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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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