displaying – The Committed Collector

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.

I’ll be the first to admit that collecting is much more fun than curating.

Collecting involves hunting and gathering, going, looking, searching, and finding. Collecting means unearthing treasurers, discovering illusive pieces, and finding things we didn’t know we need.

In collecting, there is the thrill of the chase as well as the thrill of victory (as ABC’s Wide World of Sports once told us).

Curating, on the other hand, often feels more like work. Once we’ve added items to our collections, it’s time to get down to the business of identifying, organizing, and storing or displaying the individual pieces.

Whether or not you actually enjoy the detail work of curating, doing so is a vital part of the process of collecting. Otherwise, we’re merely accumulating things or even outright hoarding them, which is a chilling thought.

If you need encouragement when it comes to getting down to curating your treasures, here are the points I like to keep in mind when I’d rather be shopping.

Curating is the necessary next step to acquiring. Pieces need to be identified and inventoried, so we have accurate records of our collections. This makes life easier for us collectors and for our loved ones who might inherit a variety of things that are unknown to them.
Pieces need to be stored properly, so they are protected and so we stay organized. Treasures deserve to be kept safe, packed appropriately, and easily accessed. Likewise, our homes should be kept tidy, with room for living and room for displaying.
Our beloved treasures also deserve to be displayed attractively. If they’re treasures to us, they deserve to be seen. They should be organized, arranged, and in some sort of showcase. If we truly appreciate them, we should be able to see them regularly, on display in all their glory.

Of course, there are other reasons to go the distance and curate our collections, but these are the three primary things I keep in mind:

I want to know what I have. I want to know that what I have is organized and accessible, and, most of all, I want to be able to display my collections around my home.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? What inspires you to keep you collections organized and on display? Please leave a comment and let us know.

The Committed Collector

Tag: displaying

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Three Reasons to Curate Your Collections