What do you collect?

Cartoons and I guess old rusty tools.
I know what Stephanie means though, years ago the wife and I both
told the southern relatives we collected cat art and tea cups.
Lots and lots of stuff over the years from our mom,s and my sisters.
Cat tea sets and tea time art, and its surprising how much cat stuff there is available out there.
Mind you we just got a weird tea set, dutch antique, jet black,
no markings and a very fine texture.

Originally Posted by Stephanie

I stopped collecting things because I found that once people "know" about it, it's all you get for birthdays/cards, etc. Takes all the fun out of it because most of the items received from other people are just junk (ask me how many ladybug kitchen magnets I've been given over the years)

I can identify with this sentiment. My Dad had to ask people to please stop giving him beer steins, my Mom got sick & tired of elephants* and my sister got sick & tired of cows*. On the other hand, although I have occasionally been sick, I never grow tired of single-malt scotch.

I think people's collections are a major factor in separating the "hard to buy for" from the "easy to buy for". When it becomes known that someone doesn't want any more 'damn girlie ties' (or whatever) they change from being "easy to buy for" to "hard to buy for".



* Of the ornamental variety I hasten to clarify.

Being a $broken student, I do not have that much money to spend on collecting things.. but if I did have money, I would probably collect fine bottles of alcohol and wine.

I hardly ever drink but there's just something about having a huge collection of finer alcohol in a cellar that is appealing to me. I think it probably has to do with nostalgic thoughts about romantic periods in history. Throughout the ages, alcohol has been the one thing that hasn't hardly changed and so collecting bottles of fine alcohol, some which are brands that have been around for hundreds of years, is one way I feel I can connect with a history I can never truly be a part of.... if that makes sense :s. lol.