Collecting is an Art

Last summer, a record collector and I discussed a concern he had;  today's youth in America have little interest in collecting. His generation collected comics and records, my generation collected buttons, patches, and toys from cereal boxes. His claim is that today's young people collect friends on social networking sites and mp3s on their ipods.  I'm not sure if I believe that claim, but I noted something else that was being communicated. Collecting material things should not define a one's personality, but it does show that you have an appreciation for something; and maybe for him, he felt that today's youth does not have an appreciation for the little things.  I'd love to teach an art class about the importance of collecting particular objects as a way to study them. Learning about the way items change over time can lead to the discovery of trends, history, and the way in which we function as a society today. I find the "search" to be the fun part of collecting. From vintage craft supplies to glass owls to plush lobsters to salt and pepper shakers, I always have an eye out.  Here's a few of my collections photographed:

I played with gumby so much that his arm had to be glued back on. I remember the sharpie mark on the baby smurf and how difficult it was to put princess Jasmine on the tiger.  They weren't imperfections, they were just characteristics that gave each one a personality.  Like little friends, I would have a hard time parting with these.  Some collections aren't meant to grow beyond a certain point, while others are never big enough!

The 60's Minolta to the left with the bubble lens is built like a tank! It's a handmedown from my great grandmother who owned a camera store in North Jersey. The black polaroid camera replaced my grey compatible one that broke. Works great! The photos are crystal clear, thanks to Photocenter in Brick for having the only camera that takes my kind of polaroid film! I wish I could find my IZONE camera! I have a photo of the World Trade Center taken with that camera. Also not pictured here is the camera I use for my blog posts:  a Nikon D70 (hey, it does the job!)

I have dozens of salt and pepper shakers I've collected from different places. I'm very particular about the ones I buy. The pair should have some kind of relationship.

 The best collections are the most unusual ones; they speak more about the collector than the collection itself.