What do we Collect?

Everyone offers such different collections and various ways to define their collections. None of us believed we are ready to showcase our finds on Antiques Roadshow. We don't have thousands of anything. We do appreciate what we have and for the memories it provides.

Archivists tell us we use keepsakes to stimulate memory, especially to trigger fond memories. Even when the artifact does not prompt us to provide a complete record of our past, it is vital to our understanding of the past.

Our conversation led us to interesting reflections about ourselves and our treasures. What is it that people collect? Do the "rich and famous" have different values about collecting than others? Are collections bigger, smaller? And what happens to the collection when the collector passes on?

I shared one of my dozen shadowbox frames with mounted seashells and original poetry. Collecting shells is my passion. I have large shells on display on shelves, on a glass dish and smaller ones in plastic boxes. My shells come from southern California seashores and the shell shop in La Jolla, and other places. They remind me of the sea and the tides, the salty air and the tidepools where life exists in a constant state of change.

Another item shared was a full color Gone With the Wind original movie program and ticket stubs from Dec. 31, 1939. (My parents' second date.) Our conversationalists also collect stamps, representing a microcosm of American life in each one. We collect rocks to decorate our garden and books to fill our minds. We collect art to enjoy and inspire us.

That led to the question: How does what we collect reflect who we are? We consider our appreciation for the natural environment, for beauty and for knowledge. Some people collect for the money. We collect because we want to.

For those of of us who have lost loved ones, collectibles sometimes fill up the space where a person once stood. We talked about collections from our lifetime that were lost. All that remains is the memory of what we had.

One conversationalist said, "We enjoy other people's collections in their homes or businesses. We don't necessarily want those collections in our homes to live with everyday."

Another topic we discussed was holiday collecting. The elaborate Christmas displays built up through the years and stored. The ornaments that were made as a child or young bride and hung carefully on trees through the years. Collections for Halloween, Christmas and other holidays always get bigger!

Collecting has definitely changed with eBay. Now, instead of searching through garage sales antique shows and sales, we browse the Internet for what we want.

Collecting is fun or we wouldn't do it. Even if we have just one item. The meaning remains to the same 1 or 1000.