Happy Halloween! Behind Christmas, Halloween is the holiday people most love to decorate for. Over the years in our house we’ve come up with a nice collection of Halloween knickknacks. My favorite is the beautiful jack-o-lantern wall hanging that my talented mother-in-law made, but my kids go for the scary skull with a candle inside.

Halloween collections are easy to grow - every year there’s something new and different. One of our neighbors has such a huge collection of Halloween stuff that their home is known by all the kids as “that Halloween house.” In the front yard there are 10 foot hight blow ups of ghosts, pumpkins, witches and goblins. They have a faux graveyard and skeletons driving a broken down antique buggy. Spooky hands dance around the garage and an electrical rat races towards the sound of a voice. Inside, there’s more spooky stuff, including an entire miniature Halloween village. It all started with a single jack o’lantern and grew. When friends and relatives find a fun Halloween ornament they immediately think of this couple. The local newspaper has featured photos of their yard on the front page. It’s the one house that everyone makes sure to hit for Trick-or-Treating on Halloween night.

Looking for more info about Halloween collecting? Here’s a website with lots of photos of vintage Halloween decorations and other spooky stuff. http://www.spookshows.com/ .

And here’s another site with photo galleries of Halloween collectibles: http://collectibles.about.com/od/halloween/ig/Halloween-Collecting/index.htm

In case you missed them, there have also been some great blogs right here on Collector’s Quest lately about vintage costumes and Halloween candy.

In the beginning, there was an object. It may have been purchased, inherited, or obtained long ago and never parted with. Somewhere in time this object ceased to be just an object but became a symbol of something more, something larger than just itself. Its appeal is more than visual pleasure or functional satisfaction; it gratifies in some way that is unseen. Over time this object has been joined by other objects which meet, exceed, or build upon this fancy. The group of objects is called a collection; the addition of objects, the actions of a collector. But neither the addition of objects nor the actions taken are the foundation of a collection itself. The foundation of a collection lies in its meaning.

Why do you fancy these objects so? What motivates you to pursue them?

Because this meaning is invisible it is difficult to articulate. As a result not often discussed by the average collector. Because it is both unseen and unsung it, and the collector, can be too easily devalued.

Collectors are seen as quirky, strange, crazy &/or self-indulgent. Even the collectors themselves often devalue their own actions and objects. We’ll call our mass of objects ‘junk’; we’ll call ourselves ‘wacky’; we’ll mock ourselves in our wacky pursuit of more junk. Perhaps if we knew why we did what we did, we’d see more value in what we do.

Primarily, most collectors will answer the question “Why do I collect these things?” with “Because I like them.” But this is not a real answer. Without getting overly philosophical on the limitations of such statements, let me share with you a little something I learned in college called Aesthetic Response.

Aesthetic Response is defined as: A person’s cognitive and affective response to a work of art.

At first, this only meant to me that my professor would not accept statements such as “I love this painting” or “I hate this music.” I had to say what I loved (or hated) and why. I couldn’t say “I like this painting because it’s blue and I like the color blue,” I had to say why I liked the color blue and what it meant to me based on my value system and experiences. At first it sucked. But then, eventually, something clicked.

Here was a chance to get into my own gut and say what I felt, valued and had experienced. Here was no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer, but a process — a challenge for me to speak about what mattered to me and why. And a chance for me to participate in a larger conversation about what others felt, valued and had experienced. In these conversations we didn’t always agree, but all those who really participated learned something.

You have the same opportunity with your collection.

Below are some examples — which admittedly I am taking liberties with. (My apologies to those involved for making them guinea pigs in my motivational musings — I promise to use myself and my own collections next time.) You may not agree with me, but consider this a conversation to participate in.

Examples:

You don’t just love Smurfs, you love the memories of watching the cartoon with your siblings. It was the one show you all could agree on watching, and you credit the Smurfs with forming some part of your outlook on life.

Courtney Lynne doesn’t just love Vicks VapoRub, she loves the smell which is tied to memories of being cared for. It’s not just the physical comfort of medicine and parental care, but the sense of individualism she feels when she remembers her parents bringing back that jar from Mexico — and when she was kicked out of a Girlscout sleepover because she wouldn’t turn her prized possession over to the troop leader.

