I Collect: Colleen

I'm super excited to bring you the next instalment of the "I Collect Interview!" I'm happy to introduce you to the hilarious, beautiful and creative Colleen. She maintains the wonderfully entertaining blog Fresh Vintage; with lovely photographs, great vintage finds and ideas and lots of humor. Colleen tells us about her naughty collections and shares pictures with us of the more behaved ones.

My Name is: Colleen

I collect:  Sex education books and naughty vintage gag gifts

Its been going on for: About five years

I look for additions to my collections at: Yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, Amazon.com and eBay. And occasionally, my nice blog readers send me gifts for my collection. I've found that the best source for sex ed books are at the estate sales of medical doctors, especially gynecologists. It doesn't happen very often, but it is like hitting the jackpot when it does!

 

When I find one I feel: Like a junkie who just got a hit! I know - bad analogy, especially since I never did crack. But I would imagine that it feels similar.

 

 

The star of my collection is: The crocheted peter heater that was owned by my husband's grandfather. It is from the 1930's and has a poem attached.  That is the piece that got me started collecting gag gifts. I also have some rare sex ed pamphlets and books that have some very interesting graphics!

The oddest piece in my collection is:  A book called "The Intimate Side of a Woman's Life". It just contains an insane amount of bad advice (which was considered good advice at the time).

 

A way my collection has gotten me into a tight situation: I have two kids: 7 & 9. I have to hide my collection of books and gag gifts from them. I haven't been caught yet, but I am sure that day is coming soon.

 

 

Some other things I like to collect are: Vintage globes, white matte pottery, apple crate labels from Yakima, WA - my husband's home town.

My family and friends think my collection is: Entertaining and funny. We've been known to sit around with a glass of wine on my deck and read passages from my sex ed books. Always makes for an enlightening evening!

Thank you so much Colleen!! 

Find more I COLLECT INTERVIEWS here.

 

Collecting Vintage Globes

It started with a rug. An inexpensive globe patterned rug that looked perfect in the middle of our living room. After a few years I had a good collection of globes. After this last move, only one remained-the old wooden globe from my childhood.

Replogle Globe $75.00

Globes are one of the oldest scientific tools still in use today. The first known globe was built by Crates of Mallus in c. 2nd century B.C. The oldest known western terrestrial globe was made in 1492 by Martin Behaim of Nuremberg. It still exists today, living at the Germanic Museum in Nuremberg.

17" Globe $65.00

The first U.S. maker of globes was James Wilson. Many globes were being produced in Chicago, which in the 20th century was considered the globe capitol of the United States. Globes gained popularity with the average man and became more common in households and schools. As globes were mass produced, tin toy globes, plastic blow ups, and educational school globes were everywhere.

Tin Globe Bank $26.00

If you are interested in information on collecting globes Omniterrum is by far the best online resource. Their vast and intellegent site covers every aspect of globe collecting. Including, dating your globe. They have a list of globe makers and manufactures. They also offer date by date geographical chages that would help signify the age of your globe. I also found this helpful list related to globe dating.

Cram's Universal Globe $49.00

But....what do you do with all those globes once you've collected them? Towards the end of my globe gathering I kept them on a high shelf in my kitchen. Keeping company with my tin and wooden pedestal globes was a glass globe decanter that was so delecate I was terrified to use it! Curious for globe decorating tips? I found a few. Pottery Barn hung them from the ceeling. Apartment Thearpy put them on the floor. Better Homes and Gardens shoved them on a shelf like I did. And BlueBellBazar painted theirs with chalk paint!

12" Replogle Globe $65.00

Unsure how to clean your globe collection? Colleen over at Fresh Vintage offers this hilliarous and (beautifully photographed) advice.

All of the globes you see in this post are available for purchase on etsy. Thank you etsy sellers for the use of your lovely photographs!