30 May 2010
Hi, Everyone!
My name is Phyllis. Welcome to the world of collecting. I am here to help you with the great hobby of COLLECTING! A large part of the population collects - even the rich and/or famous. It doesn't matter so much what you collect - it's more the pursuit of the item - or the thrill of the hunt - that sustains this hobby.
One reason I decided to start this blog, is that I have actually read where people said they would like to start a collection, but didn't know what to collect. Come on, that's easy! Just think of the things you like and start there. For instance, you love chocolate - so how about collecting vintage or new chocolate recipe cookbooks? Then you could expand to vintage tins and/or candy boxes, even candy bar wrappers (so long as the candy features chocolate). How about dishes and toys that have a chocolate candy motif? There are many items being produced that feature well-known chocolate like M&Ms, Hershey's, etc.
Or, suppose you like/have goldfish. There are gorgeous books out there picturing all the different beautiful breeds of goldfish - it's not just comets anymore! And very nice artwork of goldfish can be found on sites like Ebay. And don't forget things like postcards and figurines and snuff bottles.
Personally I collect CAT items, so I may be using my collection(s) as a guideline as we go along. I have been collecting for at least 40 years. The early years were more like accumulating than purposefully collecting, but then one thing just led to another and then I started collecting in earnest. My collections really took off after I got a computer (1998) and got on the internet!
Where I ran into trouble was when I guess I got a little bored with just collecting cats, so I thought of other things I liked and started collecting in those areas, too. I like a LOT of things, so the money outlay started getting out of control. So just be careful. Particularly if you are just starting out.
The monetary amount you spend on your collection can be a little or a lot. It just depends on how much you can fit into your budget. But you can find cheap ways to collect. Like I said, candy bar wrappers don't cost much, plus you get the pleasure of eating the candy bar!! And, believe it or not, there are limited edition-type candy bars out there. For instance, I believe I have a candy bar wrapper with Michael Jackson pictured on it. And there are movie-themed candy bars that only come out once, then that is it. You don't see them again.
Or you can go high end and buy expensive porcelain pieces or rare items, etc. It is up to you. In this blog I also want to get into ways to store and display your collection(s). So we have plenty to talk about. But that's it for now. Have a nice and safe Memorial Day. Catch you later!
