Un-Intentioned Collections: Time to face my addictions.

When I looked at some of our recent folks signing up on Collector’s Quest, I noticed several that did not list a collection. How can that be? I believe everyone has a collection, some people just don’t view the stuff they have as a collection. Look in closets, drawers and at your walls. Got a shelf stuck up with three or more seemingly like items? Well brothers and sisters, take it from The Dean, you got a collection.

I look around and see many un-intentioned collections. Yes, I know most of my stuff was gathered together with the intent to add to this or that collection, books, recordings, cameras, tools, gaging equipment and much more. Plus all of wifey’s collections that I helped her acquire, some she has discussed in past articles.

But to my embarrassment, let’s look in some of my drawers and closets to discover mostly junk or useless items of little known value that just seem to pile up for no reason until they become a collection.

Now I’m not talking about old shoes I can’t throw out, because of my gender.

Here’s my hat collection. I rarely wear a hat, never do unless the temperature reaches the single digits, but none of these have any warmth to them. I know how this collection started. I had bought a new suit when I was sixteen years old and the shop owner thought I’d look great in the vintage Bowler Derby, so she gave it to me. It’s from the 1920s.

The next one came all the way from the city of its name, Fez, and was purchased when I was stationed in Morocco with a Naval Air transport squadron (VR-24) in the early Sixties. The collection has grown with give-aways from companies I have worked with or for, and of course the Packer hat.

I suppose the key collection started back in my teens also. When you change addresses, jobs or rides the extra spare keys wind up in a drawer. Some friend seeing your stack of keys adds theirs and bingo you have too many.

Business cards began to accumulate when I was very young. My father was a printer and my first business card was for customers on my paper route. I’d collect one from the doctor, insurance salesman and anyone that had a stack on their desk. Most of what you see are from companies I have sold goods and services to. The collection now includes cards from antique shops we have visited.

One of my customers had an interesting collection of useless items on his office wall. I’m sure you will remember the CD discs sent in the mail, included in all sorts of products and even available on the counter of our post office, from AOL as an inducement to sign up for their on- line service. I think his collection was the inspiration I needed to start saving the faux credit cards received in the mail from banks and CC companies, offering new cards at low rates if I would only sign up.

What were they thinking? My American Express card has a $25.00 high purchase limit and anything over $20.00 and the merchant has to call for authorization. HA. Heck, most places want two forms of ID when I pay cash.

The last group is magnetic ads, stuck on my office refrigerator. Not much of a grouping but banks are starting to add to the collection. I have discarded some in the past, not realizing their inherent beauty.

I won’t get into the pens in my desk drawer, I don’t like to consider them a collection because if I grab one and it doesn’t write, I violently toss it into the round file beneath my desk, irregardless of the wonderful advertising it may contain.

Please check your own closets, drawers and shelves and confirm the theory that where three items gather, it’s a collection.

And report back to me,

what your worst or best might be.

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