Maybe it had something to do with my itinerant childhood, or maybe I was born that way, but I from an early age loved to collect and organize things, the pre-librarian in me. As a kid it was stamps, rocks, storybook dolls.
As a grownup with a big house, my collections blossomed.
At my "peak" I collected:
Fiestaware
Frogs
Dollhouse miniatures
Dollhouse
Postcards of Old Los Angeles
Books
Victorian valentines
Victorian calling cards
Catalina Tile tables
Antique Pharmaceutical bottles
Ink bottles
Poison bottles
Hall Rose Parade ceramics
Anything about or by Jacques Brel
and designer tee shirts by Custo Barcelona, which I took to Mexico and then brought down to Buenos Aires, after selling off my other collections. Now I've decided to pare down my closet, and to sell most of my Custos on Ebay.
But I still have three small cloisonné boxes I got in France, and they say three of anything is a collection.
5 comments:
[heh heh heh]
Proof that great minds think alike. I too am paring down and selling on eBay. But your "collections" kick mine's butt!
Hi Johanna,
I think my post was misleading (I since changed a few words) in that it gave the impression that I brought all that stuff down here. All but the Custos I got rid of years ago when I had to sell my house and move to an apartment in Park LaBrea, Hollywood.
People say it feels good to "lighten up," but for me it was painfully wrenching. Even gypsies cart their stuff with them on wagons, which beats 2 suitcases!
I totally got that you schlepped your lot with you from the US.
And yes, even though you know it's good for you, letting go of your little "children" is painful :-(
At least you are still an educated appreciator, if not a collector.
I think sometimes a change of fate makes us lighten our load and makes us realize we don't need to collect things even though we might love them. It is a lot easier on the psyche to travel lightly, isn't it?
Now you are a collector of wonderful experiences!
Thank you, TB, that is so well-said.
Some of us get very attached to our things, and the few things from my "old" life that I was able to schlep down here really make me happy: 4 small oriental rugs, my grandmother's quilt, a mohair throw from Scotland, some artwork, some important books.
On the practical side, I'm sorry that I bothered to bring my mother's silver plate flatware, and I'm sorry that I didn't bring my corning ware and a couple of good pots, as well as my good sheets.
But I sure do have, as you said, a collection of amazing experiences!
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