Tuesday, May 1, 2018

the collecting impulse


One last post before I take off for Portugal today (with my small bag and backpack and room to spare) that is not about getting ready. I'll try and post during my trip either from my phone or my iPad.

Steve over at Shadows and Light did a post recently about the collecting impulse. I admit, I do collect things like whistles and most recently wind chimes and birdhouses and, for some reason, sifters. I have a Chinese herb cabinet that I have filled the drawers of with small collections of things...rocks, sea shells, the spines off the century plant, marbles, seed pods, butterfly and dragonfly wings among other things...my little cabinet of curiosities.


Estate sales are a good way to see the things people collect. My sister and I have seen collections of cameras, clocks, toy cars, depression glass, rabbit figures, cow pitchers, Mexican ceramic sun faces, and crosses among other things but this latest estate sale has put them all to shame. I've never seen so many collections of stuff as this woman had (and one of any particular item in a collection wasn't enough) and what we saw was just what was left over after the family took what they wanted like the Hummel figurines and the doll collection (overheard conversation from one of the sons).

Just some of the stuff...

decorative plates

panda bears

baskets

cookie jars

farm figurines

tin cans

and these raggedy old Barbie and Ken dolls

There was only one of these for which we can be grateful:






13 comments:

  1. I try so hard to keep my "collections" to a reasonable size. But if I had that Chinese cabinet, I'd go all out on the small found objects. I would definitely have bought that Humpty Dumpty cookie jar if I'd been at that estate sale. I think if I collected anything as a real project, it would be the vintage Seminole Indian dolls. I have two that are pretty raggedy but I love them. They were so cheap when I was a kid but now they can fetch pretty high prices. The vintage ones at least. But they stir my heart.

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  2. Wishing you an enjoyable, safe trip. Look forward to hearing all about it. Re collections. You know I collect chimes. Solar lights. TY stuffed dogs and bears from years ago.

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  3. What exactly is that pink monstrosity? Macramé from hell? Wowza. I collect the same flotsam/oddity stuff. I have little bowls with rabbit tails, feathers, odd shaped stones, tiny eggs, you name it. Bon voyage! You are my packing idol!!!

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  4. OMG, the pink macrame is HILARIOUS. I wonder if any of those Barbies are vintage collectibles? It is bizarre the things people hoard, but I think the collecting impulse is ingrained in all of us as humans, going right back to the hunters and gatherers, I suppose!

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  5. I was well on my way to too much collecting when we moved into an RV. Thou shalt not collect in 380 square feet. I just took two boxes of bears and four boxes of china and knick knacks out of storage. It all has to go, we bought a small house with very little storage.
    Have a great trip - I hope it's a lot of fun.

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  6. Safe journey.

    I once shared my house with a teenager collecting angels in all shapes and forms, esp. soap. Hellish.

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  7. It will be a great trip. Good packing!

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  8. I ran out 1/2 tank of gas hitting sales last week and thought of you.LOL

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  9. I love that tin can collection. Not that I have room for such in my house, but very cool (to me). Are you sure you don't want me to make you that hanging basket? If you don't like pink, I could do it in another color. Hee hee.

    Hope you're already having a blast!

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  10. hope you are having a marvelous time!

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  11. Now I have an intense need to get a cabinet of curiosities for myself.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.