Warm weather has arrived. Of course this is the calm before the storm. Tornado classes have begun, and house cleaning is just getting under way.
I have been attempting to compact my life, declutter the house. I really don't want to take half this stuff into my new house. Currently I have 6 large boxes to take to garage sale. The one thing that is understood, is that all brick-a-brack or knick knack has to not only be interesting visually, but serve a purpose. They must be useful in some way. In a way this bothers me because. . . ok big dork alert. . . I collect D&D items. I have done this for years, I have figurines that are older than myself. Under this rule, all my D&D stuff has to go. ~sigh~ I might have to make an exception.
Yes there are times were I am materialistic. What real use do those figurines have? None that I can think of. It is more of a sentimental reason why I collect them. I do not obsessively hunt these things down, but if I stumble upon them I buy them {Hence the reason I rarely go into comic book stores anymore} Here is were I begin to rationalize even more, I don't feel it is compulsive buying, if I already have a set I will not re-buy it.
Justification. . . I rarely treat myself to things that are not needed for surviving on a homestead. I buy things for my family that isn't needed, but I general do not splurge on myself. My $2 figurines are just about it. {Unless it's a box set, then I am looking at anywhere up to $20}
Enough about those figurines, I am sure they are not that interesting to you. I was trying to make a point about compacting my life, and then felt the need to defend my choices. Looks like I light have some serious issues to work on.
What do you collect?
The garden is being cleaned up and prepped for potatoes, lettuce, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and spinach. I am looking forward to working outside again and getting dirty.
Those of you wanting me to make a basket for next month's make it from scratch contest, you have one more day to rally the troops and vote here. Right now the soaps have it.
10 comments:
I'll just respond to one thing on this post, What do you collect? Well I don't really collect things that I buy and scout out, but ratherget something annualy. For example, every year I got to this place called "Glenbrook Farms" and it's a resort in Upstate New York. At the end of each trip there is an activity where you paint potery. You don't actually make the figures (planes, animals, flowers, houses, but just paint them. So each year I paint one and bring it home. What's so special about it is that each peice has a unqique story. When I look at them all lined up on my bookshelf it's like a trip down memory lane. You can progesivly see that they get better and better. One even has a big blog of black paint on it. (Long story short my cousin spilled it on mine, ahh good times) Just so you know I've been going to this place I was three. That's about 13 figures.
I am pretty practical and not very sentimental and I say keep the figurines! IMHO there needs to be balance. It is ok to keep a few things you really enjoy.
I collect thimbles. I even have a thimble cabinet on one wall that holds about 100 and it's about half full. I either pick one up if I travel to somewhere new, or I have others bring me mementoes from their travels. Some have been trades with people in other areas/countries. The collection grows quite slowly and has no purpose other than the memories I have.
Oh, I also have an extensive collection of dog show ribbons, and a small but significant collection of dog show trophies (not the "loving cup" type of trophies, but things like windchimes, silver-plated tray and plate, even some things like coffee cups and a stuffed moose.)
The point of the collection is that it brings you pleasure.
I have several D&D dragons that I was going to put into the yard sale. One is only partly painted and disassembled, but I'd be happy to donate them to someone who would love them instead.
btw, if I won the lottery one of the first things I'd do would be to buy everything ever published for the D&D third edition game. Everything. ;-)
I collect junk, and series of books, and would like to have a complete set of the Very Short Introductions some day.
Oh, and I collect historical markers, sorta. ;-)
Sounds like you have your work cut out for you! Every time I try to de-clutter, I always find too many things I "didn't remember I had" etc, and it's hard getting rid of them "just in case..." :)
Most of my things are still in boxes from a couple of moves, but as far as collecting, I love dinner plates, especially blue and white or transferware(they don't have to match), seeds, and photos (I'm not the scrapbooking sort...never got that organized!) And one day I'll have an anything-goes teacup and teapot collection again, only the last couple of times I tried, I usually gave them away to folks who really loved a particular one. I also have an overabundance of what my husband terms "girl movies," and I'll always love those :)
I think that if you enjoy collecting D&D figures you should not feel guilty. You only have one life and it seems a shame to make it one of self denial - especially in a family context where other members of the family have hobbies and indulgences. It adds fun to visits to yard sales and thrift shops that you wont get from buying lye and books about donkeys even if they are essential purchases.
Alice
You could sell you D&D figures on Ebay and get a lot of money for them. I don't really collect anything. I do have several bells in my cabinet.
I say keep the figurines! If not for collectors, how would anyone have antiques? I collect enamelware, old kitchen items, bottle openers, mason jars, pop bottles, hay hooks/other farm items, galvanized anything (tubs, buckets, etc.), horse bits/other tack, pigs, all kinds of stuff. Most of it is on shelves and walls for decoration, but some is in regular use-old enamelware makes neat planters, and so do galvanized tubs. My mom says I have too much junk-I say it'll be gone when I am, then somebody else can say "Look at this cool old junk!" and carry on with the "madness". ;)
I agree that keeping the collection is ok! I think grouping them in some sort of display would serve the purpose of making you happy.
I collect Breyer horses (I have since I was about 5-6). They are huge and most are still in boxes. I sold about 200 of my childhood ones ten years ago and cried. I am also trying to compact, declutter, but I can't part with the horses. So I am keeping them until I am ready to A. Give them up or B. figure out how to display them.
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