Collecting

I love collections... the most mundane items become so amazing when grouped in large numbers... but some just don't seem practical for the space we live in. I once saw a collection of vintage train cases that was so cute. True, they can double as storage (and I love storage containers like you wouldn't believe), but they're just kind of big items.

I think I'm going to start a vintage key collections. Like skeleton keys. So ornate and unusual... I love thinking about what they once unlocked. Plus a wall covered in them would be so amazing!

I think you have to be a little careful about collections... with the invention of eBay, it is just too easy to amass items without even trying. Growing up, my dad had the most amazing collection of items from the Columbian Exposition, the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Every Antique fair & store was a fun hunting expedition... you never knew what treasure from the Fair you'd come across. But then eBay came along, and suddenly all the items were readily available, no effort required. Boxes were delivered at our house in amazing numbers (dad tends to be a bit obsessive about things!) and soon he had everything he could ever want. The fun was over.

I think for my new collection I'll need to pick items up one at-a-time... hopefully I'll have a memory of the places I acquired each one, making the collection more special...?!