BS: What do you collect?

Subject: BS: What do you collect?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:18 AM

Some time ago I started a thread re antiques and collectables, which asked if anyone was a dealer or collector....
On a slightly different slant, this thread asks "What do you collect"?
Pottery/porcelain/silver/gold/jewellery/ivory/wood/what?
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: artbrooks
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:22 AM

I am a universal collector - I have one of each of just about everything (as long as it has absolutely no intrinsic or aesthetic value). I do have several pieces of signed Pueblo pottery.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:32 AM

Experience, bruises, debts.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:43 AM

Never tell people you collect something (unless it is something VERY obscure and difficult to find). You will be given cheap examples of whatever they think you 'collect' for EVERY birthday and EVERY Christmas for years and years and years.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Becca72
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:47 AM

Dust

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 09:01 AM

As Mike is aware (thank you !) I collect coins and bank notes of the Irish Free State (Saorstat Eireann), 1928 to 1937.

I am in the market, depending on condition, and I do not buy to sell on.

(Don't mention E-Bay - I don't mind prices which are a joke, but f*ck a pantomime !).

Should you have any which yopu would like to part with, please PM me.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Beer
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 09:02 AM

Pre 1950 Canadian History Books and novels of the same subject.
Stamps,Songs,Butter molds, Trivets, Canes, Marbles,Duck Decoys and whatever coins,jewelry etc. I find with my metal detector.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: billybob
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 09:25 AM

a bone china tea cup and saucer from places we visit. If I break one it does not matter as they do not match, and I have the memory of where we were when we found it.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: maire-aine
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 09:31 AM

China teacups/saucers with heather flower designs on them. Only heathers. A nod in the direction of my distant Scottish roots.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 09:37 AM

Becca72... I collect dust too.... it's an age thing LOL

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 10:13 AM

well ... (takes deep breath)

needlework tools (especially old felt needlebooks, hoisery darning threads, packets of needles, old reels of thread, knitting gauges ...), craft/needlework books for children/teaching children, old plastic chrissy decorations, Japanese stuff (small dolls & ornaments, in cloth, wood & paper), Japanese paper, authentic Japanese fabrics & Japanese-style patchwork fabrics, old tins & cardboard & plastic boxes, vintage jigsaws, folklore books, vintage dressing table pieces made of Casenite/zylonite, sheeps, penguins, folk CDs, ...

and other stuff that takes my eye!

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: frogprince
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 10:35 AM

Countless leftover chunks of wood that might be just big enough to use for something. My wife collects so many frogs, of every size and substance, that I wouldn't dare start any substantial collection of anything.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Polly Squeezebox
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 10:42 AM

Swarovski crystal figures and both antique and Swarovski brooches.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 10:54 AM

I have several defacto collections. I inherited a lot of stuff from past generations of family members and after a while you notice you have X number of some object. That's how some of my stuff became collections.

I'm slowly divesting myself of stuff that requires more care, maintenance, or display space than is practical for me. eBay has worked pretty well, but you do have to put a lot of work and time into describing items clearly and correctly if you want to make a good sale there.

On my own, I have a modest collection of antique glass frogs, the kind that go in vases to hold stems. I'm looking at one now that sits on the end of a shelf near the window. It's a nice utilitarian chunk of glass that looks lovely when the sun shines through it. They often are reused around here to hold pens and pencils.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 11:12 AM

well, allowing for the gray area between 'collecting' and just 'accumulating', I guess I collect beer bottles. The rule is: *I* have to empty it. I have something like a thousand, I guess...from all over the world....mostly US, though.

I have a 'collection' of National Lampoon magazines from the 1st 10-12 years, though it is only about 94% complete.


and as for chunks of wood which might be good for something someday? You wouldn't believe how many. (many are exotic woods from all over the world.
Then there are the standard wood samples 3"X5"X½", identified and labeled with genus & species and place of origin. Several hundred of those. http://www.woodcollectors.org/

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: GUEST,jOhn
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:09 PM

empty pizza boxes, i got about 50 of them now, i keep them on the floor in my sitting room.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:38 PM

porcelain figurines you get in boxes of Red Rose Tea .... not the crappy Red Rose Tea that comes from Uppity Canada but the kind you buy in the U.S.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:47 PM

But for some very special pieces which I pick out myself, I have quit collecting. I have too much which is kept away for lack of display space and don't enjoy dusting the rest of it like I used to.

