I love to collect things. Must be something about the hunt for treasure or the need to surround myself with things that make me happy. From rocks and shells to family treasures and keepsakes, I love them all.
I think I’m careful to not overdo it, or at least I never put everything out at once. Rather, I keep each collection in a tidy box and bring them out seasonally. In this way I enjoy each piece as I unwrap it and place it on the mantle or hutch. I never get tired of them, because if I did I’d know it would be time to move them along to someone else. I’m afraid that if I displayed all of them at once I’d tuck them high on a shelf and they’d become annoyingly dusty. Pretty soon they’d no longer be special, I’d just look past them. No fun at all. Instead I love toting them out for special occasions.
These green and yellow Jadite pots are perfect for decorating in the spring. Years ago, when Martha suggested they were the thing to have I jumped right in, scouring antique and thrift stores, occasionally find one at an estate sale. They are the perfect combination of my love of gardening, the color green and springtime. Once I found ebay, collecting them became much more simple. My collection is complete with a nice selection of sizes.
Here’s a small collection of frogs. They’re used in the bottom of a vase to hold cut flowers. Even though they would normally be hidden in the bottom of a vase, I love their different artistic shapes, sizes and glazes.
Here’s a last minute peek at my eggs cups as I put them away until next year. They’re such fun.
Treasures passed down through family can be the best of all. I love this collection of old silver. When friends of ours married several years ago they opted to combine their family silverware and use it everyday. It takes more time to wash each piece by hand but what a lovely way to pay respect to the heirlooms from generations past.
Collections should be fun and not necessarily expensive. A friend purchases her canned tomatoes with a future destiny. Once empty they hold paintbrushes, pencils and necessities for the resident artist. Their colorful labels blend nicely with books on Italy and France and add a fun, playfulness to the studio.
A small collections of old bottles sit, ready to hold the first buds of spring
If you’re looking to start a collection think about what you love and where you have space to add a small grouping. People collect all kinds of things from pin cushions to pocket watches. Just make sure you’re only keeping the absolute best of the best.
Here are more of my suggestions for starting a collection:
- Not all collections need to be costly, but they should be fun and meaningful to the collector. Make sure it’s something you love.
- I think of 3 of anything as a collection, so I’m always eager to find my first 3.
- DON’T be tempted to buy the first one you see or buy just because it’s your ‘something’. Make sure it’s up to the standard of something you want to have for a long time.
- Limit yourself. It’s easy to get carried away but I have culled my collections to fit in particular boxes. When the box begins to overflow, it’s time to look for a way to part with some of it. I get it down to my absolute favorites.
- When it is time to let go of something, it helps to remember that this will be someone else’s new found treasure.
- For display, you don’t have to have them all together, but in small groupings.
- If you’re storing a collection too long, you must not enjoy it anymore so move it along to someone else.
- Ebay is a fast way to collect but you rarely get a true bargain.
- Know when to stop. A small collection of very special treasures is much better than a huge group of things that get lost amongst themselves.
- If you have boxes of family mementos, pull them out and see if there are any treasures in there. Often you’ll find a few of something that would look fun in a bowl or grouped together on a table or shelf.
I’ll continue to write about collections. Tell me about your favorite treasures.
