the bad, if you’re as limited for space as I am—is that garage sale signs are popping up all around town. Flea markets are starting to open. A lot of local organizations are holding their annual sales, and flyers for all the upcoming shows are being distributed wherever you go antiquing in the Rochester area—and I’m chomping at the bit.

Without a doubt, I’ll be tempted to go out collecting every weekend between now and Halloween, whether I should or shouldn’t.

Realistically, I simply can’t get to every event since I do have other things to do. What’s worse, I definitely don’t have the space to bring home any more treasures. Really, I should stay home and work on my own collections—and follow through with my New Year’s resolution to curate what I have rather than collect more.

Nonetheless, the local shows and sales beckon.

So far, I’ve been lured to the Genesee Valley Bottle show that was held last Sunday (but I resisted the first community garage sale at the Rochester Public Market). I made it to the Breweriana show that’s going on today (but will likely forgo the first Saturday at The Shops on West Ridge, even though it’s one of my favorite stops for collectibles of all kinds.)

Although I did give in and come home with a few new purchases from these show and sales, I also picked up a few curating tips along the way.

You see, committed collectors—especially ones who’ve sworn not to buy another item for their collections ever again—can learn a lot at events like these.

So…if you need a reason to justify going to any of the shows and sales in Western New York this year, read on. I’ve learned several things just by window shopping and noticing the merchandising more than the merchandise.

When you go out antiquing, you can, indeed, do more than shop. In fact, you can also learn the following four curating tricks:

How to Display Multiples of the Same Thing

Needless to say, many dealers specialize, so their wares often include multiples of the same items or many of their variations. Their displays can give you an idea of how to show off every Pepsi Cola bottle ever made or every individual piece in a set of Spode china.

By noticing how dealers stagger, elevate, and group items, we can get great ideas for displaying our own treasures at home. Maybe we’ll spot a booth with a lot of similar items. Maybe we’ll notice another dealer who has complete sets of things. In either case, we can walk away with a plethora of ideas—even if we can’t buy another single item for our collections.

How to Coordinate Various, but Related Items

Likewise, we can discover ways to incorporate related items together. Again, some vendors specialize in certain eras (like the Great Depression) or broad fields (like fashion), so their merchandise is usually a mix of different items that still belong together for some reason. Sometimes it’s whimsical style; sometimes it’s vibrant colors.

In any case, by noticing how different but related items are arranged—and even asking about the choices the dealers make—we can glean tips on how to create our own tablescapes and other varied displays. Some dealers just have an eye for organizing an eclectic mix of things, so we collectors can learn a lot from them.

What Kinds of Shelves, Racks, and Risers to Use

Another really useful thing to notice at antiques shows and collectible sales is what the vendors are using to display their goods on. Many use small bookcases on top of their sales tables, while others stand up small, flat-bottomed wall curios to accomplish the same thing (eye-level viewing of items).

Sometimes, you’ll see that boxes, tins, and other containers have been used to elevate the wares in the back, while hooks, hangers, and even clothespins have been used to display things overhead or at least up high. Old fashioned cork bulletin boards and picture frames outfitted with chicken wire are other ways to display different kinds of small items.

How to Pack Collectibles

One of the most important things to notice is how to pack and transport collectibles, which dealers do time and again. Many use packing paper, bubble wrap, and even quilted disposable bed pads to wrap fragile items. The latter two are studier and can be reused many times before becoming ragged. Some also use dish towels and large washcloths because, they, too, are soft and reusable.

Some dealers buy banker’s boxes or packing cartons because they have handles, which make them easier to carry. Others re-purpose liquor boxes because they come with dividers that often prevent items from knocking against each other. Some love plastic totes that are all-weather, can be color-coded, and have sturdy handles and locking lids.

Hopefully, you have lots of display space at home, so you won’t need to pack your purchases for longer than the trip home.

If you don’t, you might want to leave a comment and inquire about my plans to open a museum. That’s still my goal for 2019, and maybe we’ll see your collections there, too.

Happy Collecting—and Even Happier Curating!

Patti
The Committed Collector

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Applying Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up to Our Collections

Every book lover in the Rochester area knows that entering one of our Barnes & Noble stores is being lead willingly into temptation—which once in a while it might also lead to our redemption.

Last Saturday, as I walked through the Barnes & Noble in Pittsford to attend the local meeting of the Jane Austen Society, I saw what appeared to be the last copy of Marie Kondo’s best-selling book, “the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing.”

Hmm, I thought.

Two of my Bedford Circle Tea Ladies had recently mentioned the book and how wildly popular it’s become. Curating, by definition, includes editing and organizing. Most important, anyone crazy enough to go into business for herself and establish a museum of collections need to get her life in order first.

Maybe I should take a look at this book, I thought, especially since it’s the only copy.

I picked up the small hardback, flipped through it, held onto it all through the JASNA meeting, and then headed straight to the checkout.

I couldn’t find any way to rationalize a stop at the cookbooks or the magazines or especially the used book section, while I clutched Kondo’s self-help book. Giving into temptation seemed outright contrary to my nobler self-improvement intentions.

I spent most of last Saturday evening reading through the book and developed a relationship with the author almost immediately. As I revisited the book for a few minutes each evening this past week, my feelings toward Marie Kondo and her approach intensified.

I definitely developed a love-hate relationship with her.

While I appreciate her penchant for order, I shudder at her edict to discard, discard, and then discard even more. Her advice is physically painful for a committed collector like me.

She does emphasize one point throughout her work that I must admit applies to collecting: The things we own should “spark joy” in us, or they should be discarded.

Kondo writes, “…the best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.”

In other words, she says we must feel a “thrill of pleasure” when we touch the things we own.

I freely concede that her criteria, as she calls it, for keeping some things and culling others suits collections perfectly. In most cases, the things we collect are revered as collectibles and not used as functional items, so we should feel that “spark of joy” when we encounter them.

Of course, some people actually use what they collect, like holiday dishes, barware, and some vintage tools. However, I suspect they are able to use them because they collected them first. They could have bought merely functional items; instead, they chose such items because of their non-functional qualities.

For example, no one who comes to my house says, “Oh, you have a tablecloth on the table,” but a lot of guests say, “Oh, what a beautiful vintage tablecloth. I remember my grandmother had one like that on her kitchen table.”

Most collectors, however, don’t actually use the items in their collections. They treat the pieces in their collections like treasures and either display them or store them. That means the items are either decorative accessories or clutter, so Kondo’s process readily applies to curating our own collections.

If our so-called treasures don’t actually spark joy in us, why keep them anyway? How can we supposedly treasure things that don’t move us anymore?

If we value them so much that we pack them up and can’t enjoy them, do they really have value for us? If our things are boxed up, how can we experience the “thrill of pleasure” that they are supposed to bring us?

Although it almost kills me to say it, letting go of the collectibles that no longer thrill us or bring us joy might just be the way to go. Additionally, Kondo’s approach includes recognizing when our possessions have served their purpose and being able to send them off.

If we give away, donate, or sell the pieces in our collection that we’ve outgrown, so to speak, we not only allow others to find joy in those things. We can also free up space in our homes and have more room to put our real treasures on display around us, which is the best we can do until I get The Collectors of Western New York established.

Kondo’s art of tidying up and bringing order to our homes—and to our collections—might just be a self-help book that truly helps and redeems us from our misguided ways.

Happy Collecting—and Curating!

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you carefully curate your collections, or do you hold onto pieces that no longer “spark joy” in you? Leave a comment, please, and let us know how you decide what to keep and what to let go of.

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