Jeff Harris doesn’t just love comic books, but the creativity they represented to him when he was a child, the inspiration they provide him as an adult artist, and the connections he has to those who came before him as well as those he works with now.

As personal as each motivation is, there is a larger context for each collection as well. Sure, future generations can learn something about you from your Smurfs, about Courtney via her VapoRubs, and about Jeff from his comic books. But each collection also preserves something larger than ‘just’ individuals and their personal histories; there are cultural significances to be seen. These collections preserve a period in time and illustrate the values of that time. They also provide connections and insights to others.

How many others were shaped by the Smurfs? What did the Smurfs teach about family values? What effect did the Smurfs have on children and their expectations regarding entertainment and commercialism? Did the Smurfs represent American values or those of Communism?

How many others have been comforted by VapoRub? What’s the connection between comfort and commerce? As a globally marketed product, what does VapoRub say about human commonalities & experiences which defy boarders? What does collecting have to do with individualism and how you identify yourself?

How many others have been inspired by comic books? Were they inspired to be readers, writers, artists? What importance does fantasy have in our society? How have advertising, entertainment, communication etc. been affected by comic books?

Your answers may not be the same as those of another who collects the same objects, for your values and experiences may be quite different. In fact since your values and experiences drive and shape your collection, your collection may be vastly different than that of another who collects the same objects. Won’t that make your conversation more interesting?!

This is some of what USC was getting at when it posted a call for papers. Your collection itself and the motivation behind it may seem small, individual, wacky, and self-indulgent — but if you really think about it, your collection is part of a larger collection, a larger context, a larger conversation.

There’s a saying in the theatre, “There are no small roles, only small actors.” I say there are no small collections, only small collectors. Play your role with pride; participate in the conversation.

About a year ago, toy collectors got the tragic news. ToyBiz, the company that redefined action figures with their collection of super-articulated and masterfully-sculpted Marvel Legends action figures, was getting a divorce from Marvel Entertainment. For the remainder of 2006, they’d be dividing up their stuff. ToyBiz would get to keep the recliner, the plasma TV, and the rights to make Curious George geegaws, while Marvel would take their collection of beloved characters with them. Yes, even Paste Pot Pete and Dazzler. The Marvel Legends line, darling of the toy aisle, would be coming to an end, along with the X-Men, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four spinoff lines.

The rights to create 1/12 scale (also referred to as ‘6-inch scale’), articulated Marvel action figures would go to Hasbro, who are known primarily for their much smaller, much less articulated Star Wars figures. Character licenses are tricky things - while one company may get exclusive rights to produce 1/12 scale action figures of a character, another might retain the exclusive rights to 1/12 scale statues of that same character, and the rules that govern these items are very specific. If those statues show a hint of articulation or poseability, a problem arises and exclusivity has been breached. So, us collectors usually end up with a wide variety of varying collectibles, all of differing quality, while everyone’s trying to uniquely cash in on The Hulk craze at once. You know, before Ang Lee made him a total whiny spaz-bag and made him fight Hulk Poodles. Yeah, that happened in the movie, and Batman had rubber nipples on his suit, and no one is ever going to care about Elektra or her sizeable big-screen rack.

The license year is running out, and this week, the toy shelves are bursting with ToyBiz trying to expunge all Marvel product from their warehouses ahead of schedule, not unlike like a spurned lover burning all of the stuff that their cheatin’ significant other left in their apartment. As a result, the final two waves of Marvel Legends have hit the shelves ahead of schedule, causing a total collector blowout. Usually spaced out by at least 3 months between releases, the last hurrah has happened, and it’s happened with a total of 21 must-have collector figures (nine of them being exceptionally rare), spanning waves fourteen and fifteen of the Marvel Legends series. Collectors know these waves as ‘Mojo’ and ‘MODOK’, respectively, because if you purchase the six main figures from each wave, spare parts in each package will allow you to create a seventh character that’s otherwise too large to fit into the packaging.