I DO love my collection of cats, bells, and various accoutrements of spirituality from around the world, and the family heirlooms I've inherited, but enough is enough, now, finally.:-) I don't even collect books any more and am selling some of the ones I have. I used to collect children's books such as Billy Goats Gruff, Uncle Wiggly and some earlier types and books of what I think of as the "cowboys" i.e. Will James who illustrated all of his own, and a few others. Those were started by my granddad, passed down through my dad and then I added more of them.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:51 PM

silver dishes, Heisey glass, cast iron cookware, computers, books, encyclopaedias, coins, radios, stereos, records, movies ( VHS and DVD), tools, hardware, instruments, cars, swords, knives, friends...

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:55 PM

(Continued)

cameras, lenses, telescopes, photographs, mechanical watches, semi-precious stones, teddy bears, buffalo, and dragons, Pokomon cards ( don't ask)...

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Melissa
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 02:58 PM

I collect early Girl Scout stuff.

I also have a lot of cookie cutters which are almost a collection (because there are just so many of them and I like them a lot..but they're mostly just cheap things, nothing 'good') and would like to have a whole bunch more fancy pans.

Looking around the house, it would appear I also collect clouds of fur.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 03:09 PM

also, a few other small critters made of various states of stone/ceramic/glass and also semi-precious stones...ah, I forgot to list mine, too. One of my prized pieces is a rainbow obsidian. (That was the best set of pix I could find of one on google. They are difficult to show up well in pix.)

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Melissa
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 03:18 PM

I've been sorting my granny's stuff and one thing I found to treasure (hoard!) is a set of four shot glasses that say I should vote FOR Prohibition.

THAT was a fun thing to run across..had no idea they were here.
So, I guess I have a collection of four enchanting shot glasses.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 04:37 PM

I'd like to start collecting diamonds, anyone want to start me off?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 04:39 PM

Liz... she told me she wanted something with loads of diamonds in for her birthday... so I bought her a pack of playing cards!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 04:48 PM

Liz, u are a diamond!

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 05:47 PM

Never tell people you collect something (unless it is something VERY obscure and difficult to find).

Years ago, in a former lifetime, an ex-wife and her family were into "collecting" things. Her dad collected "horses." Her mother collected "ducks." She decided to collect "frogs."

Being under extreme duress to "name something you'll collect so we can give you lots of cheap crap" I finally remarked once that I supposed I might collect "beavers."

Although my great-granmother was a famous beaver trapper (and mule skinner) not far from here, beavers were nearly extinct in Kansas, and not something anyone talked about much. I had also carefully checked the "usual sources for blue-collar collectibles" and found NO BEAVERS anywhere in the vicinity. G-Granny's professional heritage, and that the beaver is a college mascot (on my class ring) gave an "excuse" for such an obtuse choice.

It took them almost 13 years to find the first beaver for my "collection."

Unfortunately, when I was temporarily transferred to Washington state, someone there found out about my "collection." ... and ...

(I'm just fortunate I didn't pick "porcupines" - the other Washington state bird.)

Current collection runs to a modest 80 or 90 pieces, mostly small; but the "centerpiece" is a pair of matching bookends, hand carved by a "local craftsman" on commission/request from a couple of WA friends for a Christmas gift a few years ago. (Each about 18 inches long, solid logs, and around 10 or 12 pounds per "end." Signed by the maker - in "magic marker" on the bottom - but I haven't been able to find anything about him and suspect they may have found him at a street fair.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Cats
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 06:10 PM

Christmas tree decorations from all over the world. They are like having your friends round at Christmas if they can't be with you.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 06:16 PM

I collect CD's, although now I've run out of space and am downloading as much as I can. CD's, and songbooks. I have too many songbooks, too.

My wife collects large plants and small pets. Together, we have a very full house.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: JennieG
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:17 PM

Wombats....I have goodness knows how many now....each Monday I have a 'Wombat of the Week' (WOW) picture on my blog, I started doing that for fun.

