What compels people to collect the things they do? Is it something in their personality that attracts them to a particular item? Is it an obsession to possess that can't be fulfilled? I remember my first collection started when I was about seven or eight years' old. I collected bottle caps and had hundreds of them. I kept them in a box under my bed. Why I ever started collecting them, I don't know, but everywhere I walked I was on the lookout. On a walk to or from school, I always found several good keepers.
Over the years I've had many collections. At one time I had nearly 100 different china teacups, all different patterns and designs. Why teacups? I don't even like to drink tea! I barely had room to display them all, but everywhere we went I was always on the search for more and everyone was always giving me a new one as a gift.
After a visit to my Grandma's house and seeing a particular painting on her wall of a dutch windmill, I became obsessed with all things windmill! I collected windmill pictures, postcards, plates, candlesticks, knick knacks, textiles, sheet music. I still to this day have most of my windmill treasures all throughout the house.
I started collecting antique books when I was in my early 20's and came across a garage sale at the coast. The elderly lady having the sale had hundreds of books on shelves all around the walls of her garage and I noticed some of them had beautiful illustrations of victorian women on the covers. I asked her about them and she agreed to sell them to me for $2 each! I was elated and came away with several sacks full of antique novels dating back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. This was just the beginning of what is still one of my most treasured collections and I now have hundreds of them lining the shelves in our house.
Some of the illustrations on the book covers led me to start collecting artwork by a particular artist of that time period. I started researching the artist and collecting anything I could find with his illustrations. I'm always on the hunt for new pieces of his work that I don't have yet.
I once collected antique skeleton keys. My Mom had given me one once that had "Key to My Heart" engraved on one side and from then on, whenever I found old skeleton keys in an antique store or online, I'd buy them up. I've collected old jars, vintage mixing bowls, a particular pattern of depression glass that my Mom got me started on, vintage kitchen utensils and wooden spoons. Some of the collections I've parted with along the way, but our tiny house is still filled with my most treasured items that I'll probably always keep.
I've come to realize I'm descended from a long line of packrats, which probably explains my obsession with collecting. My Prampa has always been a packrat and his house, barn, garage and sheds are filled to the rafters with everything imagineable. Same with my Mom, although I must say she's toned her collecting down over the years, only due to the fact that her living space is limited since she moved in with Prampa.
I guess it could be worse. I could have been obsessed with collecting painted toenail clippings or belly button lint! I'm sure even then I would have come up with a unique way of displaying them as works of art!
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