Jul 17, 2012
Jun 7, 2012
I Collect: Stefanie
I love the Internet. I was doing a little googling the other day and came across this fabulous blog by fellow collector Stefanie. Having been inspired by Lisa Congdon's "Collection A Day," Stefanie decided to blog about collecting everyday for one year. Quite and ambitious feat.
I collect: Many, many things, but my
largest collection is vintage elementary school books from the
1930s-1960s. I also collect vintage toys.
Its
been going on for: I got my first school book in 1984, but I've really
been collecting them seriously for maybe 10-12 years. I have somewhere
around 500 school books. As far as my toys go, I've been a toy collector
for nearly 30 years. I am a toy designer by profession, so this sort of
goes with the territory.
I look for additions to my collections at:
Mostly antique malls/ flea markets. Although I've bought things on eBay
from time to time, it sort of feels like cheating to me. I prefer the
joy of the hunt!
The star of my collection is: My near-mint
set of Scott, Foresman Dick and Jane books from 1951 & 1956. (There
is actually one I don't have, but it's a 6th grade reader, which isn't
as desirable, so I haven't been in a huge hurry to finish the
collection)
The oddest piece in my
collection is: If you count all of my collections, I think I'd have to
either go with my 1867 wooden patent model of a steam valve, or perhaps
my diddley-bow... that's a little one-stringed musical instrument.
A way my collection has gotten me into a tight situation: I guess the
tightest situation my collections have gotten me into is my blog. A year
ago, I came across a fellow collector who posted one of her collections
every day for a year. Although it was a fun blog, and she had some cool
stuff, I thought my collections were more interesting, and I decided I
could do a similar blog. I decided to post one of my collections every
day, Monday through Friday, and then feature another collector each
weekend. I'll tell you, it's been a tough year. I've decided to suspend
my blog on June 30, when my blog reaches one year old. It's been really
stressful (but fun!) to document my various collections because I tend
to do it one day at a time instead of all at once. So, nearly every
morning, I'm setting up stuff, taking pictures, editing the photos, and
then putting together the blog entry. As the year
has progressed, I have created 'special days', like Toy Tuesday, and
School Book Friday, and I also added Orphan Wednesday, where I feature
my 'unique items' that don't fall into the 3 or more rule.
I'm really
glad I did it. It's given me a chance to document the extent of my
collections, photograph everything, share it with the world, and learn a
few things to boot. But doing a daily collector blog is not for the
faint of heart. I plan on putting everything into a book when I'm done. I
also am thinking seriously of thinning my collections out substantially
too. I'll definitely keep my books and musical instruments, but I'm
willing to part with many of my other collections.
Some other things that I like to collect are:
vintage toys and games, musical instruments (mostly stringed), ephemera,
books. You'll just have to look at my blog to see the different kinds
of things I collect!
My family and
friends think my collection is: My husband wishes I'd dust a bit more,
my kids roll their eyes (they are all grown, and none of them are
collectors), but my friends think it's awesome.
I've received a couple of honors for my collections: in 2000 I won
the Judges Trophy at the Ventura County Fair in California for the best
collection (school books). I was also featured in 2004 in Playthings
Magazine (a trade publication for the toy industry) as their collector
of the month, again, for my school books.
My collector blog: http://copycatcollector.
My creative blog: http://stefstyleblog.
My gallery on Collector's Weekly: http://www.
Thank you so much for sharing Stefanie!
May 26, 2012
Collecting Coral
Mine is a body that should die at sea!
And have for a grave instead of a grave
6 feet deep and the length of me,
All the water that is under wave!
(excerpt from "Burial" by Edna St. Vincent Millay)
What a magnificent animal. Coral is in the Anthozoa class of marine organisms, which also includes sea anemones. These builders of reefs are an integral part of the sea's ecosystem. By secreting calcium carbonate, they create hard skeletons which build up over time to form coral colonies known as "reefs". Spanning over 1,600 miles, The Great Barrier Reef is the largest.
Coral reefs are being threatened by many things including coral mining. If you are interested in having one of these nautical natural history pieces in your home, it is best to find one that has already been mined vs. going into the sea and gathering it yourself. Organizations like the United States Coral Reef Task Force are working to protect what is left of the worlds coral. This includes the conservation, restoration and protection of. As the reef population dwindles, it is important to do our part to keep what is left in the ocean, in the ocean. That being said, there are many places to find coral like aquarium stores, garage sales and the internet (especially places like ebay and etsy).
If you are interested in collecting corals you may find these titles (available on amazon.com) helpful; "The Super Simple Guide To Corals," "Corals; A Quick Reference Guide," and "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry and Natural History." If you are looking to identify corals in your collection you may want to use the Coral Genus Identification CD. The Coral Science website (found here) is also a great resource of information and links. If you are curious to see a large coral collection in action check out the Waikiki Aquarium's massive coral collection, said to be one of the largest in the world. And please take the time to check out the crotchet coral exhibit at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. It is amazing.
Thank you etsy sellers for the use of your beautiful images. Everything you see here is available for purchase on Etsy.
May 22, 2012
May 5, 2012
Finders Keepers: The Heart of Collecting
Ooooh this looks so good!
"Meet the collectors of antique telephones and talking machines, confectionery molds, snow globes, handcuffs, brewianna and other interesting artifacts as they tell their unique tales of research, preservation and passionate pursuit. It's a fascinating and revealing look into a special fraternity of modern hunters and gatherers."
May 3, 2012
Collecting Garden Gnomes
April showers bring may flowers and who better to serve and protect those blooming beauties than a delightful garden gnome?
The Garden Gnome has been gracing us with his (and sometimes her) presence for a few hundred years. Sometime near the end of the 18th century "House Gnomes" had become all the rage. They were mostly porcelain-most likely manufactured in the Thuirngia area of Germany, a thriving ceramics local. World War II had a devastating effect on the production of all ceramics, especially unnecessary pieces; like yard decorations.
Not only has the Gnome been labeled as kitsch, but has also been the butt of many jokes and the focus of one extremely involved prank. The prank has been called a few things including "The Roaming Gnome," or "The Traveling Gnome." It involves a stolen gnome being photographed next to various "sights" (as if traveling) and then, most times, being returned. One extreme group dedicated to this Gnome trick goes by the name "Garden Gnome Liberationists," and has been in the news since 1998, when it's leader was involved in the theft of 150 gnomes, getting himself in to some serious (french) legal trouble.
"Gnome Wants To See The World" from Amelie
If you are interested in learning more about Gnomes, I'd suggest this very well written article. Also helpful would be these titles, available on Amazon.com: "Garden Gnomes: A History," "Gnomes," or "Gnomeland: An Introduction To The Little People." Also, do not miss this "Real Life Gnome" displaying the largest collection of Gnome memorabilia!
There is no place like Gnome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)