The Marvel Universe has a lot of disproportionate bad guys, so the last few waves have given us a huge Sentinel, Apocalypse, Galactus, and Onslaught, as well as hero Giant Man. ToyBiz seems to have known that the end of their reign was nigh, and for the final two waves of figures, they chose the most bizarre, inconsequential, ridiculous characters they could possibly think of. An obese slug from the television dimension, and a deranged giant floating head. Neither character has ever really had an impact or a memorable role in the Marvel Universe, except for unintentionally providing a hearty ‘WTF?’ and discrediting comics as a valid literary format. Touché, ToyBiz. Incidentally, Mojo and MODOK are two of my favorite Marvel characters ever for those same reasons. Sentimentally, the original Mojo figure was probably my first Marvel action figure, as well as the only other time that Mojo was ever an action figure, snapping robot scorpion tail and all. It was only recently that I acquired a MODOK from an older Iron Man series of figures (also by ToyBiz), but these Legends figures are eons ahead in their ability to capture just how greasy and disgusting a malevolent slug-man can really be.

The sudden release of these is setting collectors atwitter. They’re being found on the shelves of retail establishments like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart before they’ve reached specialized comic shops, which is unusual as far as collectible toys go. While comic shops order through a large distributor monopoly known as Diamond Comics, retail chains order directly from the distribution centers that ToyBiz uses. Usually, this means that comic shops (who need significantly more financial help that Wal-Mart) will get product first, getting prime selling time and real estate, and the retail juggernauts can fulfill whatever needs are leftover. The role reversal on these final two waves has been both disconcerting and rewarding for someone who does most of their pre-ordering online. Distribution is a sketchy and heavily debated topic at best, among all toy companies.

So to ToyBiz, who will never again produce another Marvel figure for us, I say unto you that you’ve done a wonderful job. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jesse Falcon, toy developer and sometime-improv actor for UCB, who excitedly walked around the ToyBiz showrooms to point out the clear goggles on Green Goblin’s mask and other details that a real collector would appreciate. Before ToyBiz brought the Marvel Legends to life, toy collectors either settled for excellent sculpting or a high degree of poseability. Sure, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but cities have fallen, people. Crumbled. To. The. Ground. Or, at least message boards got really heated and swear filters have overloaded. ToyBiz found an exceptional mix between the two opposing factions, and from wave one, I’ve been hunting these down every few months, and more often than not, foiled by opportunistic toy scalpers or collectors who were willing to sacrifice their dignity to get to them first.

But the tale of Barry, the Greasy Hat Man, and the thrill of the chase, will have to wait until next time. Allow me to conclude on a completely unrelated note. Sideshow Toys is having their annual Spooktacular sale, so click on the banner below to be transported to a world of extremely discounted monster collectibles, and if you’re lucky, completely free swag. Click the right place at the right time and you could walk away with your very own Hunchback. Last year, I won a Darth Vader statue valued at 350 dollars, so have fun!

So many of us grew up playing nearby as the Avon lady showed her wares to our mothers in the living room. Today many of those Avon products and even their containers have become collectors items. While there are collectors for everything from Avon’s trinket boxes to photo frames, their perfume bottles are particularly popular. Available in figures ranging from hands to race cars, the surprising shapes of the Avon perfume bottles make them fun to collect and display.

Originally called the California Perfume Company, Avon started way back in 1886 with a single saleslady. As the name suggested, the company focused exclusively on perfume at first. The company quickly added more sales reps and expanded their product line to include cosmetics. In 1939 the California Perfume Company was renamed Avon Products Inc.

It was during the 1960s that Avon began creating the novelty perfume bottles. The first novelty bottles were a big hit and Avon continued creating them in shapes like guns, school desks, all sorts of animals, Victorian ladies, football helmets, chess figures - you name it. The perfume bottles often came in colorful, whimsically decorated boxes as well.

When collecting Avon perfume bottles, make sure that you have all the parts of the bottle, including caps. Avoid pieces with scraped paint, chipped or cracked glass, damaged labels or any other flaws. It’s always a good thing to have the box that originally came with the bottle (in good shape of course) since that can increase the selling price.

