Jan 12, 2012

I Collect: Kaylah


I've been reading Kaylah's blog for awhile now. I love her style, her wit and her love of cats! The other morning, while enjoying a cup of joe and a sleeping baby, I was checking in on Kaylah to see what she's been up to when it hit me-I collect interview! I'm super pumped to share with you Kaylah's strange and awesome tooth collection. 


My Name is: Kaylah Doolan. I'm a small business owner and full time blogger over at The Dainty Squid. I love cats, mycology, and of course, collecting way more things that I need.

I collect: teeth! I collect both human and animal teeth, tooth shaped things (brooches, planters, etc) and dental items (like slides, ceramic molds, etc)

Its been going on for: a few years. My collection has really bulked up over the last few months though!


I look for additions to my collections at: everywhere I go! A walk in the woods might find me an animal skull with teeth for my collection but I would have to say estate sales and ebay are my main source of additions.

When I find one I feel: Excited! It's a natural high to find pieces for any of my collections.
The star of my collection is: my teeth! I got 8 teeth pulled when I got braces - four wisdom teeth and four others to make room for my teeth to straighten out. It was a pain finding a dentist who would let me keep them because they're apparently "biohazards" but it was totally worth it!

The oddest piece in my collection is:  a strangers dentures! I found them in the garage at an estate sale of someone who recently died. They were in a box with a few other things and I was certain they'd cost more than I'd want to pay, especially since I just wanted them because they were so weird. But they ended up costing me fifty cents and since then I've bought four more pairs for my collection.


A way my collection has gotten me into a tight situation: I don't think my collection has ever really gotten me in a tight situation. Sometimes I do feel a bit awkward about admitting I collect teeth because everyone thinks it's really gross, weird, or inhumane. All of the real teeth in my collection come from consenting humans or deceased animals so it's not inhumane! As for gross, all of my collection has been cleaned thoroughly, and bleached when necessary. But I guess I can see how it could be weird! ;)

Some other things I like to collect are: vintage paint by numbers, cameras, nesting dolls, mushrooms, cuckoo clocks, vintage dresses, belts, keys, both faux and real taxidermy and maybe a few other things that I can't think of off the top of my head.

My family and friends think my collection is: strange, but they're very supportive. My dad got a bunch of teeth pulled sometime before Christmas and my mom gave them to me all packaged up nice in a fancy jewelry box, so I'd certainly say they understand me! ;) I come from a long line of collectors. My grandma was a collector, my dad is, I most definitely am, and my 8 year old nephew is too!


Thanks for sharing Kaylah!

See previous I Collect Interviews Here

4 comments:

  1. I love hearing about Kaylah's collection of teeth and her other collections as well!!! I find what people collect fasniating, being a collector myself (somewhat. All of my collections are very, very small except for my cranes!)

    Thank you for posting this!!!

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  2. I love hearing about people's passions. I have a friend who is so passionate about teeth that she went into dentistry - there is so much coolness in anthropology and the evolution of human beings and much of that can be traced through our teeth! That is a cool collection ♡

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  3. I collect teeth too!! theyre so beautiful and perfect just ug, i love teeth and bones of all kinds :3

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