One thing most collectors cannot be accused of is having common sense. And yet, if approached with some restraint, one can build a nice collection without forcing the family into the poor house or anyone missing a meal. So, how does one collect within a budget or within “normal” parameters?
Why Collect Anything?
First, let’s consider the act of collecting. To non-collectors, everything has its use, and if not used, should be discarded. If you need one again a few years from now, you will buy another one then, to use when it is needed. Easy peesy.
Collectors, on the other hand, do not require all their possessions to have a use. For those that are part of a collection, the mere existence of the objects is sufficient, and, as a matter of fact, the point. One can collect non-material things, like philosophies or the words to songs, but most collectors deal in physical objects. And their presence in numbers is what makes a collection satisfying.
What is not Collecting
Simple accumulation is not truly collecting. For those unfortunate souls for whom accumulation is the point, and where organization, documentation and preservation are not part of the process, the acquisition of new materials is not collecting, but more likely hoarding. Collectors also focus on a few, or even many kinds of things, but they do not collect everything. I have many collections myself, and it may seem to some that I collect everything, but I do not. There are things I use and throw out, or do not bring home in the first place. The things I collect are generally arranged in groups of like items, and, when I buy additions to an ongoing collection, that intent is very clearly in my mind.
What to Collect
There are almost as many things to collect as there are things. The beauty of collecting is that the individual decides what to collect, and the parameters that bound the collection. Maybe the collection is of black porcelain. A gift of gray porcelain can mean it can be used, traded for black porcelain, or a new collection has begun for the collector, of gray porcelain. This is a frequent happening to collectors, the addition of a new collection or the broadening of the parameters of an existing collection. Now the collection is of gray or black porcelain, or white to black shades of porcelain, or maybe it time to go all the way and define the collection not by color but by some other parameter. The collector decides.
When to collect
The time to buy, or acquire in other ways, something for your collection, is when it is available. Waiting until it is deemed “collectible” means higher prices and more competition. Try collecting something no one you know is collecting. Instead of Lladro porcelain, collect something most people don’t consider collecting, like china drawer pulls. There will be new versions once in a while, so it is not a one-time purchase, but it is also not something you will have to buy more of each week. Thus you can save a little money each week until a new set becomes available, and the financial strain is minimal.
Common Sense Collecting and Cost
This is one place where common sense must rule your collecting. Buying something for your collection when the kids need new shoes or the groceries have not been paid for is not common sense. It is obsession. The collector always puts first things first, and food, shelter, clothing, insurance, etc., all come first. Collecting is a luxury that must wait on discretionary funds. Hopefully, if you collect something that is not rare, these available funds will allow for periodic additions to your collection, which is another reason why collecting something common and readily available makes more sense. The prices are lower and a collection can be built using less money.
No doubt collecting rare Chinese porcelain is as satisfying as any other collection, but it is one that requires deep pockets and higher levels of security. A collection of something less rarefied can be just as satisfying without requiring expert advice and the help of others. Collecting at a more mundane level also allows the collector to keep a lower profile, preserving his or her anonymity and alleviating security concerns to a large extent.
The definition of a collection is within the determination of the collector, who decides, what, when and how much a collection requires. And remember, collect with common sense. It can be done.