This site shows many of the Avon perfume and cologne bottles, as well as other Avon collectibles: http://www.robinsfyi.com/fun/hobbies/avon/avoncollecting.htm

Richard Robinson has history at his fingertips: he collects newspapers. As curator of his own museum to journalism, Robinson stores innumerable multitudes of articles, editorials, comics, and commentaries. In an interview with the LA Times, Robinsion admits he’s a rare collector, due to the bulkiness of broadsheets, but assured the writer that newspapers are at least 25 times more fun than stamps or coins.

While I admit I haven’t the room for newspapers (although if I probably cleared out some of the other ‘junk’ I might find a little space), I can’t pass up a chance to pick up some timely newspapers, or their ephemeral cousin, the magazine. New publications are just that — new publications — and can rarely compete with their older relatives. That’s not to say print quality or the fineness of the paper are being compared; I’m referring to the contents. Collections of the printed word, whether a book or a screenplay or a newspaper, are meant to be read. Newspapers might be the most fragile of some, no doubt collectors do their best to keep their trasured items in as accessible a way as possible. At the very least, the most striking articles, those on the front page, are readily accessible.

On the morning of September 12th, 2001, eBay was flooded with new auctions for the freshly-printed newspapers, hot off doorsteps from around the world, announcing the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York. The news wasn’t new to the reader — most people saw the images and heard the stories, theories, and rhetoric on TV and radio the day before — but a newspaper is history recorded for posterity. Even in landfills, of which newspapers are a large percent of the volume, newspapers can last years before disintegrating. We see newspapers as a long-lasting record of history, as it occurs. The history books may get the big picture right eventually, but newspapers bring the snapshot view of news, as it happens, from a daily standpoint. Truman waving a Chicago Tribune reading “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN” is embedded in everyone’s mind as an example of newspapers not quite fitting the truth, but that doesn’t stop them from commanding a premium today.

As the Newspaper Collectors Society of America explains in their “primer” on newspaper collecting, this value as a historical record is what drives the value of a newspaper. The historical significance needn’t be spot-on accurate (Robinson’s copy of a newspaper pronouncing the Titanic’s survival of the iceberg impact is worth $800), its connection to historically relevant events is what’s important. A newspaper I once owned — and, of course, parted with on eBay — discussing the JFK assassination mostly reprinted the wire stories and photos, but in one small corner occupied a interview with a local author who condemned Kennedy’s support for civil rights and basically said Kennedy got what was coming to him. In our desire for the Big Picture, the documentary viewpoint of collected aspects and focused down into an understandable solid, we often forget to notice the human aspects of history: the incorrect opinions, the era-appropriate assumptions based on class and society, the optimistic views of the future, and the unverified or undocumented facts reported as truths. An early 1960s ‘night life’ paper from Chicago can give an insight into the ‘discotheque’ movement, embodied by the new Whiskey A Go-Go, with their never-before-seen “go go dancers.” Hearing a politician’s early words might give a clearer idea of why they are who they are today. Someone with an interest in film might like to hear, right from the director or lead actor, what their unsure or optimistic thoughts are on their upcoming project — one that we might know now as a Star Wars, Schindler’s List, or Rocky Horror Picture Show. The news of the past, unclouded by hindsight, is a treasure to be appreciated.

In my experience, estate sales and auctions are a good source for the “common” historical newspapers: Kennedy assassination (either of them), man walking on the moon, various elections, sports victories, and, of course, 9/11. While they are not particularly rare, they are a starting point for a larger collection (and, of course, isn’t that where collections always go?) eBay, online auctions, and ephemera swap meets are sources for rarer, obscure, or otherwise more desirable examples of newspapers. Newspapers printed over the past century tend to be printed on a high-acid paper which is also reactive to light, causing brown and brittle pages, but those older than Victorian times are mostly printed on a rag-based paper which retains its like-new quality much longer. Modern papers, in the interest of decomposition, are not designed as a permanent record, but with proper care newer papers can be kept in near-new quality for as long as possible. the Newspapers Collectors Society recommends storing newspapers flat, and I can attest that newspapers stored folded to tend to break apart along the stress of the fold. Because newspapers come from many sources, in many editions, there is plenty of opportunity to focus on a single event or topic without exhausting opportunities too quickly. Any collector with an interest in history would be neglectful to ignore newspaper articles from their favorite times.