Monday, April 23, 2007
ON COLLECTING
These shells are from my collection of about a dozen or so pieces of various shapes but mostly of small to medium sizes. I don't have any of those huge conch shells that can be used as door stops. I acquired these shells rather uneventfully; not while strolling along a deserted beach under the golden hue of a glorious sunset on the horizon. I simply bought them from an arts and crafts vendor at SM Megamall during some native handicraft trade fair.
That's how unromantic I've acquired my shell collection, but I appreciate it just as much and, in fact, polish every piece once in a while. And while doing so, I am always reminded of the other items or objects that some old friends collect.
In New York, books, vinyl records or CDs, and concert ticket stubs were always the most popular. But as we got older, some branched out into collecting rare watches, original paintings by unknown artists, hats, objets d'art, and garments. Some would even drive long distances to out of town garage sales or estate auctions with the sole intention of finding the missing pieces to complete their collection.
As usual, the more disposable income one has, the more exotic or rare his or her objects of fancy are. However, there are those just as intensely fixated on what regular folks may regard as seemingly mundane items (such as those drinking glasses and bottles from the Depression era). Nevertheless, as with almost anything in New York, the thrill lies in paying a minimal amount for something that will, hopefully, become incredibly valuable someday. But for some, it's simply the matter of acquiring the desired pieces and to someday pass them on to one of their children.
Many lazy weekend afternoons I've spent with friends -- learning about obscure historical bits of information through the objects in their collections, as well as listening to their fascinating tales of acquisitions as if involved in some large scale arbitrage. To this day, they love to talk endlessly about their personal collections.
But then again, their freshly-brewed coffee and home-baked pies were always just as good; hence, making an avid repeat audience out of me.
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Labels: collection, shells
posted by Señor Enrique at 9:01 AM
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