Sunday, February 3, 2008

Why Collect?

Jay Leno is crazy for classic cars and Imelda Marcos had her shoe fetish. Collectors are a unique breed. We see differently than most. We see things in multiples. We desire to group similar things together, which then highlights their differences. We search, research, read and learn about our desired pieces. Collections start out small and then grow, sometimes out of control. We assemble, aggregate, amass, gather, accumulate, compile and hoard. Collections sometimes get narrowed and focused as they become too large. Collections are usually displayed for maximum enjoyment. They can be for fun or investment. Collectors also appreciate others’ collections, no matter what is collected. Collectors have passion for their collections which is often evident when they show off their items. I’ve been a collector (pack-rat some have called me) of one thing or another for most of my life. I enjoy hunting in antique stores, flea markets and ‘junk’ stores for anything interesting. Its been many years since I first began to notice metal building replicas. The first one I bought was the Empire State Building at a flea market. Being a fan of architecture, I liked the way it looked sitting on a table. Over time, I began noticing other metal architectural replicas in antiques stores. They began leaping out at me in a sea of cluttered store shelves. I thought, “Hey these might look cool together, like a skyline.” And so it began. Then, just by chance, I learned about the Souvenir Building Collector’s Society (SBCS). That was all I needed to really search and collect in earnest. I was encouraged and emboldened with the knowledge there were others out there just like me who had a passion for amassing building replicas. My building collection now is into the hundreds. I realized I could never afford nor display every building replica out there, so I search for interesting buildings from around the world with a focus on older metal replicas. Why do you collect and how did you first begin collecting souvenir buildings? Do you have a focus or specialty to your collection?

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