If you have three to four versions of any one kind of item, then perhaps you are a collector and don't even realize it. Over the years or decades if you ever mentioned that you really liked horses then all of your children, grandchildren, other family, friends and co-workers smiled and thought to themselves, "Good, now I know what to get her on her birthday or next Christmas".
Perhaps you need to walk through your rooms and look around. Notice how many times you see items that you have grouped together, either on shelves or on mantel, bookshelves or counters. You also did it to yourself.....at garage sales, estate sales and auctions or while on vacation as a souvenir. Buying something that you just had to have.

A real collection is important to you when you walk by and look at them and can hear the story or song that they whisper to you. If they are silent, perhaps they don't belong there anymore.

What about the boxes that are packed and stored in a closet, an attic, the garage or
basement?
How long has it been since you opened them to see what all was in them?

Pick up one of the idividual pieces and think of how you can get dispose of it. As you start to put it into a box for disposal of one kind or another, does it stick to you hand making it impossible to put it into the box? Put it back from where you took it......it belongs there. If it almost flings out of your hand to jump into the box, it belongs in a new home.

There are many ways to dispose of unwanted collections of "things" you have accumulated over the years. You can always "gift" them to someone who utters those famous words you have uttered before......"Oh, I just love horses (or whatever word you wish to insert)." Another way to donate them to a charity thrift shop. Another way is to sell them at your own garage sale, auction or on e-Bay. You can also just throw them out. This would be my least favorite way to dispose of anything that I had moved from house to house and at one time looked at fondly. "Treasures" should never just be thrown away. They should be passed on.

For those of you who have not experienced the joys of collecting and wish to start; there are many ways to do so. One such way is as I have mentioned above.....just tell at least three people how much you really love something.....they will start your collection for you. Another way is to want to be a serious collector of antiques or collectibles; perhaps because you have inherited your grandmother's collection of Hummel plates or because you, as a child, loved a certain type of dolls, which you still have. Another way is start looking at eBay, not as a seller, but as a buyer.

I plan to discuss many of these steps for buying, adding to or selling colleactions on this weblog and hope to hear from many of you as to your ideas, suggestions and tips. When I think of collections, I realize that as we age we all have a variety of collections. They come in the form of experiences, ideas, attitudes, recipes and memories. Perhaps we can share some of those collections as well.

Please bookmark this site and come back for a visit soon.