junkcollector
I've collected different things over the years. I also enjoy crafts, photography, dance, outdoors, and "old-fashioned"/"self sufficient"/"homestead" ways of doing thI've collected different things over the years. I also enjoy crafts, photography, dance, outdoors, and "old-fashioned"/"self sufficient"/"homestead" ways of doing things. I tend to lean toward items made from natural materials and things that are sturdy (stone, wood, metal, etc). *****Usually I collect things I can use (tools, boxes, chests, bowls, etc) or can store easily (artwork, photographs, buttons, fabrics, measuring tools, rulers, jewelry, watches, etc). I keep trying to get away from collecting books (they are heavy and space consuming, and when done right, require a lot of care to maintain good condition), but so far that's a habit that I haven't been able to kick.*****Sometimes I collect pieces because I believe that they "made them better back then" and sometimes I collect things that remind me of a thought I don't want to lose. Often I collect items for the mystery of them (and then donate the collection when I feel like I've learned all I can). For the most part, I do not collect just to collect or for decorative value, though I do have a few things that would fall in this category.*****I used to collect for investment value, but learned quickly that regardless of what a person/book says it's worth, its only real value is what I am paid for it. Sometimes that $200 item bought for $10 won't make even $1 at a sale/auction, whereas the $10 would still be worth $10 if I had kept it. So, in my eyes, my collection is invaluable, but I have no intention of seeing what my collection is worth to anyone else because it's likely worth most to me.*****Since I move a lot, my collections stay small. I frequently weed them out, keeping only my favorite pieces. Many of my items become subjects for my photography, then move on to a new owner. Otherwise I'd be buried in the fascinating things I've found over the years. ***** My favorite item, to date, has to be a general's stick from the end of WWII that had field art and an inscription. It was quite a topic of conversation when I brought it to a local military museum to research it. A different museum was actively looking for items such as my stick and was happy to accept it as a donation. (I rescued it from the toy section of a thrift shop for $1.99. The history of the item was well worth the investment.) ***** My favorite mystery item, to date, is what appears to be a handmade straight-blade knife I picked up for less than a dollar at an estate sale in Kansas. It has wonderful hand-feel (surprisingly balanced for its rough appearance) but appears to be a blade welded to a pipe and then shaped a bit. There is a mark on it (an F in a keystone), but that mark hasn't appeared in any book/website I've tried. Right now the piece is in storage (the reason I don't post a picture), but that is the "one that got away" from my ability to identify things. Maybe someday... (Read more)
Junkcollector
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