Collecting
When my husband’s grandparents died, his parents received the bulk of what they’d spent the better part of their lifetimes together collecting: salt and pepper shakers. Yep, you read that correctly. Salt and pepper shakers. Duck shakers. Little porcelain human shakers. Shakers of famous buildings. Food inspired shakers. You name it and they probably had one. I think most of them never actually saw a single speck of salt and pepper, they just decorated the kitchen and lined the shelves.
One thing it did do was get me to think about the fun that can be had in collecting as a hobby. Although I’d never want to have more than the necessary single pair of salt and pepper shakers in my own home, there are other things I can see the appeal in collecting (in manageable numbers, of course, because if you tip over into hoarding territory then that isn’t a hobby, it’s a problem!) Teacups or teapots for instance. Or maybe stamps. Either way, collecting is made up of a surprising number of steps, and I think that may be part of what gives it its appeal. Here’s the steps you might have to take in order to collect something.
Seeking out or locating the items
Acquiring the items
Organizing your items
Cataloging the items
Displaying them
Storing your collected items
Maintaining the items
According to collectors, collecting can quickly become a passion! Unless you have a large amount of space to use, I’d suggest trying to start with something that takes up the least amount. Some of the most commonly collected items are stamps, coins, baseball cards, vinyl records, comic books, trading cards, photographs, rare books, dried flowers/plants, matchboxes, old magazines, or toys. All of these don’t take up much space.
If you’re interested in beginning to collect, you’ll first need to decide what it is that you want to collect. This is important because without an intentional direction you could become what is referred to as a compulsive collector. A compulsive collector is someone whose home and/or garage tends to overflow with a startling variety of vintage treasures, and it indicates that the collecting habit is in control more than the person doing the actual collecting.
Finally, here are two things to keep in mind as you begin your collecting hobby. Is this collection something you could eventually donate or leave to someone as a meaningful expression of your interests and your life? And is there a community you could connect to through collecting a certain item (think of the way collectors of expensive cars tend to host car shows together)?
Challenges/Points:
Collecting can be a fun, easy way to begin to pursue a new hobby!
Some easy to collect items include stamps, coins, dried plants, or matchboxes.
Make sure you have the necessary amount of space to collect the item you’re interested in.
Questions:
Do you know anyone who collects anything?
What are the first items that you can think of that you might enjoy collecting?
Are there any friends or family members who might want to help collect something with you?
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