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Collecting - Intro, Sources, Display
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"You can't have too much jewelry." Caryn Kamp don't miss our own handmade crystal & gemstone jewelry click on the photo to enlarge |
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Collecting - Intro, Sources, Display
Home: greenlightwrite.com featuring |
"You can't have too much jewelry." Caryn Kamp don't miss our own handmade crystal & gemstone jewelry click on the photo to enlarge |
Gracious Living Home Ideas People, like magpies and packrats, have been hoarding things since the dawn of time. Isn't stuff fun? Enjoy, No Space Unfilled, our family motto, is available as a T shirt. Click here to visit our CafePress SHOPS for details. |
When we were younger, my sister Nancy collected porcelain horses and dogs. I had to collect something if she did, so I chose porcelain cats. Actually, I don't know that they were real porcelain, probably more like cheap ceramic, but I do know they broke if they dropped on the floor. In any case, I still have three of my original cat statues, which bring sweet memories each time I see them in the wall cabinet - safe from the likes of Button, our new baby kitty. I also began accumulating movie star pictures, cataloging them in a thick notebook. After a few years, that turned into a Gone With The Wind collection and I am a "Windie" to this day. If I think about it, I also have small collections of special pillows (a pile on the bed), teddy bears, dolls, stars, angels, lighted houses, pitchers, platters and sharks' teeth. What can I say? I do a lot of "yard saling" and I'm always on the lookout for a bargain.
SOURCES Borrow
books from the library or go to Amazon Books Home Page, Garage / yard sales - Since the value or suspected value of rare objects is known to most sellers these days, you may not be able to get yesterday's bargains. However, keep looking because you may find something that will fit into your collection at a price you can afford. Flea Markets - The prices are higher than at garage sales. You'll find antiques as well as new good stuff and lots of junk here. Fairs - Often art and craft fairs will also have antique vendors as at our annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, held the first weekend in May here on Amelia Island. The side streets are lined with seemingly hundreds of displays. Bring sunscreen though. It can get pretty hot! Online Auctions - Type in what you seek and who knows what will come up. You may be able to get it at a bargain. Magazines - Specialty magazines and the ads in the back of general magazines may offer information about your favorite subject. Word of Mouth - Tell your friends in person, by e-mail, snail mail, or in a specialty chat room what you want, going so far as saying how much you are willing to pay. Of course, give a low figure so you have some "wiggle room." You don't want anyone to rip you off. Conventions - There are conventions of all kinds from quilting to handbells (two of my hobbies). Dress up as a Trekie at a Star Trek Convention or just stroll through a Home and Garden show if you're looking for a clay mouse on a stick to stake up your tomatoes. Grandmother's Attic - Relatives can be a wonderful source of meaningful treasures. Be sure and ask permission first. You don't want to start a family squabble! If you're a collector, your antennae will naturally be raised so you can ferret out more of what you'll need to expand your collection. Your pocketbook may be your only control and that, after all, just might be a better thing. Limited funds will help you refrain from spending the family inheritance on topaz-eyed glazed salamanders made from Celtic peat or whatever tickles your obsession.
DISPLAYING YOUR TREASURES It always looks best to group your collection for the greatest impact rather than scattering similar objects throughout the house. A plain background, such as a mono-colored painted or wooden wall will show off your collection best. A busy papered wall will distract the eye. Pinpoint lights, recessed lighting, up lights if objects are on the floor, will all focus attention on your collection, putting it in the spotlight. Less is more. If you have objects that are very much the same size, color, and shape and your space is limited, it is better to put one away rather than crowd the space. You want to be able to see at least three of the four sides of your collectables whenever possible. You can double the look of your collection if you put a mirror behind it. Try leaning the mirror against the wall or shelf so it's on the same level as the objects. Make sure it's secure and won't slide by attaching it to the wall with removable tape or a picture hanger. If the objects you collect come in different sizes, colors and textures, i.e. cookie jars, arrange them artfully. This means put the heavier or larger objects in the center and the smaller ones to the outside. If you prefer, put a single larger object to one side but balance the weight on the other side with several smaller objects. You don't want the look to be lop-sided. An odd number of objects is always esthetically more pleasing. While there are all degrees of collection from the obsessed, must have every item pertaining to your favorite interest, to having just three of something, I have discovered that part of the fun in collecting is the quest. This is closely followed by the displaying of your treasures for others to enjoy. Your enthusiasm just might inspire your guests to begin their own collections, which means you'll have someone with whom to discuss all the fun you're having.
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