Unfortunately - none of them are real.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Raptor
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 07:07 AM

Pez dispencers

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 07:23 AM

Topsie - you ain't kiddin'. I used to joke about collecting boxes because we moved so much in early years of 1st marraige. In looking for houses we needed enough space to store the box collection. I had them specially marked for reuse the next move. Before I could do anything about it at every gift giving occasion I was rained upon by miniature boxes. I left about 50 odd boxes behind when I moved to UK. Now my English Mum in law also has a miniature box collection and I am sorry I mentioned that I had one before I left US. Please Pam... don't leave them to me.

Now I collect memories. No dust problem, though I am finding the storage facility is failing to hold and catalogue properly. What are ya gonna do.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 01:16 PM

Songs, yarn and crochet patterns.

Oh, and friends.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: meself
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 02:53 PM

Ornamental dust-bunnies. I keep them under the bed.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: robomatic
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 03:22 PM

mechanical pencils

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 04:31 PM

Insults.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:52 AM

Continued

Erica and I collect owls and cats in semi-precious stone, from amethyst to tiger eye so far.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:46 AM

Usually my husbands dirty washing, post, cups and plates .......Oh and his money (thats the upside !)

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:59 AM

1/18 scale models of Ford GM and Chrysler cars.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 12:28 PM

DUST

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Van
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 12:46 PM

Odd shaped bits of flint and driftwood from the beach.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 12:47 PM

I just remembered...

For easy storage and cheap collection, you can't beat collecting wonderful images for computer 'wallpaper' and screen-saver use.

There are so many sites which offer free images of almost anything....and you can add your own into the mix. I have a photo of clouds taken from ABOVE somewhere over Kentucky that just wows me.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Skivee
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 03:14 PM

Antique folding cameras, silly mechanical platic toys (chattery teeth, tiny godzillas, mechanical animals, little robots), Books by H. Allen Smith.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Becca72
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 04:11 PM

Joking aside, I collect too much: frogs, moose, lighthouses and black cats (or replicas thereof).
I also have quite a book collection built up.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 04:31 PM

OK I suppose I should admit to having a collection of stamps.. a collection of coins... a collection of Victorian Silver Calling card cases... a collection of silver vinaigretttes.... a small collection of silver patch boxes.. a collection of harmonicas.... a collection of Beswick Beatrix Potter pottery figures.. a collection of thimbles... a collection of buttons... a collection of enamelled boxes... a collection of gold jewellery... a collection of silver jewellery... a collection of costume jewellery... a collection of pottery and porcelain...a collection of pre 1900 Bibles (the earliest being 1775) and finally a large collection of... I wonder if you have guessed yet... yes sure you did.. Georgian Silver.
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:28 PM

Ornamental dust-bunnies. I keep them under the bed.

We have noted that there is a certain critical mass at which inbreeding and hybridizing of dust-bunnies can occur. Once this happens, they refuse to remain under the bed and may become "socially undesirable" due to vicious attacks on people, pets, and other less aggressive detritus.

The highly in-bred versions tend also to be less "ornamental" than "obstructive."

Be warned.

(We have offered samples of the most degenerate ones to both the local veterinary school and to the police forensics lab for study; but both declined our offer on grounds that they lacked facilties for safe handling of anything that aggressive.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: meself
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 10:57 PM

Ah! That explains some of the goings-on around here ...

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: frogprince
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:17 PM

Some of our dust bunnies have mutated into grime grizzlies.

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:37 PM

"Spores fungi and slimes"
Ghostbusters I

Subject: RE: BS: What do you collect?
From: mouldy
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 05:10 AM

General (dusty) clutter!

But among it you will find Staffordshire figures (and I am trying VERY hard to only buy musician ones....and any that are too good a deal to ignore, or which "speak" to me), many pictures and prints - too many to put on the wall; jewellery, which I have GOT to stop buying - somebody better put a child lock on the TV channels; the 2 Mercator maps which I long to add to, if I can ever afford it; crystals, 'cos I like them; things that might come in useful for fancy dress; just general stuff that I find interesting, even if nobody else does!

So I suppose I'm an eclectic collector - doesn't help that my mum used to be in "the trade" many moons ago...
...got free entry to a posh antique fair in Harrogate this weekend....

Andrea (who is now going to get a reality check by looking at my bank balance)!